If you help children connect with their environment and community, add your voice here: 2026 Census of Community-Based Environmental Learning

Way to Go! Decoding Media about Transportation

Activity - Classroom

GradesK, 1, 2, 3Social Studies

This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Project Look Sharp
Open Resource

What it is

  • In this activity from Project Look Sharp, students will analyze kid-friendly media messages about different modes of transportation.
  • Students will discuss the intended purpose of each message about planes, trains, automobiles, bicycles, and electric cars, and relate the messages to their daily lives.

Teaching tips

Positives
  • Media literacy skills are vital for existing and thriving in today's world, so young students will benefit from building on those skills with this activity.
  • Students will love seeing the video hosted by students like themselves.
Prerequisites
  • Teachers will need to create a free account to access the materials.
Differentiation & Implementation
  • When watching the Benefits of Bike Riding video, students may wonder how a car is bad for the environment.  Depending on students' ages and understanding, teachers may use this time to explain the link between fossil fuel use and climate change. This will give students helpful context for understanding the last Kids News Break video.
  • After discussing, students can create their own media messages about their favorite modes of transportation. Students can use Google Slides to create an ebook or make a news report, using the video as inspiration.
  • Teachers can use this activity as a hook into this transportation unit.

From the scientist review

This lesson includes a collection of materials, including an ebook, some videos, and activities, to help students explore different transportation modes and learn about how they affect the planet. A secondary goal of the lesson is to explore media types and the intended audience of each piece of media. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching. 
How we review resources

Ready to use it?

Hosted on projectlooksharp.org

Open Resource

Want this to fit your class?

Add your location for local examples, questions, and action ideas.

Related Teaching Resources