Boats, Trains, Cars, and Planes

Social Studies Online

TEACHER Christina Ward, Mike Tapp

TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES

1. Starter activities
   1. Talk about
      Why do people use transport? Why don't they just walk?

   2. Round table
      In groups of four, Roundtable Brainstorm different kinds of transport.

   3. Walking? What next?
      In the same groups discuss and arrive at a consensus about what was the first type of transport used after walking. The whole group must agree and report to the class, justifying their choice.

2. Timeline
   Numbered Heads
   Organise class into groups of four and allocate each person in group a number, from 1 to 4.
   Place these images in a time sequence from long ago till now. The aim of this is not to develop a highly accurate timeline, but to generate thinking and discussion.

   Teachers, you will need to select and organise access to some images ahead of time so children can use them on the timeline. Try to cover old and recent examples in these key areas: waka, walking, horse and bullocks, sail, steam, rail, cars, trams, motorcycles, aircraft

   Resources for Timeline

   Reporting back: Teacher calls out a number and those children stand up and report on their groups' findings.

3. Timeframe journey

   Step 1 Getting prepared
   Note to teachers: We have allocated four broad timeframes and given teachers an approximate date (in brackets) for these. They are in no way intended to be definitive or accurate statements about historical events.

   Have plenty of resources including Web sites, books and photographs of transport history available for students in the classroom.

   Choose two places in New Zealand for your Timeframes journey – a starting point and a destination. Select places your students can relate to, (that is, from your region to another), so that students will think about important transport features such as rivers and/or the coastline in your region. Make sure there is a reasonable distance between the places to accommodate air travel.

   Mark the start and finish (for example, Auckland to New Plymouth) of the journey on a good large map (use art paper). You will need one map for Timeframe 1, and a map for each group so they can draw on them, display them on the wall and add to them as the journeys progress.

   First you will model the journey in Timeframe 1, then divide the class into groups to take journeys in the other Timeframes. Each Timeframe package contains a Fact sheet and a What to do sheet.

   Timeframes 2–4 are to be handed out after Timeframe 1 has been modelled.

   Step 2 Maps
   Some preparation will be necessary here. Organise large sketch maps (use art paper) for students to plot their journeys on. These maps need to be simple but must show major physical features of your region (rivers, mountains, lakes, swamps, etc.) and the start and finish of the journey. Use the same map for all Timeframes. Be as creative as you like with this and make good use of your local knowledge.

   Step 3 Model a Timeframe Journey

   Package for Timeframe 1 – Māori travellers
   (Up until the late 18th century)
   Discussion Starters for the teacher
   Fact Sheet
   What to do

   The whole class works in groups of four on Timeframe 1 with the teacher leading and modelling the process.

   • To start work in each timeframe the teacher will need to set the scene. For example, explain the journey is from Auckland to New Plymouth or from Christchurch to Hokitika. Māori travellers would need to think about coastal, river and walking on tracks.

   • Use a story and a few good images to do this. Try telling the story so you can emphasise the physical features of the landscape.

   • Show children the map with the start and end of the journey clearly marked, and recap information about important physical features (for example rivers, harbours, mountains, swamps etc.)

   • Use these discussion starters if you think they will help.

   • Hand out Timeframe 1 fact sheet to each group.

   • Allow time for students to read and discuss the fact sheet. Clip the facts and place them in a bowl or hat in the middle of each group. Group members take turns to select a fact and tell the others about it.

   • Transport chart
     Using the information in their fact sheets, each group member draws a quick sketch of one of the ways people travelled at that time. (For example, in Timeframe 1 people travelled by waka or on foot)

   • Run a quick quiz using the numbered heads strategy to check that each group has understood this key information. Groups hold on to the fact sheets.

   • Hand out (and read out) the What to do sheets. They can refer to their fact sheets throughout.
     
     

   Step 4 Groups take Timeframe journeys
   Divide the class into groups of four, and allocate each group one Timeframe (see above). This means you may have two or three groups working within each timeframe.
   Each group now works through the same process modelled in Timeframe 1 to explore another of the Timeframes.

   • Package for Timeframe 2 – European arrivals
     (From the late 18th century)
     Discussion Starters for the teacher
     Fact Sheet
     What to do sheet

   • Package for Timeframe 3 – The motor
     (From the late 19th century)
     Discussion Starters for the teacher
     Fact Sheet
     What to do sheet

   • Package for Timeframe 4 – Taking to the air
     (From the mid 20th century)
     Discussion Starters for the teacher
     Fact Sheet
     What to do sheet
     
     

   Step 5 Present findings to the class
   Practise presenting your information, by joining up with another group in the same Timeframe. Each member of the group must present at least one section of information (see below).

   1. Transport chart showing the type of transport people used in their Timeframe.

   2. Their decisions on their 3 key questions:
      
      • What special clothes and equipment did you need for your journey?
        
      • How did you know which way to go?
        
      • What challenges did you face on the journey? What solutions did you find?

   3. Their map and their explanation of it.

   In the groups, choose one town or community and role-play the changes it might have seen as transport has changed.

4. Changes chart
   As a class, talk about the ways changes in transport have changed our communities in the past and present. Record the ideas on a large chart and place this on the wall.

   Future perspective: How will transport change the life of communities in the future?

5. Thumbs up, thumbs down
   This activity is designed for students to think about some current transport issues.

   Divide the issue cards up amongst each group of four.

   The group spreads cards on table, considers each issue and puts a counter on a thumbs up or thumbs down sign.

   When all groups have finished, the class visits each group in turn to see what they think, and the group explains their choices.

   If you wish, add cards that highlight some of your local transport issues to this list.

6. Then and Now
   Assessment Activity
   Draw three pairs of picture slides in a grid, each pair headed Then and Now, to describe how changes in transport have changed communities. Students record comments or write an explanation for each pair of slides.

   Choose from these headings:

   • How people get to work
   • Carrying milk from farm to factory
   • Moving logs from forest to port
   • How people work on farms
   • How children get to school
   • How families travel on holidays
   • How people travel to do business
   • How people travel to other countries
   • How people travel from Wellington to Auckland
   • How transport jobs have changed
   • How country towns have changed
   • How cities have changed

RESOURCES

Print

• Watson, James (1996) Links The History of Transport GP Publications
• In the Early Days Hodder Stoughton
• Smyth, Kelvin Toi Take Take Belonging Here Developmental Publications Ltd

Electronic

• MOTAT
• NZ Maritime museum