Career Blade Truck-Driver-Keep-on-Trucking

TRUCK DRIVER: KEEP ON TRUCKING

LESSON PLAN OVERVIEW

Career: Truck drivers deliver goods and materials to and from farms, plants, and manufacturers to stores, distribution centers, and companies that sell these goods

Lesson: This lesson plan provides activities for students to learn about truck drivers and their importance in our everyday lives. Students will create a list of goods they use daily to see how trucking plays a role in delivering those goods, and then write a paragraph on the importance of trucking. Students will then calculate how many miles of trucking are involved to make their favorite pizza.

Grade Level: Middle Grades

Learning Objectives:

〉 Students will be introduced to the career of a truck driver and their importance in our everyday lives.

〉 Students will create a list of goods they use daily and write a paragraph on the importance of trucking in delivering these goods.

〉 Students will research and calculate how many miles of trucking are involved to provide all of the ingredients needed to make their favorite pizza.

Materials Needed:

Activity #1: The Importance of Truck Drivers

〉 Student worksheet

Activity #2: Miles of Trucking

〉 Student worksheet

〉 Computer access 〉 Calculator

TEACHER GUIDE

Lesson Instructions: The following activities will help you introduce students to the career of a truck driver and what they do. Begin the lesson by reading the Class Message below to your students, then have them watch the recommended career video. Afterwards, facilitate discussion using the Class Questions listed below.

After the discussion, students will work on two activities. Each activity has a printable worksheet with student instructions and areas to record their work. Have students read their worksheets before beginning each activity.

You should also familiarize yourself with the student worksheets to provide assistance when needed, help demonstrate any procedures, and help in facilitating the discussion that ends each activity.

Class Message: Today, we are going to learn about truck drivers and their importance in our everyday lives. Without truck drivers, we would not be able to enjoy the things we use every day. Truck drivers carry and deliver practically everything - our food, clothing, mechanical devices, and all of the items in this classroom, including this pencil! Without truck drivers, it would be very difficult to get the things we need to live.

In this lesson, you will focus on the importance of truck drivers by creating a list of goods you use on a daily basis and examine how trucking plays a role in delivering those goods. You will then research and calculate how many miles of trucking are involved to make your favorite pizza.

Let’s watch this short video to learn more about truck drivers.

Truck Driver Career Video (http://tn-caps.com/r/68TDV)

Class Discussion Questions:

〉 What are some of the items you use every day? - Response Suggestions: cell phone, laptop, bookbag, clothes, shoes, etc.

〉 Where do you think these items come from? - Response Suggestions: a store, ordered online, etc.

〉 How do you think those items got to the store or distribution center? - Response Suggestions: delivery person, on a truck, delivered by a truck, etc.

〉 If there were no truck drivers, what would you have to give up? - Allow students to share their thoughts.

Activities Overview: This lesson plan includes two student activities. In Activity #1, students will identify things they use on a daily basis, and then write a paragraph on the importance of trucking in delivering these goods. In Activity #2, students will research and calculate to see how many miles of trucking are involved to provide the ingredients needed to make their favorite pizza.

Read and familiarize yourself with the student worksheet for each activity.

Activity #1: The Importance of Truck Drivers

Students will gain an awareness of the importance of truck drivers by creating a list of the goods they use every day, and then writing a paragraph on the importance of trucking

Activity Instructions:

〉 Hand out the student worksheet.

〉 Introduce the activity and guide students as needed.

〉 After completion, facilitate a discussion using the questions for the activity.

Activity Results: Students learned about the important role of truck drivers in our society. Without truck drivers, many of the things we want or need in our daily lives would be much more difficult to obtain.

Grading: Teacher’s option – there are no right or wrong answers.

Activity Discussion:

〉 What is the one item you couldn’t live without? And what would you do if you could no longer access that item? - Allow students to share their thoughts.

〉 If there were no truck drivers, can you think of some other ways goods and materials can be delivered to your home? - Sample answers may include: car, van, bicycle, motorcycle, etc.

〉 What is the strangest thing you have ever seen being hauled by a truck? - Allow students to share their experience.

Activity #2: Miles of Trucking

Students will learn the importance of truck drivers by researching each ingredient needed to make their favorite pizza. They will then calculate the total miles of trucking required to deliver those ingredients to a local pizza restaurant

Activity Instructions:

〉 Hand out the student worksheet.

