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Rap point 3
Rap point 4
Rap wrap up
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Teaching and learning activities

Rap point 1

Activities for Week 6

Theme: 150 years of Rail in NSW

This year marks a special celebration, the anniversary of 150 years of Rail in NSW.

The On the move rap will help you and your class explore and research the significance of the rail network and how 150 years of Rail in NSW has made an impact on the people in NSW.

Some of the introductory questions you will research include

What constitutes a rail transportation system?
Why was a rail network built in NSW?
What benefits does a railway transportation system provide to the people of NSW?

Task 1
Before you divide into small groups write down your definition of rail network.

• Railway
• Rail transport system

Record findings on Rap sheet 1 Rail Transport System and list any extra general terms used when discussing rail transport.

Trains require a propulsion mechanism. Continue your research by investigating how trains are powered and record how each source of power works when with trains. Each member of your group should become and expert with one on the sources of power for reporting your findings and assist the group with Task 3

• Steam
• Diesel
• Electric Locomotives
• Electrification and electric current

As a class, discuss the different types of rail transport and discuss your findings. You may want to create class definitions of the terms.

Task 3
Continue working in small groups and choose one of the following activities:

Research why the rail network was first developed in New South Wales.

Use Rap sheet 2 The first service to work through the following

or

Create an information product that explains the history of rail in NSW to be sent in to the rap in Rap Wrap up week.

Multimedia software such as PowerPoint, KidPix slideshow, HyperStudio or web page creation software may be used to create an interesting visual display to support your research. Otherwise, prepare a simple leaflet or poster that can inform others about the subject. Illustrations or photographs should be included. You may choose to create your leaflet using computer software or draw by hand. A methodical approach should be taken with the planning of the information product, using flowcharts or storyboards. A focus on the design criteria and the intended audience should be an important factor of the initial planning.

You will have this week and next week to complete this information product and send three class chosen samples for the class rap wrap up next week.

Special note: Consideration should be given to making file sizes manageable for multimedia presentations. Hand drawn leaflets or posters need to be scanned and uploaded.

You may even like to submit a digital file/photo of your work at the end of the rap for your work samples to be posted on the school libraries web site.

Select from the sites below to guide your groups history research

Railway voices for text snapshots of the NSW rail story. If you have the correct software you may even be able to hear the recorded songs.

CityRail school group and student history link

The Australian story

Building Australia's first railways, 1848-1873 scroll down to Paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 6

Steam locomotive No. 1 scroll down to 'Used'

The Powerhouse Museum exhibition notes

You may also like to draw or download pictures for your information product.

In planning your product you should think about:

• What is its purpose?
• Who will benefit from using the display?
• Are there any examples you can use as a model?
• What features will it need?

To be sent to the rap ….

Develop a Did you know? Use Rap sheet 3 to present your Did you know?

Describes the most interesting transport related information that your class has discovered. This could be written as a paragraph or in bullet points. It should answer Who? What? Where? Why (purpose)? and How? in relation to your fact.

For example

Did you know?

The first rail service from Sydney to Parramatta:

• opened on 26 September 1855
• was only 14km long
• cost £40,000 per mile to build
• took 50 minutes to travel
• was for passengers who could travel 3rd, 2nd or 1st class

Vote to decide on which group’s Did you know? will be sent to the rap.

NB. One or two responses per class please

Rap point 2

Activities for Week 7

Theme:  The significance of places and events in developing Australian heritage

As a class review or revise the definition of a rail transport system, the variety of train propulsion mechanisms (energy power) aspects of the rail transport system, the history of rail in NSW and the Did you know? history storyboard responses from other schools.

This rap point requires you to continue your research related to the commemoration of 150 Years of Rail in NSW celebration and gain an understanding of rail and general history of specific towns and cities in NSW.

The key messages and questions will help you focus on:

How and why did the rail network expand in New South Wales?

And

How did the rail network affected NSW country towns?

Task 1
As a class look at a map of NSW and the rail network map sent to your school in 2004.

Brainstorm a list of names of locations/townships you have heard about or visited within NSW. Locate these on the map of NSW or on a rail network?

You may like to view these on the CityRail interactive map, the CountryLink map, the NSW country network map or the Australia wide map

Investigate the history of your town or other selected town. Reflect on the benefits to the local community due to the provision of rail transportation for goods and people. If the town you chose does not currently have a railway and/or has never had a railway you will need to comment on the closest neighbouring town with a railway.

Task 3
Quiz: Where am I?

In small groups, develop a town quiz using information you have found in Task 2 and following the additional research links in this section.

Use the Where am I? Raps sheet 4 for recording your results in the form of a quiz.

Each group member should become an expert regarding one aspect of the town you are researching for the purpose of reporting back to the class.

Use the NSW Rail Net to obtain your information.

Here is an example of Where Am I? for the town of Cootamundra.

Answer: Cootamundra

Regroup as a class to discuss and practise your quizzes.

