1. Back to School!

    In this collaborative global project, students will collect data on their community, including the distance between home and school, observations of climate and terrain, and the method of traveling to school each day.

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    Back to School!

    Big Idea

    The health and wellness of members of a community (including people, animals, and plants) can be affected by the transportation choices that community members make. For example, walking places causes very little pollution, but driving can take a larger number of people in a shorter amount of time. Students will consider those interactions while thinking about their community and how they travel to school. It is also imperative that they understand that not everyone gets places in the same manner, and that for some children, getting to school is very difficult.

    In this collaborative global project, students will collect data on their community, including the distance between home and school, observations of climate and terrain, and the method of traveling to school each day. By studying this data, students will begin to understand the connections between environment and transportation.

    Build Background Knowledge

    Use the strategies and resources below to prepare for your discussions and data collection.

    • Have students work together create a web showing different ways to get to school. Draw and write the words that the students can use on the board. Encourage students to think beyond typical ways of getting to school. Ask questions that will help them generate ideas, such as:
      • What if students live close to school? What if they live far away?
      • What if they live in a city? What if they live in a rural/country area?
      • What if they live in a place with harsh weather?
    • Ask students which of these transportation methods are healthy, and why. Then ask students to consider whether any of the methods create pollution. Is pollution good or bad for the environment? Why does it matter in a community if people are healthy? Why does it matter in a community if there is pollution?
    • Watch the video Pollution if students need help understanding pollution.
    • Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each method of transportation listed.
    • Using online mapping software, help students determine the distance between their homes and the school.
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