LESSON 2
TRANSPORTATION

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

1. Divide students into groups of three or four.
2. Tell students to imagine they are taking a trip, and elicit from them various types of transportation that could be used. Write their responses on the board. Common modes of transportation, such as cars, trains, boats, and bicycles can be included, but encourage students to be creative and think past the traditional modes of transportation to include other forms, such as hot air balloons, hang gliders, parachutes, roller blades, submarines, or rocket ships.
   Possible Modes of Transportation
   car
   airplane
   train
   donkey
   helicopter
   horse
   kayak
   on foot
   boat
   bicycle
   motorcycle
   bus
3. As a list is generated, have one student serve as class recorder and write each mode of transportation on a small strip of paper. Fold the strips of paper in half and place them in a basket or other small container.
4. Have students brainstorm various destinations. Create a list on the board.
   Possible Destinations
   The Moon
   The Sahara Desert
   The White House
   Antarctica
   The Pyramids of Egypt
   The Swiss Alps
   An island in the South Pacific
   The Amazon
   The Great Wall of China
   The Earth’s core
5. As the list of destinations is generated, have another student recorder write each destination on a small strip of paper. Fold the strips of paper in half and place them in a different basket or into a small container.
6. Have one member from each group choose two strips of paper, one from the destination basket and one from the mode of transportation basket.
7. Once each group has chosen two strips, the group must create a character for their story. The group will create a story about how their character uses the mode of transportation they chose, to get to the destination they chose.
8. Pass out the comic strip template found at the end of this lesson (one per group). Groups may need more than one sheet to draw their story.
9. Each group member should contribute to the story in some manner. Group members can help develop the story and decide on the steps of the journey, help draw the pictures in the comic boxes, or help complete both tasks.
10. Below is a basic outline students can follow if they need help structuring or drawing their story. Adapt or modify the outline as needed to suit the level of the students.
    a. The first box should contain a drawing of the character at the beginning of the journey.

    b. In the next box, students should show some aspect of the trip.

    c. In the following box(es), students could show any problems, people, or places the character may encounter along the trip.

    d. In the last box, students should show their character arriving at the destination. Ask students questions to help them imagine their destination, such as “What would you find when you arrive? What does the landscape look like? Are there lots of people? Or are there no people? Are there any animals or plants? Is anybody there to meet you?”
11. If possible, have students add color to the drawings with crayons, markers, or colored pencils.

1. Collect the comic strip stories when all groups are finished.
2. Randomly pass out different comic strips to each group, making sure the groups do not receive their own comic strip.
3. Instruct the groups to look at the pictures in the comic strip boxes and write a story to accompany the pictures on the lines provided beneath the pictures.
4. Have students write the stories in past tense.
5. Remind students that what they write should correspond to the picture.
6. When every group is finished, have each group present the comic strip pictures and read the story they wrote to the entire class.

1. To review what was learned and check students’ comprehension, have students do a 3-2-1 closing exercise.
2. Tell students to write
   • Three key terms they learned;
   • Two interesting things they found out;
   • One question they still have.
3. Address any common questions or concerns students expressed in the 3-2-1 exercise.

COMIC STRIP STORY