〉 Introduce the activity and guide students as needed.

〉 After completion, facilitate a discussion using the questions for the activity.

Grading is by the teacher’s option. There are no right or wrong answers. However, some students will be more detailed than others. Below is an example for one ingredient in the pizza, cheese. Students may add other ingredients and varying amounts of detail.

Activity Results: Students will have an appreciation and awareness of the importance of truck drivers in their daily lives

Ingredient

Activity Discussion:

〉 Did you ever imagine making a pizza could be so involved? - Allow students to share their experience.

〉 How difficult was it to find a producer’s and/or distributor’s location for each ingredient in the pizza? - Allow students to share their experience.

〉 What process did you use to determine the delivery mileage for the ingredients?Allow students to share their experience.

〉 What are some transportation factors that might affect the cost of the ingredients to the restaurant? - Sample answers: delivery distance, fuel costs, trucking regulations, etc.

CAREER INSIGHT

Career Highlight: This lesson plan highlights some of the duties of a truck driver and their role in keeping goods and materials moving throughout the world. See the Employers in My Area section to contact businesses and organizations in your area about classroom demonstrations, on-site visits, or other additional career exposure opportunities

Featured Career:

Truck Driver

Career Descriptions: Heavy and tractortrailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. Most tractor-trailer drivers are long-haul drivers and operate trucks with a total weight exceeding 26,000 pounds for the vehicle, passengers, and cargo. These drivers deliver goods over intercity routes that sometimes span several states.

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers typically do the following:

〉 Drive long distances

〉 Report any incidents encountered on the road to a dispatcher

〉 Follow all applicable traffic laws

〉 Secure cargo for transport, using ropes, blocks, chains, or covers

〉 Inspect their trailers before and after the trip and record any defects they find

〉 Maintain a log of their working hours, following all federal and state regulations

〉 Report serious mechanical problems to the appropriate people

〉 Keep their trucks and associated equipment clean and in good working order

Most heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers’ routes are assigned by a dispatcher, but some independent drivers still plan their own routes. When planning routes, drivers must take into account any road restrictions that prohibit large trucks. Drivers also must plan legally required rest periods into their trip.

Some drivers have one or two routes that they drive regularly, and other drivers take many different routes throughout the country. In addition, some drivers have routes that include Mexico or Canada.

Certain cargo requires drivers to adhere to additional safety regulations. Some heavy truck drivers who transport hazardous materials, such as chemical waste, must take special precautions when driving and may carry specialized safety equipment in case of an accident. Other drivers, such as those carrying liquids, oversized loads, or cars, must follow rules that apply specifically to them.

Other Names for this Career: Truck Driver, Delivery Driver, Line Haul Driver, Tractor Trailer Operator, Driver, Semi Truck Driver, Road Driver, Production Truck Driver, Over the Road Driver (OTR Driver), Log Truck Driver

STANDARDS ALIGNMENT

Activity #1 - THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUCK DRIVERS

English Standards

〉 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing.

〉 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. When reading or writing, explain the function of commas to separate coordinate adjectives and use them correctly to do so.

〉 When writing and speaking, adjust style and tone to a variety of contexts, , vary sentence patterns for meaning.

〉 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

〉 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

〉 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

Activity #2 - MILES OF TRUCKING

Mathematics Standards

〉 Write, read, and evaluate expressions in which variables stand for numbers.

a. Write expressions that record operations with numbers and with variables.

〉 Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set.

〉 Solve real-world and mathematical problems by writing and solving one step equations of the form x + p = q and px = q for cases in which p, q, and x are all nonnegative rational numbers.

〉 Solve multi-step real-world and mathematical problems posed with positive and negative rational numbers presented in any form (whole numbers, fractions, and decimals).

b. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies.

〉 Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities.

School Counseling Model and Standards

〉 Demonstrate critical thinking and decision-making skills to make informed decisions

〉 Communicate effectively using oral, written, and listening communications skills

EDUCATOR RUBRIC

ITEM

Does Not Meet Expectations

Writing with Focus and Organization In response to the task and the stimuli, the writing: contains no or an irrelevant introduction, demonstrates an un clear organizational structure; ideas are hard to follow most of the time and fails to clarify relationships among ideas and concepts.

