1. Students will apply map reading skills in mapping a route across Iowa.
2. Students will analyze various travel routes on a map to determine the most fuel efficient route.
3. Students will become more familiar with the geography of Iowa as presented on a typical Iowa road map.
The social studies portion of this unit focuses on improving students' abilities to read maps for important details. Students will apply map reading skills to develop a transportation route within Iowa. In a scavenger hunt mode by challenging students to find the route which uses the least amount of fuel. Students complete the exercise by following their final route on an Iowa map from the 1920's. This helps to illustrate the tremendous changes that have taken place in the transportation system in Iowa over the past 80 years.
Begin the unit by asking students how many of them have taken a vacation in Iowa. What places have they visited? How often are Iowa trips taken? Why do students think more families don't vacation in Iowa? Record the sites visited by students on the chalkboard. Challenge students to categorize the places visited into two separate categories. Discuss students categories. Some sample categories are provided below.
Visits to Natural Sites
Hayden Prairie
Yellow River Forest
Pike's Peak State Park
Effigy Mounds
Lake Okoboji
Loess Hills Forest
Lacey Keosaqua Park
Ledges State Park
Visits to Man-Made Attractions
State Captiol - Des Moines
Science Center - Des Moines
Wacky Waters - Davenport
Field of Dreams - Dyersville
Amana Colonies
Living History Farms
Herbert Hoover Historical Site
Adventureland
These questions should help focus students' thinking on Iowa and the attractions this state might hold. Ask students which category of sites listed above they most enjoy going and why. Activity 1 is designed to familiarize students with some of the sites around Iowa. Students will make extensive use of map reading skills in completing this activity.
Teacher Notes
Objective:
Students will apply map reading skills in planning a route within Iowa. They will also analyze various routes to determine the most fuel efficient route.
Materials:
current Iowa road maps (1-2 per student group)
Background:
Transportation is a large consumer of energy in Iowa. Iowa has more miles of road than 40 other states, even though it ranks 25th among the states in land
area. There are more than 2.6 million passenger vehicles registered in the state. About 72 percent of these are cars and 28 percent are trucks. Iowans spend a great deal of time and money driving. Students need to become more conscious of their travel and the role of family travel in Iowa. It is hoped
that with this increased awareness, students will become more conscientious travelers.
Suggested Teaching Strategies:
Begin the unit by asking students to state the last time they went on a scavenger hunt. Some students may never have experienced such a hunt. In this first challenge, students will go on a scavenger hunt, of sorts, throughout the
state of Iowa. Their Trek Iowa hunt will lead them to many places they may not have known existed in Iowa and will help them become more familiar with the geography of Iowa. Students will need to apply map reading skills they have learned in earlier grades in school. Rather than going over map symbols to
refresh students' memories, let them locate the key to symbols on the map and determine the mileage's for themselves.
Students will have two challenges to deal with in this activity. The challenges are outlined on the student page.
Challenge 1:
Place students into groups of two. Each group will need an Iowa map. Before beginning the hunt, make certain students know what data they will need to
record. Each group should develop their own data table before beginning. It would be a good idea to check student tables before they begin the hunt. At this time do not mention efficiency to students. Let students decide on their own what role the length of their trip will play in planning their route.
The student page contains a list of the places that are to be visited. Remind students to record their data as they go and to abide by the rules outlined on the student page. You may want to change some of the items on the list or change the starting place, depending on where you live. For example, if you live near Des Moines, you may wish to change the starting place to make the exercise more challenging, since Des Moines has nearby sites that fulfill many of the items listed for the hunt.
Once students have completed the exercise, ask them to share their findings and strategies for mapping their routes. Make a list on the chalkboard showing the total distance traveled by each group. It is likely that the mileage traveled will vary quite a bit from group to group and that no two groups will have the same route. Make a point of the fact that some routes are more efficient than others.
Challenge 2:
After making comparisons of strategies for mapping the route and mileage
comparisons, ask students to re-think their routes. This time, the challenge is to come up with the route that will be most fuel efficient to take. Ask students to brainstorm strategies for logically approaching the challenge. Student ideas might include suggestions such as placing pins in the map at those locations
closest to the starting point. This will help students to keep track of the sites and to be more efficient in selecting sites that are close to home base. If you are going to try this, get pieces of cardboard on which students can
place their maps.
