Transportation Teacher's Guide

Throughout time, Iowans have navigated the state, country and world by a variety of methods. Waterways, railways and roadways play a major role in this transportation. Being roughly in the middle of the United States of America, Iowa has become an important part of our nation’s transportation network. This is true for the interstate highway system we have today, but also for methods of transportation used in the past; like railways and the two major waterways in our country, the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

Iowa Core Standards

Social Studies

• SS.4.19: Explain influences on the development and decline of different modes of transportation in U.S. regions. 

Discussion Questions

1. How have people traveled from place to place throughout history?
2. What do you know about Iowa’s landforms and waterways that could make it easier or more difficult to move from place to place?
3. Why do you think rivers were more important for transportation of goods and people earlier in Iowa’s history than more recently?
4. How do you think the increase in railroad transportation changed the way that people moved from place to place in Iowa?
5. Why do you think a railroad line was so important to small Iowa towns in the mid to late 1800s?
6. What do you think led to the decline of railroad travel in Iowa?
7. How do you think that roads have changed over time?
8. How do you think paved roads have increased people’s ability to travel?

Suggested Activities

• Visit a local museum: Iowa is full of transportation history, much of which is told by county historical societies and local museums. Search for your county’s historical society to discover local transportation-related resources.
• Benefits of New Railroads for Iowa: This activity from PBS LearningMedia has students examine two railroad poster ads from the 1800s, ultimately creating their own poster promoting railroad travel from Iowa to the Pacific or Atlantic coasts. 
• Historical Iowa Transportation Maps: Consider these Iowa DOT maps with your students. What changes or developments do they notice? To what might they attribute these changes? 
• GIS (Geographic Information System): Travel today is marked by the use of a GPS, often by utilizing a smartphone’s GPS feature. This activity from National Geographic will help students understand the data behind the GPS that allows it to work properly. 

Additional Resources

• Innovation in Transportation: This resource from the State Historical Society of Iowa outlines how the modes of transportation by water, rail and road have changed over time using primary resources.
• The Mississippi River of Song: The Mississippi River was a hub of commerce and culture before the prominence of railroads and highways. Incorporate the arts into your teaching and learning by exploring the music that developed along the Mighty Mississippi.
• Rail Resources: Union Pacific provides several resources for kids at a variety of ages to support learning about railroads. 
• The Lincoln Highway: This resource from the US DOT contains background information about the Lincoln Highway, a primary road for the nation that runs through Iowa.