Roads and Infrastructure: Supporting Travel

Active learning helps Year 1 children grasp the purpose and changes in roads by letting them build, compare, and discuss real examples. Hands-on activities make abstract ideas like durability and speed tangible as students create models, handle historical photos, and take on roles from the past.

• Year 1
• History
• 4 activities
• 20 min–35 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify key differences between historical and modern road construction materials and techniques.
2. Compare the types of vehicles that used roads in the past versus those that use roads today.
3. Explain the importance of roads and bridges for connecting communities and facilitating trade.
4. Classify different types of infrastructure that support various modes of transport.

Document Mystery

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Small Groups: Model Road Construction

Provide trays with sand and sticks for old dirt roads, plus playdough or cardboard for modern tarmac bridges. Groups build paths, add toy vehicles or carts, and test for bumps or speed. They record one difference in a class chart.

Prepare & details

What do you notice about how roads were built a long time ago?

Facilitation Tip: During Model Road Construction, circulate and ask each group to explain their choices of materials to uncover their thinking about strength and durability.

Setup: Groups at tables with document sets

Materials: Document packet (5-8 sources), Analysis worksheet, Theory-building template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Document Mystery

⏱ 25 min·Whole Class

Whole Class: Interactive Timeline

Display photos of past and present roads on a long paper timeline. Children add sticky notes with labels like 'bumpy tracks' or 'fast motorways' in order. Discuss as a group why changes happened.

Prepare & details

How are roads today different from roads in the past?

Facilitation Tip: While making the Interactive Timeline, pause each pair to explain their placement of an event to clarify sequencing and cause-and-effect.

Setup: Groups at tables with document sets

Materials: Document packet (5-8 sources), Analysis worksheet, Theory-building template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Document Mystery

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Pairs: Photo Hunt and Compare

Pairs examine paired images of old and new roads or bridges. They circle differences, such as materials or vehicles, then share one finding with the class. Extend by drawing their street now and long ago.

Prepare & details

Why do you think having good roads is important for people?

Facilitation Tip: In Photo Hunt and Compare, listen for pairs to use phrases like ‘smoother’ or ‘wider’ to describe differences between old and new roads.

Setup: Groups at tables with document sets

Materials: Document packet (5-8 sources), Analysis worksheet, Theory-building template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Document Mystery

⏱ 30 min·Individual

Individual: Journey Role-Play

Each child draws a simple map with old and new road options. They role-play a trip using props, noting time taken on bumpy vs smooth paths. Share stories in a circle.

Prepare & details

What do you notice about how roads were built a long time ago?

Facilitation Tip: During Journey Role-Play, note which students slow their movements for carts and which speed up for cars to assess understanding of travel efficiency.

Setup: Groups at tables with document sets

Materials: Document packet (5-8 sources), Analysis worksheet, Theory-building template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should use concrete comparisons to build understanding, avoiding abstract explanations without visual or tactile anchors. Focus on small, observable changes first, like surface materials, before introducing broader impacts on communities. Encourage talk that connects past and present, using everyday language children already use to describe roads they know.

What to Expect

Children will describe how roads have changed over time and explain why strong infrastructure matters for daily life. They will compare materials, surfaces, and vehicles while using evidence from photos and models to support their ideas.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Model Road Construction, watch for students who assume all roads should feel bumpy because past roads looked rough in pictures.

What to Teach Instead

Prompt groups to test their models by rolling toy carts and cars over them, asking which surface feels safer or faster. Encourage them to adjust materials based on what they feel and observe.

Common Misconception

During Journey Role-Play, listen for students who say smooth roads do not matter for travel.

What to Teach Instead

Have students act out delivering a heavy basket on a bumpy road versus a smooth one, timing each trip and discussing why communities would want smoother roads for goods and people.

Common Misconception

During Interactive Timeline, watch for students who place all road changes close together in time.

What to Teach Instead

Ask students to explain why some events, like Roman roads, happened long ago while others, like tarmac, are more recent. Use arrows or spacing to show gaps in time as they place images.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Photo Hunt and Compare, show two images: one historical and one modern road. Ask students to point to one difference and explain why it matters for travel.

Discussion Prompt

During Model Road Construction, ask each group: ‘What would happen if your road got rained on?’ Listen for answers that mention damage, puddles, or safety to assess if they understand durability.

Exit Ticket

After Journey Role-Play, give each student a sheet with two columns labeled ‘Old Road’ and ‘New Road’. Ask them to draw one vehicle that uses each and write one word to describe how it travels.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to design a road that works for both a cart and a car, using limited materials to test their ideas.
• Scaffolding: Provide labeled images of road materials (e.g., cobbles, tarmac, dirt) for students to match during the Photo Hunt activity.
• Deeper exploration: Have students research and present one ancient road, such as a Roman road, and describe how it was built and why it lasted.

Key Vocabulary

Cobblestone	A natural stone, typically rounded, used for paving roads in the past. Cobblestone roads were bumpy and uneven compared to modern surfaces.
Tarmac	A smooth, black surface material made from tar and gravel, commonly used for modern roads. It allows for faster and safer travel.
Cart track	A simple path or road worn down by the passage of carts, often made of dirt or mud. These were common before paved roads were widely built.
Bridge	A structure built to span a physical obstacle, such as a river or valley, allowing people and vehicles to cross. Bridges have evolved from simple wooden structures to complex engineering feats.
Infrastructure	The basic physical systems of a country or region, such as roads, bridges, and tunnels, that support transport and travel.