Let's Move: Identifying Modes of

Transportation
Preschool

by Rekha Mundkur October 12, 2015

Choo-choo! Your students will enjoy this matching game of different modes of transportation. They will learn to
differentiate between air, water, and ground transportation vehicles.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to identify different modes of transportation and the vehicles used for each mode.
Students will learn about the uniqueness and similarity of the different vehicles.

Materials and preparation Key terms

Modes of Transportation by Yael Rosenberg and vehicles

Sarah Mazor or other book about transportation transportation
Toy models of different vehicles, such as a
plane, train, and car (at least 6 per group)
Pictures or drawings of clouds, ocean, and
ground (1 set per group)
Index cards for names of vehicles, such as
plane, train and car (1 set per group)
Pictures of vehicles already in the clouds,
ocean, or ground
Markers
Paper

Introduction (10 minutes)

Sing "Wheels on the Bus" with your students.

To mix it up, add "Planes in the Sky" or "Boats on the River" to the song. Remind your students that
people can get from one place to another through the air or above water, too.
Tell them that vehicles are used for moving from one place to another. Explain that people use vehicles
as transportation, or as ways to move around.
Ask them to name different vehicles, such as cars, planes, and trains.
Now, ask them where they see these vehicles. For example, cars move on the ground.

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (10 minutes)

Gather your students together.

Read Modes of Transportation by Yael Rosenberg and Sarah Mazor or another book about transportation.
Show them the different toy models of vehicles and the pictures of the cloud, ground, and water. Lay
these across the floor.
Place the vehicles on the appropriate picture.
Show them by placing a car on the ground picture, an airplane on the cloud picture, and a boat on the
ocean picture.

Guided Practice (10 minutes)

Give your students turns to choose a vehicle and place them on the matching pictures to show if they are
land, water, or air transportation vehicles.

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

 Ask them to look for similarities in the vehicles.
Show them the written names of each vehicle.
Encourage them to try on their own and also match the words.
Observe and provide assistance as needed.

Independent working time (10 minutes)

Give your students the opportunity to work in groups or pairs.

Pass out sets of toys, index cards, and pictures to each group.
Instruct them to read the words and match them to the vehicles.
At the end of this section, ask the students to put the vehicles, pictures, and the picture words away.
Bring them back for review of the lesson.

Related books and/or media

Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry

Differentiation

Enrichment: Instruct your students to write the names of the vehicles on paper, and have them draw a
picture where all three vehicles are present.
Support: Print out sample pictures of the vehicles already in the air, ground, or water to show them in
context. Show your students these pictures, and leave them out while the students complete the activity.

Assessment (5 minutes)

During group time, check to see if your students are correctly matching the vehicles to the mode of
transportation.

Review and closing (5 minutes)

Show pictures of the vehicles again, and ask the students to say their names.
Review the names of the modes of transportation.

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/