Ann Boessneck
Lindsey White
EDEX 750
The History of American Transportation
A Lesson Plan
THEME: A look at American transportation throughout history.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Self contained elementary class for students with learning disabilities
OBJECTIVES:
- TSWBAT describe different modes of transportation
- TSWBAT discuss how transportation has changed throughout history
- TSWBAT describe why transportation is important to them
PREREQUISITES
The student has:
- the ability to work in both small and large groups
- keyboarding experience
- has received instruction in writing reports using Kidworks
II software
The teacher has:
- Found web sites with pictures to place on Kidworks II software for students to use in reports
- Found and bar coded pictures and movies from the American History Videodisc
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Videodisc: The American History Videodisc by Instructional Resources Corporation
Software: Kidworks II by Davidson
Web Sites
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TYPE OF CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Whole group instruction on history and different modes of transportation.
Small group reports on one specific type of transportation
INSTRUCTIONAL EVENTS
Presenting important concept: Whole class discussion and lecture on the history of transportation through the presentation of preselected frames on The American History Videodisc
Eliciting performance and practice: Students will look at web sites dealing with the history of various modes of transportation with the teacher and aide
Enhancing transfer: Students will get together in small groups and write about one type of transportation on Kidworks II software
TIME CONSIDERATION AND TIPS
Transportation throughout American History will be discussed as a whole class. Emphasis will be given to ships, individual travel (horses and cars), trains, and planes. The videodisc will be used to visualize the historic modes versus the modern ones. Also, the teacher will discuss how changes were made. Why transportation is important will also be emphasized. Students will use the World Wide Web to investigate new and old ways to travel. The teacher will assist the students in use of the web. The children will then get into groups and choose a main topic (ships, trains, planes, and individual travel). They will then write a report about how this transportation has changed, and why it is important. Students will use Kidworks II software for these reports. Prior to this lesson the teacher will have put pictures obtained from the web into the program for use with this project. Also available in the classroom will be models of the various modes to be played with and investigated during free time. The teacher will make sure books about transportation will be available.
ASSESSMENT
Students will be assessed throughout the unit by teacher observsation. Final assessment will be made on the reports written by the small groups.
