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Design a Bike Lane

Secondary, Middle

Description

Many urban environments are facing greater traffic volumes, increased congestion and higher levels of air pollution which require sustainable, alternative transportation solutions.  Cycling offers environmental and health benefits, and can be successfully incorporated into existing infrastructure with careful planning and design that supports efficient traffic movement.  This STEM lesson introduces learners to the planning processes involved in modifying roadways to provide safe travel lanes for bicycles.  A systems-thinking approach actively engages students in an authentic learning experience as they:

 

  • Analyze a local municipal active transportation policy

  • Identify a local street that would benefit from the addition of a bike lane

  • Evaluate and identify the best type of bike lane for that street

  • Examine stakeholder viewpoints about the impacts of a new bike lane on a community

  • Design a safe, accessible bike lane and identify installation requirements

  • Research and describe careers associated with the design, installation and use of a new bike lane

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

  • Research
  • Analyzing information
  • Planning and design
  • Using technology such as Google Maps
  • Career exploration

Strengths

  • Lesson develops STEM skills in design and critical thinking
  • Focuses on cycle commuting which is a climate change and traffic solution gaining increased attention in cities
  • Provides a wide range of online links to support student research
  • Encourages science and technology career exploration

Weaknesses

  • Does not include any formal assessment tools
  • The lesson introduction does not clearly identify the link between vehicle emissions and climate change

Recommendation of how and where to use it

This lesson prioritizes Grade 8-10 curriculum related to Careers by exploring scientific and technological professions and encouraging students to consider their own interests.  Science outcomes related to climate change along with environmental  and sustainability issues are also supported as students actively use STEM skills to research, plan and design a bike lane within their own community.  Geography concepts regarding mapping, community development and urban planning are integrated into the learning experience as pupils use tools such as Google Maps.

Municipalities are increasingly recognizing the value of involving youth in urban planning which supports the extension of this lesson into an action project to establish safe cycling zones in the school neigbourhood.  A class could develop a complete proposal with bike lane designs, student survey information and evidence of community support.  This plan could then be presented at a public meeting that includes local government officials, business owners and other stakeholders.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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  • Alberta
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    • Grade 10
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      • Health & Career Planning
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        • Career and Life Management: Career and Life Choices
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    • Grade 9
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      • Career Development
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        • Career Development: Career Exploration
    • Grade 10
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      • Geography
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        • Geographic Issues of the 21st Century: Urban Places
  • New Brunswick
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        • Learning and Living Sustainably (STSE)
        • Science 10 Science for Sustainable Societies
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        • Science 8: Climate Change
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        • Technology Education 8: Fundamentals of Technology Education
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        • Technology Education 9: Fundamentals of Technology Education
  • Ontario
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        • Exploring Canadian Geography: Liveable Communities
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        • Technology and the Skilled Trades: Technological Development, Impacts, and Careers
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        • Science (Academic):Earth and Space Science: Climate Change
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        • Intermediate Industrial Technology Education: Technological Problem Solving
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      • Science
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        • Science 9: Decisions and Perspectives
    • Grade 10
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      • Geography
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        • Geography of Canada 421A: Cultural Connections
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        • Science 421A: Decisions and Perspectives
  • Saskatchewan
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      • Career Development
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        • Career Education 8: Course Overview
    • Grade 9
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      • Career Development
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        • Career Education 9: Overall Expectations

Themes Addressed

Citizenship (1)

  • Community-Building and Participation

Land Use & Natural Resources (1)

  • Transportation

Science and Technology (1)

  • Analysing Conventional Science

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good

Students are able to examine a range of authentic information sources such as the "Urban Bikeway Design Guide" produced by the National Association of City Transportation Officials.  This provides them with a comprehensive understanding of the practical considerations in designing safe, efficient cycling infrastructure.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Very Good

Pupils learn how the successful integration of alternate transportation into urban design provides equitable, affordable travel options, strengthens community well-being, makes a positive contribution to the environment, supports local economies and facilitates sustainability.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Good

Exploring the wide variety of careers associated with the planning, design, construction and use of a new bike lane engages students in considering the intricate connections between the mechanical and human components of transit systems.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Satisfactory

Although not included as part of the lesson, student proposals for a new bike lane on a local street could easily extend into an action project.  Pupils could share their ideas with the local planning commission and describe how increasing active transportation opportunities could benefit the community and the environment.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Good

A reflective journal forms the foundation of the lesson and supports solutions-based thinking through which students are able to describe their opinions and ideas about sustainability.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Satisfactory

Pupils will be more aware of how improved options for travel by foot, bicycle or public transit increases the availability of equitable and affordable transportation for all residents of a community.

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Satisfactory

The lesson does not involve an outdoor experience but students do consider the negative environmental consequences of air pollution.

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Good

Learners identify a local street without a bike lane, determine which type of bike lane would be best suited to this street and examine who would be involved in installing the bike lane in their community. They also describe how this type of project would benefit neighbourhood residents while considering the viewpoints of various local stakeholders.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Good

Students will be able to describe how traditional roadway design is transitioning to include active transportation options in an effort to address the current climate change crisis, while supporting community development in accordance with global sustainability targets for 2030.  Examining the job profiles and education requirments for various careers also supports reflection on future life goals and employment.

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

The learning by doing approach develops autonomy and encourages independent reasoning and problem-solving.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Good

The lesson has been developed to support STEM learning by involving pupils in a research, planning and design activity.  Topics addressed by the activities include climate change, environmental decisions and perspectives and community development.  Students also investigate various jobs in the transportation sector which builds skills in career planning.

Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Good

Learners are involved in a challenging urban planning task and examine contemporary infrastructure as a tool to support creativity and innovation in their design process.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Poor/Not considered

Although no specific student accomodations are included, the practicality of the task in combination with vocational information should appeal to pupils that may have diffculty with the textual content of the lesson.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good

The real-world challenge engages students in a meaningful problem-solving task that is relevant to the current efforts of many municipalities to reduce their carbon footprint by improving active transportation systems.

 

 

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory

Students work in teams of 3-4 which provides an opportunity for peer dialogue and consensus building.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Satisfactory

Pupils document their thinking and ideas in a reflective journal that can be used as a formative assessment tool.  The final activity has students create a "career exploration profile" poster that describes how one of the vocations featured in the lesson may interest them and the STEM skills and education required.  This poster could be used as a summative assessment of pupil research and learning, although a rubric is not provided.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Poor/Not considered

Peer teaching is not a feature of the lesson but the career posters could be displayed to educate others about scientific, technological and engineering professions.

Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Satisfactory

The lesson builds the connections between a complex problem and careers in science and technology so that pupils will understand how STEM skills such as critical thinking are applicable in a real-world context.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Good

The lesson provides many opportunities for self-directed learning as students investigate roadway modifications, cycling strategies and job profiles to formulate questions and answers.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.