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Crusin’ and Choosin’:
Transportation along the South Valley Camino Real

John Wright

Ask anybody what kind of a car they drive and you will undoubtedly get some unique story. These attitudes are formed early in Americans. By the time teenagers come of age for driving they have already formed countless attitudes about transportation. Unfortunately there are a lot of stereotypes (only poor people take the bus) and conditioned responses from media (the bigger the better). What a great starting place for an exercise in language arts!

Crusin’ and Choosin’: Transportation Along the South Valley Camino Real is a curriculum unit about the language of transportation, most specifically car transportation because, unfortunately, that is the form of transportation we use most in this country.

This unit was designed for a 9th grade language arts class. Most of the activities are designed for the 14 year-old to read, write, speak and listen about driving and transportation. It is a perfect age to consider this topic as most will be driving soon, if they are not already. It is also a critical time in history to examine our transportation choices because of the ecological, social and economic results of past choices.

The simple act of driving carries enormous responsibilities. Students will be better prepared for their roles as global citizens after considering the topics in this unit. Transportation in the South Valley has deep historic roots as well as modern concerns. There is something for everybody in this unit, as we all are impacted by the choices we make as a community regarding transportation.

While the unit focuses on using language arts activities, the goals can be modified to fit into a cross discipline approach. There are many science and social studies goals that can be accomplished through this unit.

Academic Setting

Rio Grande High School is a large high school (enrollment 1999-2000; 2167) located in the South Valley area of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The South Valley is a unique area of the city. It maintains a rural atmosphere and carries a strong cultural history as well as ongoing traditions. The Rio Grande runs from north to south through the east side of the valley, and large tracts of agricultural land are still present.

Urban influences have precipitated changes in the South Valley. The creation of Kirtland Air Force Base and impacts from World War II were some of the major forces contributing to the urbanization of the South Valley (Gonzales). Since the 1880s the Valley has experienced a steady decline in irrigated acres.

The ethnic make-up of Rio Grande High School and its community is predominately Hispanic. According to data from the Research, Development and Accountability Department (RDA) of Albuquerque Public Schools (APS), 1999-2000 figures show an enrollment of 83.9 % Hispanic, with Anglo at 9.7%, Native American 4.3%, Black 1.6% and Asian .1%. This corresponds with 1990 Census figures which show an Hispanic makeup of the community at 73%. Native American census figures are a little lower, probably due to the fact that many Native American students live on the nearby Isleta Pueblo.

As expected, because of the high ethnic enrollment, participation in ESL and Bilingual programs was significantly above the APS average. RDA 94-95 figures show 66.7% of RGHS students were enrolled in such programs compared to 23.1 % for the rest of APS. 1990 Census figures also reflected "other than English language use" in the Valley by reporting that 5% of the RGHS community do not speak English well compared to 3% for all APS communities in the 18 to 64 age group. The difference is more dramatic in the over 65 age group with 11% not speaking English compared to 3% in the rest of APS. This last figure would be more significant if the number of students living with grandparents was known.

Generally speaking, Rio Grande High School and the South Valley fall below the average in all measures of socio-economic status. In the year 1999-2000, 45% of students received free or reduced cost meals at RGHS. Census figures from 1990 show that RGHS had the lowest mean household income of all the other high school clusters in APS: RGHS mean, $25,712; highest mean in APS was $61,271. Additionally, Census figures show 23% of the community members lived in poverty compared to an average of 14% of residents in other APS clusters.

However, in striking contrast to these socio-economic figures, the South Valley Community is considerably more stable than the rest of Albuquerque according to the 1990 Census. Seventy-four percent of the residents were born in New Mexico compared to only 47% of the rest of Albuquerque. Also, 63% of South Valley Residents have lived in the same residence for at least the last five years, while only 47% of Albuquerque residents can make the same claim. Fewer South Valley residents live in rental units, 23%, compared to 38% for the rest of Albuquerque.

Unfortunately, the relatively stable community figures do not translate into a more than average stable school population. The mobility rate (the percentage of students who transfer into or out of the school system) was 62% for 1998-99, compared to a district average of 35% according to RDA figures. RGHS also led the district in dropout rates with 12.2% in 1999-2000, compared to 7% for the rest of the district.

Goals

I have many goals for this curriculum unit:

  1. To improve literacy skills in the area of technology and society.
  2. To improve critical thinking skills.
  3. To improve presentation and public speaking skills.
  4. To increase awareness of conservation issues regarding transportation.
  5. To give students more resources to make future decisions on transportation and technology.Go to top of page.

Narrative

"The automobile is a paradox. We love it, depend upon it, and it can kill us. If the fuel supply to the American motorist were cut off tomorrow, people would no doubt riot, chaos would prevail and our economy would collapse. In this respect we are helpless."

