Trains
Today the students will learn about the history, uses, and importance that trains had on people in the past, and also the part that trains play in today’s society.
Materials needed:
• Pictures of Trains (Primary documents)
• “Then & Now” picture (Primary document)
• Train color sheet
• "Hear that Train Whistle blow!" By: Milton Meltzer
Goal:
The students will understand how trains were used in the past, and the importance of having trains in our daily life.
Objectives:
The student will be able to list five things, relating to the history, its uses, and importance, regarding a train.
Procedures:
a. (5 minutes)
Bring the class to attention
Review the modes of transportation that were discussed in the last class session. (These include train, boat, scooter, and airplane).
Ask the students about experiences that they have had on a train.
b. (30 minutes)
Read "Hear That Train Whistle Blow!" By: Milton Meltzer
Discuss the book after reading it.
Discuss the history of trains.
• Trains date back nearly 500 years ago that included systems with man or horsepower and rails of wood and stone.
• Modern rail transport systems first appeared in England in the 1820s. (Pull down the map and show students where England is located at.)
• In 1830 only 23 miles of railroad was laid in the United States
• Show picture entitled “Then & Now.” Discuss with the students how the usage of trains has changed over the years.
Discuss the different types of trains. (Show attached pictures with each train)
• Horse pulled train
• Passenger trains: They have passenger cars.
• Long Distance trains: Travel trough many cities and/or regions of the country. Sometimes these trains travel across several countries.
• High-speed trains: They normally travel during the day, and they arrive at their destination before night falls. They go so fast that they are in competition with airliners speed. (Show primary documents of the “Zephyr”)
• Inter- city trains: These trains are used for transporting people around the city.
• Freight trains: Freight trains transport much of the world’s freight. In the USA trains are used mostly to transport cargo or freight.
Discuss why trains are important.
Some possible answers might include:
• Help people travel across the country
• Help people to get around the city
• Trains transport freight or cargo to places that need it.
On a piece of paper have the students write five things that they learned throughout the lesson today. Once they are done; have the students come and pick up a coloring sheet of a train. Let the students decorate the train and then have the students attach the writing that they did to the picture. Hang the pictures on the wall to display all the things that the students learned.
c. (5 minutes)
Let the students share with the class about the different things that they learned about trains.
Tell the students that they will be learning about steamboats tomorrow in class.
Assessments:
Informal assessments will be given throughout the entire lesson. Questioning will be used throughout the lesson to see if the students comprehend the lesson. A formal assessment will be given when students are asked to make a list of five things that they learned about trains.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wagonway.JPG
Horse-pulled train
www.o-keating.com/ hsr/tiltfail.jpg
Passenger train
www.dkimages.com/.../ previews/797/50078493.JPG
Inter-city train
www.trainnet.org/Libraries/ Lib018/TN_459.JPG
Freight train
http://www.coloringpages.net/pages/train2.html
Train coloring sheet
