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TEACHER INFORMATION
Red Light or Green Light? Regulating Bangkok's Traffic
Students investigate Bangkok's urban transport, examine and assess the range of variables affecting its development and recommend transport options for efficient and comfortable movement around the city. The approach of this unit can be adapted to studies of urban planning and traffic movement in all cities.
Student Activity
An Introduction to Bangkok and Traffic Issues
Teacher Notes | Student WorksheetExploring Solutions to Bangkok's Traffic Problems
Teacher Notes | Student WorksheetThe Cost of Increasing Traffic
Teacher Notes | Student Worksheet
Key Studies of Society and Environment Strands
- Place and space
- Resources
Outcomes
By the end of this unit, students will be better able to:
- use supporting evidence to argue a case
- explain how and why people's use of transport in Bangkok has changed over time
- identify and explain the factors which have contributed to a number of problems associated with travel in Bangkok
- identify causes of conflict regarding efficient urban travel and negotiate solutions.
Here are some additional activities for teachers to consider using in this unit. In all cases where reference is made to a website teachers should decide whether to download the material and duplicate it for students, or whether to allow students to access the websites themselves.
An Introduction to Bangkok and Traffic Issues
If students have not already studied any other units on Thailand, or Bangkok in particular, it is worthwhile undertaking an introductory exercise such as the Introducing Thailand activity sheet in 'Tourism in Thailand', or this activity on Bangkok.
From this a range of key ideas, themes or images are likely to emerge about Bangkok, such as:
- busy tourist city
- shopping
- size
- the 'Venice of the East'
- contrast between rich and poor.
'Traffic problems' is almost certain to be one of the ideas or images raised. This can lead into a consideration of how any large city, including Bangkok, deals with traffic problems.
Their responses might be based on the Internet sources listed at the end of the activity sheet, media reporting, video documentaries, travel books, postcards or accounts of people who have visited Thailand. This can be set as homework or a research project.
Students are referred to an American geography student's project on Bangkok's traffic problems. They can access parts of or the whole project as a source of information. For example, Sabina's short overview of the development of Bangkok is a useful supplement to the information on Resource Sheet 4 on pages 54-6 of A Thai Journey, and could be downloaded and distributed to students.
The analysis of Sabina's project also encourages students to consider how to deal with research material and present reports.
Exploring Solutions to Bangkok's Traffic Problems
Students are divided into groups of five, and each member studies one of five proposed solutions to Bangkok's traffic problems. They then report back to their groups so that end each member of the class has detailed information on each of the five solutions.
The Cost of Increasing Traffic
Students are asked to locate additional sources of information on the Internet to assist them to explore traffic issues. For example, students will see that the greatest rate of increase has been in the number of accidents, and the cost of damage caused. Students can speculate on the implications of this. Perhaps they will conclude that cars are moving more slowly and crashing more frequently, but causing damage to property rather than people.
Teachers may want to invite a science or chemistry teacher into class to explain the various pollutants that can be traced, and to discuss what is an acceptable level of pollution.
Curriculum Corporation and the University of MelbourneThe URL for this page is: http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/thailand/trafinfo.htm
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