Activity Overview
Students will read about the positive and negative impacts of the Interstate Highway System, and then work in small groups to discuss and answer questions regarding these impacts and the effects the Interstate Highway System has upon life in America.
Before the Activity
See the attached Activity PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity.
Print the appropriate pages from the Activity for your class.
Install the LearningCheck(tm) App on the students' graphing calculators following the attached instructions.
Pass out a copy of the Student Data Sheet, The Interstate: Pros and Cons, to each student. Divide the class into small workgroups. Each group will read and discuss the exercise, and then answer the questions as a group using the Activity2 edc resource file to record the answers.
During the Activity
Distribute the appropriate pages from the Activity to your class
Distribute the LearningCheck(tm) file(s) to your class using TI Connect(tm) and the appropriate TI Connectivity cable
Follow the procedures outlined in the Activity
Students will:
Explore the history of the Interstate Highway System.
Demonstrate a basic understanding of the Interstate Highway System, the numbering system of interstate road signs, and the major routes and cities connected by the interstate in Florida.
Analyze the economic, social, and environmental impact of the interstate on the United States, Florida, and individual communities.
Identify businesses that flourished and failed as a result of the interstate and predict business and residential growth patterns based on their proximity to interstate interchanges.
Evaluate and predict the far-reaching impact of growth in Florida and the Interstate Highway System's impact on individual communities.
After the Activity
Lead a class debriefing discussion using the Student Data Sheet and the resource file. Summarize the key issues and controversies related to the interstate highway system.