Where Does the Road Go?
Is an East-West Through Maine Feasible?
Developed by: Maine Council for the Social Studies

divider line - brown/gray, with break in the line
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12

The MLR performance indicators listed below are for illustrative purposes. Depending on the focus of the lessons as developed by individual teachers, these indicators may or may not be addressed. Conversely this is not a definitive listing of all of the performance indicators which could be addressed in this lesson.

MLR- Secondary: Geography: A-1, A-2; English/Language Arts: E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4; F-2; G-10, G-11; H-6, H-7, H-8, H-9, H-10, H-11, H-12

 

Task Description

The class should be divided into groups. One group would be identified as the Department of Transportation Committee. Their task would be to research the criteria for building roads, costs of building and prepare a set of questions for the other groups to answer in their presentations. The other groups of students will map a suggested east-west highway route through the state. Students should pay attention to current routes and possible land formations that would pose an additional problem. Students could then research the resources that would be necessary to implement such a project.

Older students could have one additional group looking at the ramifications of such a highway expansion; on the infrastructure, the change in economic bases in the parts of the state affected, and the groups who might oppose such a project.

Student Product/Performance

Students may create a map and prepare a presentation before the Department of Transportation Committee that would be hearing the suggested routes. Older groups might have opposition presentations as well.

Resources

Maine Department of Transportation
    MDOT East-West Highway Study Website
    MDOT Bureau of Planning

Criteria for Evaluation

The  DOT group would be evaluated on their clarity of questions, the logic of their inquiries, the conducting of the hearing, and the soundness of their decision as to which route to follow. The student groups would be measured by their information presented as they describe their proposed route across Maine, their map, or illustration, and that they answered all the DOT group’s questions.