"How We Move Goods" Cards

In the United States, 17,824,281 thousand tons of freight are moved each year. This is worth 2.3 billion male adult elephants in weight! How do goods—the food we eat, the medicine we need, the clothes we wear, the entertainment we use—get where they need to be? When and why is a particular mode used? Did your shoes come by cargo ship from abroad or by train across the country? How do these modes differ by capacity, speed, and emissions? Explore the "How We Move Goods" Cards to investigate and consider the answers to these questions and more.

Each "How We Move Goods" Card represents a mode of transportation and tells a story of how people move goods. The image and facts on the card provide more information about that specific mode, including how much it can carry, how far it can move in a day, and if/how it pollutes the environment.

Through investigation and discussion of the cards, students can explore different modes of transportation, identify patterns, and deepen their understanding about how goods are moved. Using the images, facts, and descriptions, students can identify patterns, categories, and sequence the cards by history, speed, and pollution.

Age group: 6-11 years old.

This learning tool was created in partnership with the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA).