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Transportation, in the larger sense encompasses a vast field of themes, ideas and meanings, but commonly it is taken to mean the conveyance of people and material goods from one place to another.
History of Transportation
Ever since mankind inhabited earth, he has always been on the move, in search of safer places or water, initially on foot. Walking is the earliest and most dependable mode of transport.
Then man learned to tame animals for food and to ride them for hunting and further movement. Around 3500 B.C the wheel was invented, the discovery of which revolutionized forms of transport. It remains till today the most beneficial discovery in the field of transport. Combining the horse to the wheel is down the millennia, the cheapest mode of land transport.
In their search for safer lands, man encountered rivers and streams that had to be crossed. Necessity gave rise to dugouts, rafts and canoes often made of hollowed tree trunks. Thus began the age of water transport. The Phoenicians are considered the best sailors and forerunners of all ships that sail on sea. Slowly well-laid roads made their appearance and by 1662, a carriage drawn by horses was being used as public transport complete with scheduled stops and fares.
The discovery of the steam engine in 1769 soon led to steam boats in 1787 and later to steam powered road vehicles.
In 1790 the bicycle made its first hesitant appearance and throughout the succeeding decades it under went many transformations to become the bicycle, as we know it today.
In 1807 the first passenger steamboat came into existence making a historic trip from New York City to Albany in 32 hours with an average speed of 5miles/hour. In 1814 the first steam powered railroad locomotive began operating. In 1862 arrived the gasoline engine automobile. From then on the inventions in transport were fast. By 1903 the first airplane was successfully flown by the Wright Brothers. 1940 saw the advent of helicopters, 1947 the first jet was flown and in 1987 a space shuttle was launched.
Transportation Lesson Plans
A Lesson Plan is a plan designed by the teacher to introduce a new topic to children, that includes the method of teaching, the topics covered, activities undertaken and aids used to teach the child about a particular subject. A Transportation lessonplan for Kindergarten students would typically include introduction of the topic by asking the children to list the types of transport they are familiar with, by asking them to draw their favorite means of transport. Teach them simple sentences like say a car, a bus etc. Sing a rhyme of vehicles like Uncle Tom’s red engine, etc.
The middle school transportation lesson plan’s objective would be to discuss major types of transportation for trade and personal use. Explain how goods can be transported from place to place referring as aid to a map charting major transportation routes.
A Transportation lesson plan for senior students would include identification of modes of transportation and communication among people, goods and ideas from place to place, students learn the advantages and disadvantages of various modes of transport with impact on the environment as a major course of study. They also study how global interdependence and traditional modes of transport are affected by modern means of transportation and communication. As an assignment they speculate and write how global economy is affected by transportation.
Transportation Activities
Activities are a major mode of learning especially in Kindergarten students. It is interesting and fosters a love for creative activity. Transportation activities for kindergarten students include coloring posters of various types of transportation in the colors they like. Crafts using waste materials like Styrofoam egg cartons, cardboard boxes are used to make different means of transport, using colored paper to make origami boats. An idea for crafts from the Mama and William Crafts for Kindergarten kids is to use an entire load of primary color foam shapes to make a train. Two medium and one small square on the top for the engine, two medium square for a coach, small circles for wheels and graduated circles for smoke plume. All connected by thread and stuck on a narrow piece of black cardboard. This activity is also helps to practice shapes, colors and sizes for pre-schoolers. Other transportation activities include singing rhymes and songs about cars, buses and trains, pasting transportation photos etc.
Transportation Unit
A unit comprises an entire learning process of a particular subject. A transportation unit would include activities, arts and crafts, and songs, a review of transportation throughout history, field trips to fire station or bus stands, travel museum, learning to read maps, transport routes etc.
Transportation for Kids
The bright yellow school bus for kids is easily identifiable as a children transport. Kid’s transportation should include low seats with seat belts, a concerned driver and an attendant to pick up and drop kids.
Airport Transportation
To date one of the fastest mode of transport is by air and since airports are situated away from city centers, airport transportation is essential to transport incoming and outgoing travelers to their respective destinations.