You can use extra clues for your class mates if it is necessary,

e.g. Starts with the letter…

 To be sent to the rap

Select one or two examples of the Where Am I? quiz as a class and email to the rap.

Rap point 3

Activities for Term 3
Theme: Transport in the future

In this Rap point you will research and discuss the implications of continued development for the future. You will be required to evaluate the benefits of public transport especially rail in comparison to road transport in our cities. Special emphasis will be placed on the sustainability, aesthetics, safety and function of public transport.

Task 1
Print and review the Sydney Morning Herald article entitled Rail will prove only answer down the track March 30, 2005

View Australian Bureau of Statistics site to get a broad picture of transport

Infrastructure

View Rap sheet 5, Some Numbers. This document which was part of a ministerial inquiry into NSW Public Transport in 2003.

Task 2
Complete the matrix on Rap sheet 6. By using the figures contained within the Sydney Morning Herald article, determine the amount of road lanes, bus ways, lightrail or rail network required to transport 100,000 people and 400,000 per hour.

Task 3
Using the information within the links below, fill in matrix on Rap sheet 7 on the pros and cons of rail, bus and car transport in Sydney in terms of function, aesthetics, safety, sustainability.

Links to use

Australian railway Association inc www.ara.net.au/society/society.php
Australian railway Association inc www.ara.net.au/society/society.php?id=24
Australian railway Association inc www.ara.net.au/society/society.php?id=42

Multimedia software such as PowerPoint, KidPix slideshow, HyperStudio or web page creation software may be used to create an interesting visual display to support your research.

Alternatively, prepare a simple leaflet or poster that can inform others about the subject. Illustrations or photographs should be included. You may choose to create your leaflet using computer software or by drawing.

A methodical approach should be taken with the planning of the information product, using flowcharts or storyboards. A focus on the design criteria and the intended audience should be an important factor of the initial planning.

You will have this week and next week to complete this information product and send three class chosen samples for the class Rap wrap up next week.

Special note: Consideration should be given to making file sizes manageable for multimedia presentations. Hand drawn leaflets or posters need to be scanned and uploaded.

Web sites that may help

To be sent to the rap
Three key points for the Affirmative and three points for the Negative in the debate

Rail: the best choice of public transport for our cities

Each point should be in a short paragraph. The key point is summarised in the first sentence and explained in the following sentences.

As a class, vote to decide on which key points will be sent to the rap. Each class can send up to three examples.

Ensure each key point has been edited by the class and approved by the teacher.



Rap point 4

Activities for Week 9
Theme: Personal safety on rail transport

As a class, review what you have learnt about ‘Transport in the future’ in the last rap point and particularly sustainability of public transport in the future.

This week you will focus on safety aspects of public transport

It is very important that you have opportunities to solve problems and practise skills dealing with potentially unsafe situations. This makes you better prepared if things go wrong.

In this rap point you will examine skills and strategies that you can use to help keep yourself and others safe.

Task 1
In small groups, each member is to contribute a different unsafe situation encountered whilst using public transport. These could be real-life incidents or predictions of possible situations you may encounter if you use public transport.

Choose one of your groups’ unsafe situations. Using Rap sheet 9 as a group, develop a plan that will enable you to be prepared for this unsafe situation.

Having completed your personal safety plan for this scenario, choose a spokesperson to report this plan to the whole class.

As a class and share and discuss the plans you have developed.

Share your risk situation and personal safety plans by

Ask for feedback from your peers.   Make changes to your personal safety plans incorporating suggestions from the whole group, where appropriate.

Develop a class list of strategies that you selected in the personal safety plans that enabled you to respond to potentially unsafe situations. These may include: assessing the risk, having a number of options, considering consequences, etc.

Task 2
As a class, brainstorm strategies and changes in public transport that have been provided to improve passenger safety. You may have observed these yourself or heard about these in the news.

These may include:

Use Rap sheet 10 to record your information.

Here is an example: School buses

Extra activity if time allows:

When you have completed this task in small groups you may like to research some of the latest developments and discuss how these changes will affect the personal safety of passengers.

To be sent to the rap

Identify and send to the rap a list of strategies that your class felt were useful in responding to potentially unsafe situations.


Rap wrap up

Week 10

During this week, rappers are invited to send

• the three class chosen samples of the information products you have been working on since week 1 (rail history) or week 3 (ecological issue). Please remember the special note in raps regarding making file sizes manageable for multimedia presentations. Hand drawn leaflets or posters need to be scanned and uploaded.
  
• any other work samples you wish to display on the school libraries site.
  
• hort message to the rap about what your class has learnt during the rap. Use the following questions to assist you in constructing the class message.
  
  

  • What have you learnt from participating in this rap?
  • What did you find interesting?
  • What did you find challenging?
  • What new skills have you gained?

Once the final class message is approved, ask your class representative to send it to the rap.