Answers to Summing Up Questions:
1. Student answers will vary. Make certain that students develop a list of strategies designed to help eliminate these problems.
2. The number of counties traveled through by each student will vary.
3. Students are likely to make their second route more efficient, covering less miles.
Home/Community Connections:
Extension:
Interview a number of people that are different ages about the vacations they took when they were your age. Ask them how many in-state vacations they went on when they were 13 years old and younger. How many different states had they
visited before age 13? How old were they when they flew on their first airplane (if ever)? Compare the types and length of vacations taken with the age of the person interviewed. Students may want to divide the data collection among a
group, each person interviewing persons of a different age. The data can then be pooled and discussed.
Student Page
Problem:
Follow a set of rules in planning a trip around Iowa to specific types of sites.
Let's Investigate:
This activity is somewhat like a scavenger hunt, only in this scavenger hunt you must find places rather than items. In finding each of the places outlined under Challenge 1, you must closely follow all of the Trek Iowa Rules outlined in the box below. Study these rules carefully before beginning your hunt.
Trek Iowa Rules
One of the Trek Iowa Rules asks you to make a record of the sites visited and the number of miles traveled between sites. Before beginning your hunt, prepare a data table in which to record your stops. Be sure to include a column for the location, the county name, and the distance traveled. Once you have completed the headings on your data table you are ready to begin your hunt. Good luck!
TREK IOWA
Challenge 1: Plan a route to get to each of these places. . .
Challenge 2:
Re-think the route you mapped out in Challenge 1. In Challenge 2 you must come up with a route that will be the most fuel efficient. Think about ways that
will allow you to most logically approach this challenge. You may want to brainstorm ideas with some of your classmates. Once you have agreed upon a logical approach, begin mapping out a new route. You must stick to the same
rules outlined for Challenge 1. You must also visit each of the sites described in Challenge 1. Be sure to construct a new data table for recording the sites visited in Challenge 2.
Summing Up Questions:
1. What problems did you encounter in mapping your routes? What are some strategies that could be used to help eliminate these problems?
2. How many different counties did you go through in Challenge 1? How many did you go through in meeting Challenge 2?
3. Which route was more efficient? Why?
Teacher Notes
Objectives:
Students will demonstrate their ability to compare a modern day Iowa map with a primary road map of Iowa from the 1920's.
Materials:
map of primary roads in Iowa in the 1920's or 1930's (one map per student group)
Teaching Strategies:
Most students take for granted our extensive use of transportation. Many
students have grown up without much concern for the fuel use and polluting effects of our present forms of transportation. Break students into think pairs. The challenge for this activity is outlined in the student page.
Answers to Summing Up Questions:
1. Students are likely to notice that many of the places they easily located on their 1990's map were not marked on the 1920 map. Many of our state parks may not have been designated state parks in the 1920's.
2. Items such as rivers and other natural landmarks will remain the same. Some places, such as a state university or college may have been there in the 1920's but may not be marked on the map. You may want to hold a discussion with students about why today's maps are so much more comprehensive than were the maps of the 1920's.
3. Students are likely to highlight the low cost of fuel in the 1920's, but are unlikely to mention that fuel was less convenient to purchase than it is today. Much of today's fuel, at least in Iowa, contains a corn-based ethanol additive.
Extensions:
We have taken a look back at Iowa's 1920 road system. We have also looked at present day Iowa. What are your predictions as to how the Iowa transportation
map will change between now and the year 2050. Sketch out a map that shows the major changes you envision.
Home/Community Extensions:
Interview your parents, grandparents, or other adults. Choose people to
interview who are a variety of ages. Ask them to describe their first car. Ask them to describe the biggest change that occurred in Iowa's transportation during their lifetime.
Student Page
Problem:
How do transportation routes and locations visited in Activity 1 compare to what was available in the 1920's?
Let's Investigate:
Your challenge for this activity is written below. To meet this challenge you will need a copy of a 1920 Iowa road map. As you go through each of the points
outlined below, it is very important that you keep good notes. A data table has been provided to help you organize your thoughts. Make a similar data table on a separate sheet of paper. You will need one row for each of the sites visited in Activity 1.
Challenge
Summing Up Questions:
1. What types of places were not available to visit in the 1920's?
2. What types of places were available to visit in the 1920's?
3. What were the differences between fuel and fuel efficiency in the present day and the 1920's?
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