- Colin Messer, How to keep Your Datsun/Nissan Alive

Introduction

One of the most important issues facing our community and especially the youth of the South Valley is transportation. Job opportunities, education, shopping, cultural and other activities are especially influenced by transportation availability in the South Valley because its location is somewhat remote compared to other parts of urban Albuquerque. Coupled with the low socio-economic status of many families, transportation determines how able people are to participate in daily activities. For example, many high school students may not have jobs because they don’t have transportation.

Transportation, especially driving automobiles, takes an even more important place in the community as it seems to embody numerous values. A Car is a status symbol whether it is a new sport utility vehicle or a dressed-up lowrider. Teenagers are historically attracted to automobiles. Driving means freedom and independence. The goal of community planning for the pedestrian or transit is not to eliminate the automobile but to balance it (Calthorpe).

Oftentimes teenagers bring a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding automobiles to the 9th grade classroom, although they are not old enough to legally drive.

Transportation and the South Valley

Transportation has played an integral role in the history of the South Valley Community. The Camino Real, following Native American trails, was used by Don Juan de Onate in 1598 to colonize New Mexico. It is this country’s oldest documented roadway. This 1,800 mile trail wound through the South Valley from Mexico City to Santa Fe. The historic Route 66 passed through the South Valley in the 1930’s before it was realigned along Central Avenue. A 2,400 mile highway that ran from Chicago to Los Angeles, it was once known as the "Mainstreet of America."

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, as the king of Spain officially designated it, means The Royal Road of the Interior Lands. It was established by Juan Perez de Onate in 1598, almost ten years before the first English Colonists landed at Jamestown, Virginia. For nearly 300 years the road played a major role in the cultural, economic and environmental development of the Southwest. Historic, ethnic and cultural traditions such as music, folk tales, medicine and sayings, architecture, geographic place names, language, irrigation systems and Spanish law were transmitted along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, National Historic Trail Feasibility Study).

The history of human presence in the South Valley dates back to the 1300s. Ancestors of Sandia and Isleta Pueblo people occupied the South Valley and areas north to what is now Bernalillo and south to the current town of Bosque Farms. In the 1500’s Spanish explorers reached the area and established a mission at Isleta Pueblo in 1613.

As Spanish settlers moved into the South Valley, village centers were formed, usually around a plaza and a church. Two of these plazas were located near the Barelas crossing (Bridge Street), another was located on La Vega Road, another near modern Armijo, and still another at the current intersections of Five Points and Atrisco roads. Other village centers were further south at Pajarito and Los Padillas.

Atrisco, settled in the late 1600’s, is the oldest settled community in the Albuquerque area. The historic town of Artisco had four plazas. The locations of two of the plazas have not been identified, but the other two are known. One originally called La Plaza de Senior Fernando de Los Chavez, where Sunset Gardens, Foothill, and Atrisco Drives meet, was the original site of the Holy Family Church. The other was originally called Los Ranchos de Atrisco and was located where La Vega, Armijo, and Old Gatewood (part of Isleta Boulevard) meet (Las Plazas de Atrisco Master Plan, 1987).

Another historical community of the South Valley is Los Padillas which was established as a land grant in 1705. In 1750 the population was 31 residents; an 1880 census reported 350 residents, and current figures show 4,000 residents. Historically an agricultural community, Los Padillas suffers from urbanization pressures from nearby Albuquerque. Local businesses struggle to survive in the face of competition from larger operations in the city and several outlying malls. Small family farms feel the pressure of competition from larger farms in the southern part of the state with a longer growing season. Young people from family farms are reluctant to continue the farming business (Los Padillas Village Center Study).

No longer the small rural, agricultural village concentrated around the village church and school that it was in 1922, Los Padillas struggles to maintain its own identity and economic base. Residents are heavily dependent on automobile transportation to go to work and access stores, services and recreation. The Village Center Study recommended development of the Village Center area to improve local economic development, and reduce the necessity for travelling out of the local area.

The Ideology of Automobiles

For many teenagers, and even adults, the type and quality of the auto is an indication of the type and quality of the person. Oftentimes, although not exclusively, the auto is an expression of masculinity. Additionally, this expression of values has taken on cultural overtones. In a letter to the editor of Low Rider Magazine, Johnathan Moreno (age 13) writes

I just want to say that your magazine makes me proud to be a Mexican-American. When I was younger, I did not know much about my culture or my ethnic background, but ever since I picked up Low Rider Magazine, I have become more aware of being Mexican.

