Interviews

Background Information

Where people go and how they got there differs based on personal and demographic characteristics including age and location. In this activity, students interview people of different ages in their local areas to learn what transportation means to them.

Student Activities

1. Select three people you know to interview.

a. Choose from these different groups:

• elderly

• parents

• peers

• friends

• older teens (driving age if you are not yet of driving age)

• younger teens (if you are already of driving age)

b. Develop interview questions based on what it means for this person to get around in your town. Possibilities include:

-Amount of driving:

• hours and minutes
• miles

-How they feel about:

• driving
• walking
• biking
• carpooling
• taking a bus

-Others:

• How they get to work and school
• Whether their habits can make a difference
• How they would respond if they were your age

c. Interview the person and record his/her responses.

2. Discuss interviews with other students in your class.

-How are their responses related to their perceptions of:

• safety
• convenience
• environmental pollution
• their physical condition
• speed
• weather
• cost
• their need for excitement

-Compare and contrast:

• What similarities did you find in the people you interviewed?
• What differences did you find?
• What do you believe the differences are based on?
• How dependent are different groups on the car for getting places?

-Summarize responses.

-Draw conclusions regarding demographic groups.

-Make recommendations for changing attitudes to voluntarily limit the number of trips; i.e. vehicle miles traveled (VMT).

Teacher Notes

Discuss the interviews in class.

Students may simply take notes or write reports depending on the teacher's preference:

• If done as a class assignment, notes may be acceptable.
• If done independently, a report is probably preferable.

Students will recognize that getting places in their town has different meanings for people in different demographic groups:

• The car does not have the same importance for all groups. Younger drivers may consider it more important than others.

Environmental attitudes may vary with age:

• Adolescents often have the most positive environmental attitudes.
• Driving teens often have the weakest environmental attitudes.
• Adults and elders may be mixed; it may be interesting to discover what their attitudes were when they were young: Are they consistent throughout life?

Alternative means of transportation should be examined for their potential importance for students in this age groups.

The concept of demographic groups many need to be explained before starting this module.

Interdisciplinary Approach: Earth Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies.