What is the future of community transport?

In the UK around 75% of people use their car for their daily commute but with congestion and pollution from increased traffic, why aren’t more people using community transport?

Try out this engaging STEM activity to learn all about the future of technology in the automotive industry! This exercise is suitable for KS3 and encourages the development of students’ research, communication and teamwork skills.

Activity: What is the future of community transport?

In this activity students will work in teams to research an existing or possible future form of community transport. They will mark their system against the agreed criteria from the starter and present their findings to the rest of the class.

Students will be split into ten groups, so the full range of systems are researched. Allocate each team a different concept for community transport from the handout Tomorrow’s Choices. This handout contains ten existing and futuristic community transport systems. Each sheet contains a hyperlinked URL for further information and a table for them to mark the system against criteria. Students should write into the table the agreed criteria from the starter activity.

Teams will then present their findings and provide a quick explanation as to how their transport works.

As an optional extension, students could use the internet to research extra information on their transport systems. They could then use this information to produce a detailed presentation on how the transport system works. This could be a poster or a computer presentation.

Teams will need access to the internet to complete this activity. If possible, put the handout on the shared system so teams can access them through their computer. This allows them to use the hyperlink to the website for research. They can type their answers into the grid directly or print out the sheet and write on them.

How long will this activity take?

This activity will take approximately 50 minutes to complete.

Tools/resources required

• Computers with internet access

Suggested learning outcomes

By the end of this activity students will be able to use ICT to research an existing or possible future community transport and they will be able to use criteria to judge how well it fulfils social, environmental, and economic needs.

Download the free activity sheets below!

All activity sheets, worksheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

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

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