Cultural meanings are integrated in the basic structure and function of the automobile Freund and Martin say:

These meanings of the auto include a mastery over time and space and above all, personal independence and individuality. The auto is one of the many commodities in modern technical development that reflects a more general tendency towards design for individual use. The self-steered vehicle along with television, personal computers, and other devices are meant for private, independent consumption that does not depend on the rhythms or needs of others, and minimizes or even eliminates interaction with others.

They go on to say that traditional masculine skills are displayed when working on and maintaining automobiles. These skill include working with your hands, using strength, manipulating large and powerful objects such as motors, using tools, and many other skills.

However, the automobile as a psycho-sexual symbol, is not limited to males. Freund and Martin argue that women derive pleasure from mastery of the skills of the road. The authors cite a passage in Joan Didion’s novel Play It As It Lays:

Again and again she returned to an intricate stretch just south of the interchange where successful passage from the Hollywood onto the Harbor required a diagonal move across four lanes of traffic. On the afternoon she finally did it without once braking or once losing the beat on the radio she was exhilarated, and that night sleptGo to top of page. dreamlessly.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Los Angeles, which is frequently portrayed in movies and fiction as a place where people’s lifestyles are extremely attached to the automobile.

These values represent a contrast to the social history of the South Valley where people lived in small interdependent communities. This contrast, along with the strong social attachment to the automobile, offers a unique opportunity for teenagers to examine this important aspect of their lives. It is an aspect that they face immediately and will have to make many important choices about throughout their lives.

Environmental Impacts of Automobiles

The average car emits a toxic cocktail of more than 1,000 pollutants, which interact in ways that are not fully understood.

- The Environmental Impact of the Car

The other side of the coin of an automobile centered transportation system is the negative social and environmental impacts from driving, roads, and maintainance of automobiles. From auto accident deaths to global warming, driving a car is a local action with extensive repercussions on the local and world community.

In local communities, automobiles cause air pollution but also much more. Auto emissions contribute to emphysema, lung cancer, asthma and many other respiratory diseases (Freund and Martin). But automobiles also are responsible for many other impacts that erode the quality of life in a community. Noise pollution, traffic accidents, visual degradation, habitat destruction from roadbuilding, social alienation, and lack of affordable housing are some of the other impacts of an automobile centered transportation system.

Globally, motor vehicles are the single largest source of atmospheric pollution, are a direct cause of wars (e.g. the Persian Gulf War), are a principal contributor to global warming, are the single largest source of ozone-depleting chemicals, cause the death of over a quarter of a million people and injure over ten million, and are responsible for the destruction of huge amounts of habitat for both humans and wildlife (Greenpeace).

The primary areas of environmental pollution are global warming (greenhouse gas production), ozone depletion, and air polluting chemicals. Global warming, or greenhouse gas production, occurs when certain gasses (namely carbon dioxide) accumulate in the atmosphere and act as a blanket keeping the heat in the atmosphere from radiating out. Ozone depletion is the destruction of stratospheric ozone, the layer of gas that blocks harmful ultra-violet radiation from reaching the earth. Chlorofluorocarbons, found in motor vehicle air conditioning systems, are a major cause of ozone depletion.

Air polluting chemicals, typically found in smog, cause a variety of health problems. The main air pollution substances are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, lead, hydrocarbons, and benzene. Carbon monoxide can affect the central nervous system and impairs oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, resulting in impaired perception, slowed reflexes, and drowsiness. Nitrogen oxides, from road vehicle emissions, cause irritation of the respiratory tract, reduced lung function, increased susceptibility to viral infections, and possibly cancer. Ozone causes eye, nose and throat irritation and increases risks to asthmatics, those with lung or heart disease, children, and those involved in heavy exercise. Lead, banned in this country but not in others, affects the central nervous system and blood, and can impair mental development especially in young children. Hydrocarbons, from emissions and evaporative fuel losses, are carcinogenic (Greenpeace).

Social and Economic Impacts of the Automobile Centered Community

A racist and inequitable society heightens poverty. A car-dependent
one underscores and enhances the divide with a lack of mobility.

- Jane Holtz Kay, Asphalt Nation

An average South Valley Household spends over $1,300 a year on gasoline for its cars. Transportation, after housing, accounts for the largest single household expenditure. Lower-income households spend a larger share of their income on transportation than higher-income households do. They bear the brunt of inefficient land use design, sprawl, and dis-investments in older communities, requiring long commuting distances to work, shopping and other activities (Ford).

The South Valley economy is strongly interconnected with the economies in Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, The State of New Mexico, the US, and the outside world. However, the South Valley has much less of a local economy, local trade, jobs, and reinvestment of dollars spent than many communities. Eighty percent of the South Valley working population works outside the Valley. There was no new industrial or commercial construction between 1990 and 1994 (Ford).

