icon for Home page
icon for Kid's Home page
icon for Digital Collection
icon for Activities
icon for Turns Exhibit
icon for In the Classroom
icon for Chronologies
icon for My Collection

History Lessons By Teachers

Snowshoe Speeds

Created 23 February 2010 by Knittle Bill

Grade Level(s): lower elementary (K - 3), upper elementary (4 - 6), middle school (7 - 9)
Historical Era(s): Beginnings to 1600, Colonial 1600 - 1750
Content Area(s): Mathematics, US History


front
John Sheldon (1658-1733) Snowshoes

front
Sarah Coleman's shoe

document
"Map of New-England"

Summary and Objective

Students will understand that the relative time it would take to snowshoe, walk or drive between two towns they are familiar with will be different. Students will estimate then learn the distance between the towns, learn the average speeds of the modes of transportation, and compute the time needed to make the trip.

Teaching Plan

Step 1. Students will estimate how many miles it is between two towns they are familiar with: the town in which their school is and one that is close. In this case, students will use Huntington and Chester, both in Massachusetts.

Step 2. Using a ruler and a map of the area, students will determinbe the approximate distance between the two towns. (In this case - 6 miles). As the grades get higher, the math can get more complicated. For elementary, using 6 miles, 1 mph, 3 mph and 36 mph will work; fractions and decimals will work for older grades.

Step 3. Students will estimate the average speeds of snowshoeing, walking and driving, then compare them to pre-determined averages (Snowshoeing - 1 mph, Walking - 3 mph, Driving - 36 mph)

Step 4. Students will estimate the amount of time needed for each method of transportation. Then, using the average speeds, they will decide what math they will need to detertmine the amount of time it would take to travel from one town to the other for the three methods of transportation.

Step 5. Students will compute the time needed for each metod of transportation, and compare their answers to their estimates. For instance, if it is 6 miles from Huntington, MA to Chester, MA, and the average speed one is able to snowshoe is 1 mph, the 6 mi./1 mph. = 6 hours. If average walking speed is 3 mph, the 6 mi./3mph. = 2 hours)

Step 6. Students will make a bar graph comparing the amount of time for each method, and a second bar graph showing the relative speeds of each method, then compare.

Step 7. Students will write a paragraph about which method they would prefer and why.

Web Site: Mapquest
    http://www.mapquest.com

Web Site: Walking vs. Driving
    http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/07/walking_driving.html



button for Side by Side Viewingbutton for Glossarybutton for Printing Helpbutton for How to Read Old Documents

 

Home | Online Collection | Things To Do | Turns Exhibit | Classroom | Chronologies | My Collection
About This Site | Site Index | Site Search | Feedback