Students investigate how people can cross mountains in ways that are safer for nature than late-1800s coal-burning steam travel. They compare routes and transportation options such as trains, roads, and other cleaner choices by studying maps, simple models, and evidence about pollution, safety, cost, noise, and travel time. Through questions from an environmental engineer, train representatives, and a transportation historian, students build and revise a mountain travel model and route display that explains which solution best protects Earth’s resources while meeting travel needs. The learning experience prepares students to share and defend their thinking with families, peers, and school staff at a public expo.

Students will investigate how mountains affect travel, weather, and safety, and use maps and simple models to compare routes over or around a mountain. They will gather and compare evidence about steam engines, trains, roads, and other travel options, including fuel use, pollution, noise, cost, and travel time, to answer the question of how people can cross mountains with less pollution. Working with ideas from the environmental engineer, train representatives, and historian, students will design and revise a mountain travel model and route display that meets clear criteria and constraints. They will also practice collaboration, presentation, and reflection by explaining which option is cleaner for nature and safer for people at the Mountain Travel Expo.

Students will create ongoing artifacts including route comparison charts, labeled mountain maps, quick sketch-and-share reflections after partner visits, and simple test models of two travel ideas. Teams will build and revise a final mountain travel model and route display that compares a late-1800s steam engine, train, road, and other cleaner options using evidence about pollution, safety, cost, noise, and travel time. They will also prepare a short before-and-after comparison piece showing which option is cleaner for nature and how ideas changed after learning from the engineer, historian, and train representatives. For the Mountain Travel Expo, students will present their display to families, peers, older students, and staff and include a self-assessment of both their product and participation.

Kick off with “Coming Around the Mountain” as students watch short clips or hear sounds of a late-1800s steam engine climbing mountain routes, then examine photos, simple maps, and a model mountain to notice smoke, steep slopes, weather, tunnels, and safety challenges. Invite the Mt. Hood train representative or ODOT historian to share how people have crossed mountains over time, then ask students the guiding question: What kinds of vehicles or routes could help us cross the mountains while using less pollution? In teams, students test toy vehicles on different mountain path setups and sort picture cards of travel options by “more pollution/less pollution,” creating an initial comparison chart they will revisit after meeting the OSU environmental engineer and coastal train representative. End with a quick sketch-and-share where each student draws the cleanest or safest travel idea they currently think could work and explains why.

Host a Mountain Travel Expo where parents, other students, older student buddies, and staff rotate through team displays of mountain travel models and route maps comparing steam engines, trains, roads, and cleaner options. Each team gives a short presentation explaining which route or vehicle causes less pollution, how mountains affect safety and travel, and what they learned from the OSU environmental engineer, Mt. Hood train, coastal train representative, and ODOT historian. Visitors use a simple feedback sheet or voting card to choose the cleanest route for people and nature and ask questions before teams make one last small revision. Include student reflection at the event with a self-assessment of product quality, teamwork, and how their thinking changed from the beginning of the project.