As this unit was being written, cutbacks at SunTran, the city of Albuquerque’s transit system, are forcing reductions in service to the South Valley. One of the routes travels through the heart of the South Valley. While other routes in the city are being cut, this reduction in service will impact more heavily on a lower income community. Although some bus routes remain in the Valley, bus service remains marginal. Bus service intervals are once an hour, making bus transportation impractical and/or difficult for most working people who must travel a long distance to jobs in the city.

National statistics show that public transportation systems serve the "have-nots" in society. In large cities 60 percent of mass transit riders are women, and 48 percent are African-American or Hispanic, more than twice their number in the general population (Kay).

Road constructions through communities-of-color such as the South Valley also cause negative impacts. According to Kay, road building through the cheapest lands brings businesses that bring blight, pollution, and visual clutter to neighborhoods. Body shops, used cars dealers, junk shops and other such industries tend to locate along these routes. In the environmental movement this is called "disproportionate siting." The expansion of Coors Boulevard is such an example. Twenty years ago it was expanded from a two lane road with cottonwood trees running alongside it. Now, Coors is a five-lane road that is more of a commuter route for the outlying communities, and a transportation route into Albuquerque from the south. Go to top of page.

Positive Alternatives

Driving poses many difficult questions and issues which many never consider. Perhaps many of the costs, environmental, economic and social, still do not affect enough of the population to such a degree that it causes a great deal of concern. Nevertheless, future generations will be more affected by transportation even if only the prospect of limited oil supplies is considered.

Some experts predict that oil supplies will run out in 30 years if current consumption rates continue (Spohn). At that time many students will be in the middle of raising their families. What help can they offer their children? Establishing good habits now, such as efficient driving habits and using public transportation, will empower students to deal with these issues as they arise in their community. Helping students make good choices regarding transportation is one of the goals of this curriculum. There are many options and alternatives that will help them save money, preserve their communities and their health.

Many low-income car owners do their own maintenance, or at best, are inconvenienced by car breakdowns. Time to maintain cars, pay for insurance, buy parts and gas and other required activities cost consumers many hours. Taking this time into consideration means the average U.S. motorist averages only five miles per hour (Alliance for a Paving Moratorium).

Developing transportation centers, such as park and ride areas, in communities would help local development and restore a measure of neighborhood to communities. Demand for space and real estate values go up for both commercial and residential properties around transit stops ("Alliance for a Paving Moratorium"). Residential areas would be denser around transportation centers resulting in more efficient land use, preservation of farmland, a more cost-effective infrastructure, and conservation of energy.

Bicycles are an efficient alternative to automobiles, although there are many problems facing bicycle riders in the South Valley. Lack of bicycle lanes, small road shoulders, congested streets, and high speeds on rural roads are some of the factors contributing to dangerous conditions for bike riders in the valley. However, bicycles consume only 22 calories of energy per passenger kilometer as compared to 1,153 calories per passenger kilometer for cars.

Alternative Fuels

Alternative fuels offer solutions to some of the transportation problems facing this country, although they do not address all the issues. An alternative-fueled vehicle may have cleaner emissions and reduce the dependence on fossil fuels from outside countries, however, they do not address issues such as the expense of single occupancy vehicles and the costs associated with high energy use.

The major alternative fuels available today are reformulated gasoline, methanol, ethanol, compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, electric vehicles powered by new coal sources, electric vehicles powered by non-fossil fuels, hybrid vehicles and hydrogen used in fuel cells. With the exception of electric vehicles powered by new coal sources (electric cars charged from the power grid) these vehicles offer varying degrees of lowered emissions. The following fuels are available in the U.S. at limited outlets.

Careers

Terry G. was a professor with a Ph.D. teaching Biology at a private university. He loved teaching and the sciences, but loved working with his hands and on cars even more…Then six years before he could have retired, he decided to chuck it all and work on cars for a living.

-Rewarding Careers in the Automotive Industry, 2001

There are many career opportunities for students in the transportation industry. According to Pat Schwallie-Giddes, Assistant Professor of Counseling for George Washington University:

The opportunities for minorities, including women, are enormous. The industry technician has now reached a state of professionalism that means high income, job security and benefits far superior to the past life of the mechanic" (Rewarding Careers in the Automotive Industry).

From technicians to manufacturer’s representatives, the auto industry has a wide variety of employment opportunities. It is estimated that 40% of the US GNP is related to the automotive industry. Many opportunities exist also at various levels in the broader transportation industry. These include jobs such as urban planners and mass transit managers, and a variety of technical careers.

Implementation

The following lessons outline several activities about automobiles not only in the South Valley but anywhere. Teachers can adapt these lessons to any location.

