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Sustainability and the Environment - Marty Learns about Transport

45 Minutes

Lesson Overview

This lesson will showcase the differences between the emissions that are released from a variety of modes of transport. After comparing, learners will gain an awareness of the distances people travel to get to school using a map and scale. Then, learners will find out how many Marty steps that would take and perhaps how long it would take Marty to complete the journey.

Key vocabulary:
    Emission, Scale, Transport,

Content Sections

  • Learning Objectives
  • Warm-up:
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  • Time for Practice
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  • Cool Down
    • Extensions & Challenges
    • Extend
      • Support
        • Additional Reading
        • Sustainability and the Environment - Marty Learns about Transport

          45 Minutes

          Lesson Overview

          This lesson will showcase the differences between the emissions that are released from a variety of modes of transport. After comparing, learners will gain an awareness of the distances people travel to get to school using a map and scale. Then, learners will find out how many Marty steps that would take and perhaps how long it would take Marty to complete the journey.

          Key vocabulary:
            Emission, Scale, Transport,
          • Understanding of scale, in maths; experience with movement blocks, in MartyBlocks
          • Tablet with Bluetooth 4.2+
          • Developments in Society and Business, maths and scale
            • Marty the Robot
            • Workbook
            • Map Resource
            • Ruler with measurement

          Learning Objectives

          • I can estimate how far away something is using a scale map
          • I can describe the difference in emissions for different modes of transport

          Warm-up:

          Revise the word scale and what it means for a map. The video below does this succinctly. This video features on the PowerPoint presentation slide, after the objectives and success criteria.

          Carry out a series of estimates: about how far is it to get to... For potential options, include other countries, local landmarks, cities within a country, geographical features, school, doctor's, etc.

          There are several scale maps in the workbook. Learners are asked to measure the distance between two locations for each map, in cm, and then to convert to the real-world measurement. Each map has a small scale icon at the bottom right, showing the relative distance between the map and the real world.

          Time for Practice

          Now that learners have an idea of distances to travel for a variety of locations, have them watch a quick video to see the emission comparisons for different modes of transport. This video can't be embedded in the lesson so you will have to click the link, below, to access it at the correct place or click the image on the presentation, following the video on scale.

          YouTube video for comparison

          Each of the mentioned modes of transport refers to a different distance travelled. To get to approximately the same distance, there are expressions in the workbook to aid learners to get a distance that is about the same; they will need to calculate the emissions from what is given in the workbook, this makes it easier to talk about which vehicle produces more emissions.

          Now, learners need to look at either the included map resource or one you have printed, which is perhaps more local. Using any of the suggested points on the map, learners need to measure the distance between them, in cm and convert using the scale.

          Challenge learners to code Marty to walk the distance on the map and count the number of steps, then they could apply the scale to see how many steps it would take Marty to walk in the real world.

          Here is a quick video of some measurements being taken on the printed map (from the resource section) and the converted distance for the real world, along with Marty walking the first part of the map. Each step Marty takes is 2.5 cm. The distance for the first part of the map is 12.5 cm. Marty completes that distance in 5 steps: 5 x 2.5 = 12.5. With this information, learners could make estimates, or calculations, about the number of steps for different parts of the map. Learners could then consider how many steps Marty would need to take 'in the real world'.

          According to the infographics in the lesson, the emissions for a person walking are approximately 0; for 5, 10, 20 or more journeys this amount will not change. Work with learners to see how many journeys are needed to equal the 880 km on the infographic for learners to see how much they help the environment, by walking.

          Cool Down

          Bring learners back together to discuss the challenges they faced and overcame. Have groups model their creations and explain what is happening, when. Encourage other groups to ask questions to deepen the understanding of the processes.

          Suggested questions you might ask:

          • Did any of the emission amounts surprise you?
          • Were there any strategies you used to support your work on the scale map?
          • Were there any difficulties you faced for having Marty walk the route on the map?

          Carry out any end of lesson routines.

          Log off devices and clear everything away.

          Extensions & Support

          Extend

          • Challenge learners to expand on the one journey, how far would they travel over a schools year?
          • Challenge learners to think about time on their journeys: Marty took five steps on the map, how long was that?
            • Five steps were 12.5 cm, which is equivalent to 250m.
            • How long would it take to complete this journey with the real-world measurement?

          Support

          • Support learners with lining up the ruler at the starting point and accurately reading the values.
          • The map used in the lesson had accessible measurements: half or whole centimetres only. Prepare maps with this in mind or encourage estimation to whole or half cm measurements.

          Additional Reading

          Getting ready for COP26


          • Technologies: Computing Science
          • Technologies: Technological Developments in Society and Business
          • Literacy & English: Listening and Talking
          • Health and Wellbeing: Physical Activity and Sport
          • Health and Wellbeing: Mental, Emotional, Social and Physical Wellbeing
          • Numeracy: Number, Money and Measure
          • Literacy & English: Reading
          • CSTA Education Standards
          • Digital Technologies, Design & technologies: Digital Technologies
          • Computing, Design and Technology: Computing
          • International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)