Many transport services offer airport transportation with a choice of vehicles such as sedans, stretch limousines, vans and SUV’s. Shuttle services, shared ride airport services, private cars are available to ferry passengers to and from airports. Nearly all reservations for airport transportation can be made by phone or online.
Auto Transport
Shipping or transporting cars and any other vehicles cross-country or across borders, is where auto transport comes in. You can transport your car using this service and quotes and bookings can be had online. Vehicles are usually transported on flatbed trailers.
Transportation Services
Transportation services essentially carry people and goods from one place to another. With manufacturing and distribution spread worldwide transportation services have become vital part of the economy. Container transport services by ship, air, rail and road routes to transfer finished goods and raw materials to their destinations have become necessary in this age of global interdependence. Refrigerated trucks to carry perishables,, flatbed trailers to carry vehicles, trucks to carry goods and packing and moving services are all a part of transportation. Warehouses to hold goods, documentation services are also part of transportation services.
The Commercial Orbital Transportation Service is a NASA program to implement the commercial delivery of crew and cargo to the International Space Station.
Car Transport
Change in jobs or relocation to another state requires the services of car transporters to transport your car to the destination you require. Car transporters offer at your door pick up services or at a location nearby to your home. Car transporting takes usually 15-20 days. Bookings should be made in advance and a down payment is necessary. Check to see that the car is free of all belongings and other contents, tires are inflated properly and brakes are in excellent working condition. Also check coolant levels and disarm the alarm. Inoperable cars are also transported at extra cost, if advance notification is provided and the tires hold air and brakes are working. The car is insured for its Blue Book value during transit on the vehicle carrier.
Transportation in Japan
Japan has an efficient, modernized and an punctual public transport system. Trains are the best way to travel in Japan. An excellent network of reliable trains covers all the major islands of Japan. Japan Railways (JR) operates nearly all trains including the night trains and the bullet trains. Shinkasens are Japans high-speed bullet trains reaching speeds of 300k km/hr. Night trains operate throughout the night and are well equipped with couchettes, private rooms and also luxury suites. All trains offer an unique experience of travel like the playing of jingles when train doors close. The Japan Rail Pass is a cost effective rail pass for tourists providing unlimited travel on the JR network of trains.
Car travel is expensive with many rules and furthermore parking space is at a premium with exorbitant charges. Most roads are toll roads and you would be required to pay to use them.
Buses plying short distances and on the highway are a secondary means of transport often-complementing trains. Though slower than trains bus travel is 50% cheaper.
Domestic ferries connect most islands and are a faster and exhilarating means of transport.
Transportation in France
France boasts of an efficient and excellent public transportation system. France’s train network is extensive with stations in city centers where access to hotels is easy. Using a French Rail Pass is cheaper option while travelling. Eurolines is the bus service plying on national and international routes. Air travel is not feasible within France. Autoroutes have tolls and can be expensive, but car travel is convenient to explore interior regions of France. Instead of renting cars the French offer a lease buy back plan, whereby you lease a new car for nearly the same price as a rental and drive it for around a fortnight and then return it. It is a cheaper alternative to renting a car plus you get to drive around a new car.
Transportation in Italy
Italy is well connected by trains, ferries, buses and a well-maintained autos trade. Still trains are a convenient traveling option well connected to major and minor cities. They are also a faster and cheaper option. Rather than navigating crowded Italian roads, taking the train is better.
Different types of trains ply in Italy, like the Euro star that is costly and comfortable, stopping at the major cities only. Intercity and Intercity Plus stop at nearly all major and important towns; their halts are more than Euro star. Intercity Note travel by night. Euro city and Euro city Notte travel on international routes. Espresso is the cheapest long distance trains. Interregional, Regional and Duetto are medium distance trains, cheap and clean but the comfort level is low. They are perfect for traveling from one village to another.
SITA is the major bus carrier plying on national and international routes.
Ferries can be used to, but car travel can be difficult.
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