Lesson Plans/Activities (NM Content Standards cited in brackets)

  1. Attitudes towards driving: A Teenagers First Car, Video [C]
  2. Chart your driving record. Your driving habits, worksheet [C, D, F]
  3. What’s important in Albuquerque, South Valley-prepare a map[F,D]
  4. Our transportation history: Route 66 and El Camino Real [B, C, E]
  5. Environmental impacts of a car [A, F, D]
  6. Driving efficiency, make a brochure for students [C]
  7. Alternative Fuels and Vehicles: Where are we? [A, F]
  8. Technical reading Consumer Reports, make a class presentation [F,E]
  9. Corporate Power and the Automobile: Who makes the Choices? [B, E]
  10. Design a bus trip, look at careers in transportation [C, E]

Other activities:

  1. Give students a sample driving exam and see how they do. This exercise uses many language skills and is a real life exercise. Have them practice looking up answers to questions from the MVD booklet.
  2. Read a technical manual. There are many self-help technical manuals for consumers that show them how to make home repairs or diagnose problems. Any automotive store carries these manuals. Copy the troubleshooting section and give students problems they have to look up. Students can also practice looking up parts numbers and many other career related skills.
  3. Look at a road expansion, bus route change, or any other transportation related government action. What are the impacts? Involve students in the public comment process.
  4. Road Tripping: What is MPG? Many students at the 9th grade level still struggle with word problems. Have the students create miles per gallon situations for each other to figure out.

Lesson Plan Summary

Lesson #1. Attitudes towards driving: Video, free-write.

New Mexico Language Arts Standards: C

Overview: In this activity students will do a free write about driving and the kind of cars they like. This first lesson will set up the activities in the unit with a personal tie-in using their ideas. Teacher will show a video segment or video about a car. This could be the advertisement from Jaguar (they send out free videos about their cars), or any video segment advertising cars that the teacher prepares.

Objective: Students will articulate their own viewpoints about cars and transportation.

Materials: TV and VCR, video tape of auto commercial or other segment

Method: 1) Tell students that we are going to be doing a unit about how transportation affects their lives. Conduct a general discussion about driving. Ask questions such as: What kind of cars do you like? Has anyone here ever driven a car?; Has anyone here ridden a bus? What do you think about riding the bus? 2) Show a video segment about a car such as an advertisement. 3) Students are to write for ten minutes about what they think about driving cars. 4) Students will share their writing in oral presentations.Go to top of page.

Lesson #2. Chart your driving record: Your driving habits worksheet

New Mexico State Standards Language Arts: C, F, D

Overview: In this lesson students will work in small groups to compare a report about driving habits of the group. They will make a presentation and summary of their findings. They will be required to answer questions about their transportation habits and those of their family. They will use research skills in putting together the report.

Objective: Students will use data in expressing information in written and oral language to inform others.

Materials: Worksheet about driving habits. Available from Going Places, Making Choices Website: www.fourhcouncil.edu

Method: 1) Have a brief discussion about how people get around in the South Valley. Ask questions such as "How do you get to your friends house? Do your parents drive you? Do your friends have cars? Is this a problem? Have you ever taken the bus? 2) Students will complete the worksheet on driving habits in small groups. 3) Students will write a narrative paragraph describing their family’s driving habits. Paragraphs will be read out loud in class.

Lesson #3. What’s important in the South Valley: Prepare a map

New Mexico Language Arts Standards: F, C

Overview: Students will prepare a map of how to get to important places in their community. They will determine how and when they can use alternative transportation.

Objective: Students will analyze data to solve transportation problems.

Materials: Paper, drawing materials, outline map of the South Valley

Method: 1) Brainstorm with students important places in the South Valley such as grocery stores, doctors’ and dentists’ offices, restaurants, and others where the students go most often. 2) Have students prepare a map showing their house and where it is in relation to places they most frequently go. 3) Have students calculate mileage to three places served by bus. 4) Have students map bus routes on their maps. 5) Students are to write a paragraph telling how they can take a bus to get to any of the destinations.

Lesson #4. Our transportation history: El Camino Real and Route 66

New Mexico Language Arts Standards: E, C, B

Overview: Students will learn about El Camino Real and Route 66 and the impacts that transportation had on the valley. Students will view a CD-ROM presentation and take notes. They will write a report on both of these roads. Students are also to do an interview with an elder in the community, about transportation. This will be a multiple-day lesson.

Objective: Using written language, students will be able to narrate how transportation has changed in their community.

Materials: New Mexico-Centuries Along Scenic Byways, CD-ROM, Computer with large screen or projection capabilities, or hand outs on El Camino Real and Route 66. (Students can research the Camino Real and Route 66 from other sources in the library.)

