Transportation problems

In this activity students will use what they know about community transport systems to suggest possible solutions to existing transportation problems.

This is one of a set of resources developed to aid the class teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3. It has been designed to support the delivery of key topics within design and technology (D&T) and engineering.

Activity: Solving transportation issues around the world

Students will watch our short film on transportation planning, which will be the basis for a class discussion on the potential issues that come with holding major events in cities such as the Olympic Games.

Students will then work in teams to review a scenario from our Solving the transport problem worksheet, which includes various transport planning scenarios. Each team will choose a problem to solve and then present their solution to the class.

Finally, students will examine the negative consequences that inevitably come with improving community transport, considering environmental and social factors.

Download our activity overview for an introductory lesson plan on transportation issues.

The engineering context

Engineers must often solve transportation problems that can arise in big cities. Whether it's designing traffic flow for megacities, building accessible infrastructure for rural areas, or integrating sustainable fuels, transportation planning equips engineers to tackle hazards, congestion, isolation, and inefficiency.

Suggested learning outcomes

This activity teaches students how to use community transport to solve social and environmental problems. It will also teach them how to explain the rationale behind these decisions.

Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources

The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download (including the video), and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your class’s and your schools’ needs.

You can download our classroom lesson plan below.

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