Language The writing illustrates little to no use of precise language, domain-specific vocabulary and literary techniques, illustrates little to no syntactic variety, and utilizes no or few transitional words and phrases. The writer does not establish or maintain a formal style and an objective tone

Development In response to the task and the stimuli, the writing inadequately or inaccurately explains the evidence provided, demonstrating little understanding of the topic, task, and stimuli

Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations

In response to the task and the stimuli, the writing contains a relevant introduction, utilizes adequate organizational strategies to create a mostly unified whole and to aid in comprehension and clarifies most relationships among ideas and concepts.

The writing illustrates consistent command of syntactic variety for meaning, utilizes appropriate and varied transitional words and phrases and establishes and maintains a formal style and an objective tone.

In response to the task and the stimuli, the writing utilizes relevant and sufficient evidence from the stimuli to adequately develop the topic.

In response to the task and the stimuli, the writing contains an effective and relevant introduction, utilizes effective organizational strategies to create a unified whole and to aid in comprehension, and effectively clarifies relationships among ideas and concepts to create cohesion. Contains an effective and relevant concluding statement.

The writing illustrates consistent and sophisticated command of precise language, domain specific vocabulary, illustrates sophisticated command of syntactic variety for meaning and reader interest effectively establishing and maintaining a formal style and an objective tone.

In response to the task and the stimuli, the writing thoroughly and accurately explains and elaborates on the evidence provided, demonstrating a clear, insightful understanding of the topic, task, and stimuli.

ACTIVITY #1: THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUCK DRIVERS

Introduction: Since the beginning of human history, people have found ways to locate and transport the goods and materials needed for survival. From hunting and gathering to brick and mortar stores and online shopping, people have worked to gain access to the goods and services they need and desire.

Today, we increasingly rely on the convenience of home shopping and delivery. Truck drivers not only deliver items directly to your home, they also deliver just about every raw material, piece, part, and finished product that you can think of to and from farms, manufacturing plants, distribution centers, stores, and other companies that supply and sell these goods.

Due to the high demand for goods and materials, there is a steady need for truck drivers, especially in a good economy. If there are not enough truck drivers, transportation can be disrupted, resulting in significant shipping delays, higher inventory carrying costs, and possible shortages at stores.

Activity Description: Today, you will learn about the importance of truck drivers in our society. Without truck drivers, all of the things we need and depend on in our daily lives would be difficult to obtain.

Activity Procedure:

Create a list of the things (food, clothing, devices, etc.) you use every day. How many of these were transported in a truck at some time?

Keeping in mind what you listed above, write a paragraph on the importance of trucking in your daily life

Activity Discussion:

〉 What is the one item you couldn’t live without? And what would you do if you could no longer obtain it?

〉 If there were no truck drivers, what are some other ways goods and materials could be delivered to the stores you shop in or your home?

〉 What is the strangest thing you have ever seen being transported by a truck?

ACTIVITY #2: MILES OF TRUCKING

Introduction: At one time or another, every single thing that you own or consume, was probably transported by a truck driver. In this activity, you will gain an appreciation of the trucking industry by researching each ingredient needed to make your favorite pizza, and then calculating the total miles driven by truck drivers to deliver those ingredients to your favorite pizza restaurant.

Activity Description: You will research information about each pizza ingredient to answer the question: How many miles of trucking was involved in making your pizza?

Activity Procedure:

Step 1: What is your favorite pizza?

Step 2: List all of the ingredients to make your favorite pizza:

Step 3: Research each ingredient to determine where the item was grown, made, purchased, and how many miles of trucking were required at each stage of the process. (For example, for tomato sauce, find a farm in Tennessee where the tomatoes, herbs, and spices could have been grown. Next, find a produce distributor those ingredients could be shipped to. The ingredients are purchased from the distributor by your local pizza restaurant. How many miles did it take to transport the tomato sauce ingredients from the farm to the restaurant? Repeat these steps for each ingredient needed to make your pizza, then find the total miles driven.)

TOTAL TRUCKING MILES

〉 Did you ever imagine making a pizza could be so involved?

〉 How difficult was it to find a producer’s and/or distributor’s location for each ingredient in the pizza?

〉 What process did you use to determine the delivery mileage for each step in the transportation process?

〉 What are some transportation factors that might affect the cost of these ingredients to the restaurant?