Method: 1) Tell the class that they are going to study the transportation history of the South Valley. Discuss with the class some of the history of the South Valley. Who first lived in the South Valley? Ask how many have ancestors who have been in the valley a long time. 2) Play the CD-ROM sections about these two roads. 3) Students will take notes. 3) Using notes, students are to write a paragraph that retells some of the history of these roads in New Mexico. Supplementary work (homework): Students are to conduct an interview with an elder in their community. (see questions below). They are to write the answers in paragraph form.

Home/Community Interview-

Remember to try and get approximate dates that correspond with the answers.

1. How long have you lived in this area?
2. What was it like to live here when you were my age?
3. How did you get to school when you were young? To the stores? To family gatherings?
4. Where did most of the people in this area live, in town or on farms?
5. What’s the first car you can remember?
6. Were there any buses used, or did people ride trains?
7. Did you ever leave the area for vacations or other activities? How did you travel?
8. What was the biggest change you remember related to transportation in this community?
9. How has transportation changed the community, in your opinion?

Lesson #5. Environmental impacts of a car

New Mexico Language Arts Standards: A, F, D

Overview: Students will research the major environmental impacts of automobile and will report their findings to each other.

Objective: Students will be able to describe the major air pollution impacts of automobiles.

Materials: Handouts developed from websites "Alliance for a Paving Moratorium", or the Greenpeace publication The Environmental Impacts of the Car, or have students research listed air pollutants

Method: 1) Hold brief discussion about air pollution. Ask questions like: Do you notice smog hanging over the city? What causes it? What is it made of? 2) Each student will have to make an oral report on one of the pollutants. You may want to make up cards with a pollutant listed on each and pass one to each student. 3) Students are to make an oral presentation on their pollutant. The presentation must address the following: a) What is the name of your pollutant? b) What causes it or how is it produced? c) What is the potential health effect? 4) Students must take notes and complete a list of the major pollutants.Go to top of page.

Lesson #6. Driving efficiency (CD ROM or handout): make a brochure.

New Mexico Language Arts Standards: C

Overview: In this activity students will make a brochure informing their fellow students about efficient driving. Students will use language skills to explain and persuade others.

Objective: Students will use written media to effectively communicate ideas in the area of fuel-efficient driving.

Materials: CD-ROM on driving efficiency, or handout on driving habits, questionnaire on fuel efficiency.

Method: 1) Give students a pre-test on driving efficiency. 2) Discuss results as a class. 3) Play interactive CD on fuel efficiency or pass out handout on driving tips. 4) Show students a model brochure and direct them to make their own on the topic of driving efficiency.

Lesson #7. Alternative fuels: Where are we?

New Mexico Language Arts Standards: F, D

Overview: Students will research the use, advantages and disadvantages of alternative fuels. They will inform others through an oral presentation on the current information.

Objective: Students will use oral and written language to communicate technical information on the status of alternative fuels.

Materials: list of alternative fuels and vehicles, computers with internet access

Method: 1) Discuss what an alternative fuel is with the class (any fuel other than gasoline or diesel that powers a vehicle). 2) Put a list of alternative fuels and vehicles on the chalkboard and assign students to research one fuel. 3) Students will have to answer the following questions in a one-page report and make an oral presentation.

Questions to Answer:

  1. Is this fuel being used now?
  2. To what extent is it being used?
  3. What are the advantages of using this fuel?
  4. What are the disadvantages of using this fuel?
  5. What is the fuel and how is it made?
  6. What kind of vehicle can use this fuel?

Lesson # 8. Reading Consumer Reports/class presentation.

New Mexico Language Arts Standards: F, E

Overview: Students will look up information about automobiles and answer questions. Students will use research skills and thinking skills to evaluate information and make recommendations. Students will share information with the class.

Objective: Students will learn how to look up technical and critical information about products to help them make decisions as consumers and citizens.

Materials: Copy of Consumer Reports or access to Consumer Reports Web Site

Method: 1) Ask students how they make decisions about what to buy. Ask questions such as, "how do you know what is a good car?" 2) Show students a copy of Consumer Reports or a handout printed about a certain car. If a computer is available with a large screen then go to the website to demonstrate. Show students how to access information. 3) Have students answer questions:

  1. Pick your favorite 2000 Car and write some comments about it.
  2. Name five of the best used cars to buy.
  3. Name five of the worst used cars to buy.
  4. What is the best performance tire? What are the best features of it?
  5. What are the key considerations when buying a car battery?
  6. other teacher made questions after previewing site.

Lesson #9. Corporate Power and the Automobile: Who makes the choices?

