Social Studies

1. Research local goods that are shipped by rail.
2. Replicate the journey of the train from its pick up point to its final destination using carton train cars.
3. Map the route the train must travel from its source to its destination.
4. Share your class project with others.

1. Simulate the movement of a train with a "follow the leader" train game.
2. Have students walk, trot, and run in lines while "it" (the engine) directs the movements.
3. Continue this exercise game until all children have had an opportunity to be the engine.

1. Each car should represent a real train car.
2. Glue construction paper on each paer carton to make a car.
3. Color, cut, and label cars (e.g., cattle, hopper, tanker).

1. Use simple materials (e.g., 2-quart paper juice or milk carton, scissors, glue) to construct cars of a train.
2. Attach the cars to together to form a train.
3. Display the class train.

1. Use Unifix cubes or other multi-link blocks to represent "cars" on a train.
2. Count the number of cars on the train.
3. Make a repeat pattern to represent the different types of train cars (e.g., black for coal car, brown for flatbed car, red for caboose).

1. Discuss the simple tools and machines needed to build and run a train (e.g., gears, wheels, levers, pulleys, screws, hammers, engine).
2. Construct a train out of juice or milk cartons.
3. Demonstrate how the simple tools and machines are used on the train.

1. Adapt the song "The People on the Bus" to the "People on the Train" (i.e., the conductor on the train says "All aboard").
2. Perform train motions with hand movements (i.e., waving, "all aboard").
3. Play the Kingston Trio's version of "The Wreck of 97".

1. Read Burton's Choo Choo.
2. Discuss how Choo Choo gotinto troule in the story andsuggest solutions to its problem.
3. Assign a train role to each member in the class (i.e., passengers, engineer, conductor).
4. Line up passengers in set in chairs to simulate a train ride.
5. Write dialogue to accompany the train ride.

1. Ask: "How can people ship produce (tomatoes, lettuce, celery) without spoilage.
2. Discuss how consumer goods are packaged for trains to prevent them from spoiling.

• EyeWitness Books: Train/Kindersley
• Little Toot/Gramatky
• The Little Engine That Could/Piper

Go Back: Choo Choo