Develop one aspect of the introduction.
Sample: What ways can we move things or people from one place to another? There are many ways that we can move people around. You mentioned cars, boats and trains and others. Now I want you to think about road transport .
1. Brainstorm in pairs or groups of four – what types of road transport do you know?
In pairs they will list key areas of road travel.
Give each pair something to “transport” listed on a card. Items such as blocks, people, sand, milk etc. can be listed. Ask them to choose the most appropriate road transport for their goods and to state why.
Prepare some questions -Why do people travel by road? Roads take you to other places.
Record some words about road transport
2. Pairs: Children will be given a picture of road transport and a small map showing roadways. They are asked to look carefully at both.
It is explained that they will write some advantages of road travel from examining these. They may state things like Roads join places.
Children are given at least 5 minutes to consider this.
Feedback. Listen to children’s comments. Examples You can go to lots of different places by road.
Lots of different vehicles can travel on roads. You can go by public bus or car. Roads can be built to lots of different places. Bridges can help roads to go over rivers or railways. Tunnels can allow roads to travel through mountains.
3. Explain and teach : Record some of children’s ideas. Draw them out on aspects such as the condition of roads, the forms of vehicles on roadways, what goods are transported, what types of road transport they have used etc. List some on the board or on a chart.
Draw their attention to disadvantages such as traffic accidents, air pollution, fewer cyclists, unsafe for children to play on roads, noise form traffic. Road safety-Be Safe Be Seen. Look before you cross the Road.
Teach children that there are large and small roads. Show an example of motorway roads on a map or show a picture of a motorway. You will find useful images for this in the Transport Leixlip section. Types of roads are also in My School Geography school transport section for 5th and 6th. If you have a data projector and internet connection you can show these to the whole class.
Optional: Ask children to consider what might happen if there were no hard- surfaced roads for them to travel on. How would that change their own lives?
Examine how roads are shown on a map. Are the lines always straight? Which roads are the oldest straight line ones or very curved line roads? Why do they think so?
Draw a map of the area near the school or near your home. Show large roads, smaller roads and streets on it. Use different colours and different widths of lines. Thick lines should show the biggest roads.
Recording information:
List some types of road transport. Draw some. Write the advantages and disadvantages of roads.
Writing: What I learned about transport and roads. Using text and drawings.