New Mexico Language Arts Standards: B, E, C

Overview: Students will write an advertisement for an imaginary automobile using several popular techniques in advertising. The reading selection will help them understand how individuals make decisions regarding consumers.

Objective: Students will understand how decisions are influenced by the media and corporations.

Materials: Selection from Wheels. Several video-taped car TV commercials.

Method: 1) Read a selection from Wheels showing corporate people talking about selling cars and car safety. 2) Have students collect magazine and newspaper advertisements of cars. Analyze pictures and text for common techniques. What language do they use to appeal to consumers? 3) Have students write advertisements to sell an automobile. Go to top of page.

Lesson #10. A look at careers in transportation: Design a trip by bus.

New Mexico Language Arts Standards: C, E

Overview: Students will listen to a guest speaker explain what he or she does in the transportation field. Students will get a chance to experience a job activity and react to it in writing.

Objective: Students will explore possible career options in transportation.

Materials: Map of urban area, speaker from Mass Transit Department

Method: 1) Invite a guest speaker to come to class to speak about what they do in the transportation field. For example, a mass transit planner. 2) Students will listen to the speaker and then the students will do an activity such as planning a bus route. 3) Give students a map and tell them the locations of several important places. Have the students design a bus route that would go to as many of the places as possible. 4) Students are to write a paragraph describing the person’s job and what they think about it.

Evaluation/Portfolio Assessment

Completing each assignment completes all areas of the New Mexico Content Standards and Benchmarks for 9th grade language arts. Award points for completion of each element in the portfolio.

  1. 1. A complete paragraph on what they think about driving.
  2. Driving efficiency brochure.
  3. Map of your neighborhood.
  4. Three paragraph essay on interview with elder about transportation.
  5. Narrative paragraph on driving habits.
  6. Oral presentations-checklist
  7. One page report on alternative fuel.
  8. List of major air pollutants and their effects on humans.
  9. Advertisement.
  10. Career paragraph.

Documentation

Language Arts Standards

Strand I (A). Reading Process: The student develops and demonstrates proficiency with a variety of reading processes to analyze, interpret, and evaluate a wide variety of informational texts across content areas.

Strand II (B). Reading Analysis: The student critiques and evaluates the literary and social merit of a variety of historically and culturally significant works.

Strand III (C). Expressive Language: Writing-The student develops and demonstrates fluency and style in writing and a command of writing conventions across content areas to describe, narrate, express, explain, persuade, and analyze for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Strand IV (D).Expressive Language: Speaking- The student develops and demonstrates fluency and style in speaking and a command of speaking conventions to describe, narrate, express, explain, persuade, and analyze for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Strand V (E). Receptive Language: Listening and Viewing- The student critically evaluates the effectiveness of a variety of auditory and visual works, including multimedia presentations.

Strand VI (F). Research: The student analyzes, synthesizes, and evaluates information to solve problems across subject areas.

Bibliography

Articles

Spohn, Lawrence. "Consumption provides key to onset of real crisis." Albuquerque Tribune, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 27 June, 2001, sec. F: 1.

Stephens, Howard, Virginia Stephens and Jim Cochran. "Driving America’s Future." Albuquerque Tribune, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 27 June 2001, Sec. F:1

Books

Calthorpe, Peter. The Next American Metropolis; Ecology, Community, and the American Dream. New York, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1993.

Freund, Peter and George Martin. The Ecology of the Automobile. Montreal, Quebec: Black Rose Books, Ltd. 1993.

Johnson, Elmer. Avoiding the Collision of Cities and Cars: Urban Transportation Policy for the Twenty First Century, Chicago: The Aspen Institute and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1993.

Kay, Jane Holtz. Asphalt Nation: How the Automobile Took Over America and How We Can Take It Back. New York: Crown Publishers, 1997.

Messer, Colin. How to keep your Datsun/Nissan Alive. Santa Fe, New Mexico: John Muir Publications. 1987

Rosner, Hy and Joan. Albuquerque’s Environmental Story: Towards a Sustainable Community. The Albuquerque Conservation Association. 1996

CD-ROMs

Teaching Fuel Efficiency, CD-ROM. 1998. Natural Resources Canada

New Mexico-Centuries Along Scenic Byways, CD-ROM., New Mexico Department of Tourism. 2000. www.newmexico.org

Curriculum Guides

Future Wheels For A Sustainable America: Educational Resources on Sustainable Transportation. Northeast Sustainable Energy Association 50 Miles St., Greenfield MA 01301. http://www.nesea.org. *

Getting Around Without Gasoline. Northeast Sustainable energy Association 50 Miles St., Greenfield MA 01301 *

Going Places, Making Choices: Transportation and the Environment. National 4-H Council. Chevy Chase, Maryland.              1999. www.fourhcouncil.edu

Teacher’s Guide to World Resources: Car Trouble. Comprehensive Coursework on the Global Environment. World              Resources Institute. Debuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. 1998

* The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association does not copyright its materials and encourages reproduction.

