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An Infrastructure Summer - 2003
A journey into infrastructure and transportation for elementary school students
Home | Introduction | Roads | Transit | Railroads | Bridges | Airports | Utilities | Waterways
The Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) was pleased to partner with the Country Meadows Montessori School in Gurnee, Illinois in offering an experimental nine-session class about infrastructure to first through sixth graders. The class offered this summer consisted of classroom discussions, projects, and field trips. It is hoped the results of this experimental class will allow the Institute, other elementary schools, and professional organizations to do a better job of teaching young school children what infrastructure is and its importance to modern society.
Institute Director David Schulz began with an introduction to infrastructure, followed by four classes on infrastructure and transportation in each of the school's two summer sessions. Two of the classes were followed by hands-on classroom exercises, and six by field trips to infrastructure facilities. Current plans called for trips to a local road construction project, a ride on Metra transit and on a chartered Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train, and a visit to the Illinois Railway Museum during the first summer session. The class toured the Waukegan airport and learned about waterways and bridge infrastructure on a boat trip on the Chicago River in downtown Chicago during the second session.
The Institute developed this course as an experiment in teaching infrastructure to lower elementary students. Teachers and volunteer parents also participated in the field trips.
Students each received a CD-ROM with photos and other course materials.
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