Some children never travel on a train or bus, yet transport, both in its modern and historical forms, actually fascinates them as a topic for study and visits.
* Consider in advance the history of the transport they will be studying: 19th century railways; early cars, buses and bicycles with solid tyres and a bone-rattling ride.
* Look at pictures which show the evolution of the form of transport (eg, the way that early cars developed from horse and cart). Discuss its impact on the locality (mass transport, opening up of remote areas, cities growing rapidly as masses poured in).
* Fid out before the trip if there are any ‘rides’. Children are very disappointed if they think they will get a ride in something, but then discover they can’t even touch it.
* Create a class project book, every individual or group to research their own angle or topic, with pictures, written contributions, begun in class before the visit, but then finished off with lively accounts of what was seen and photos people took.
* Create a story based on a ‘human’ version of one of the vehicles, like Thomas the Tank Engine (Tanya the Tramcar?); improvise and perform a playlet based on it.