Reports

Atrisco; Strategies for Empowerment. Advanced Planning Studio University of New Mexico. May, 1988.

Community Impact Assessment of the Rio Grande Educational Lifelong Learning Facility on the Sanchez Farm              Neighborhood in the South Valley. The Resource Center for Raza Planning Center in the School of Architecture             and Planning. Albuquerque, New Mexico. January, 2001.

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro: National Historic Trail Feasibility Study Environmental Assessment. United              States Department of the Interior National Park Service 1996.

Environmental Reassessment: Isleta Blvd. Improvement Project. Rio Bravo Blvd to Bridge Blvd. U.S. Department of
            Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. New Mexico Division; New Mexico State Highway and                    Transportation Department. Bernalillo County, New Mexico. 11-14-2000

Los Padillas, Village Center Study. Graduate Urban Design Studio. University of New Mexico. Spring Semester, 1990.

Los Plazas de Atrisco Master Plan. Advanced Planning Studio, Community & Regional Planning Program, School of              Architecture. University of New Mexico, May, 1987.

Gonzales, Moises. Methods, Strategies, and Implementation of Agricultural Preservation in the South Valley.                  Professional   project for The County of Bernalillo Zoning, Building and Planning Department. Community                  and Regional Planning Program, School of Architecture and Planning, University of New Mexico. September,                  1997                 

Pajarito Village Center. University of New Mexico. Urban Design/Planning Studio. School of Architecture and Planning.                  Spring, 1990.

Rewarding Careers in the Automotive Industry. North American Council of Automotive Teachers Delmar, Albany, New                  York. 2001. http://www.delmar.com

Ford, Barbara. Saving Money: Boosting the local Economy Professional Project , School of Architecture and Planning.                  University of New Mexico. November, 1999.

Southwest Area Plan. Bernalillo County Commissioners and Albuquerque City Council.Albuquerque, New Mexico. Draft,                  2000.

Web Sites

"Alliance For A Paving Moratorium" http://www.tidepool.com/alliance/facts2.html

"Electric Vehicles and Their Benefits" http://home.tampabay.rr.com/rageer/evs/index.html

"Transportation Choices, California Energy Commission" http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/transportation/index.html

Student Annotated Bibliography

American Lung Association URL: http://www.lungusa.org/air/
        Information about the health effect of air pollution.

Bicycle Awareness Program, California Air Resources Board URL: http://www.arb.ca.gov/planning/tsaq/bicycle/bicycle.htm
         Information promoting the use of bicycles.

Consumer Reports: Buying Guide. Consumer Reports.Yonkers, New York, 1999
Soft-cover copy with a section on Automotive information.

Consumer Reports. Web Site www.ConsumerReports.org
A variety of information not only about specific cars but about how to buy a car, and much other advice for the automotive consumer.

Felson , Henry Gregor. A Teenager’s First Car. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1966.
A humorous look at buying a car.

Energy & Environmental Issues. Interactive CD-ROM, Version 2.0. Florida Energy Office. 1997.                      http://www.freac.fsu.edu/E&E/
variety of information and activities about gas mileage and global warming.

Greenpeace. The Environmental Impact of the Car, A Greenpeace Report. Greenpeace. 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N.,              Seattle, Washington 98103. 1992
Details the specific environmental problems caused by cars.

Hailey, Arthur. Wheels. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. 1971.
A novel about the automotive industry and how it uses its power to sell cars at any cost.

Low Rider Magazine. "Letters." Anaheim, California: McMullen Argus Publishing. Volume 22, Number 6. June, 2000.
A popular magazine with various articles of interest to Hispanic youth. This issue contains an excerpt on the history of lowriding.

Nauen, Elinor. Ladies, Start Your Engines. Boston: Faber and Faber, 1996.
A collection of short stories about mostly women driving. Not about racing.

Office of Transportation and Air Quality, U.S. EPA URL: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer.htm
         Information about air quality.

Roadkill Bill. http://www.roadkillbill.com.
A funny cartoon strip about a squirrel who blasts the car culture.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency URL: http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/actions/transport/index.html
Information about global warming and climate change.

Wald, Matthew L.. "Low Seat Belt Use Linked to Teenage Death Rates." The New York Times on the Web. May 21, 2001. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/21/national/21SAFE.html.
Article explains how teenagers have the highest rates of death from not using seat belts.Go to top of page.