The Trains That Killed an Airline - Italian HSR
Videos
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Economics, Engineering
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Provided by Not Just Bikes
What it is
- This video shows how high-speed trains are competing with domestic air travel in Italy.
- Students will hear a firsthand account of what it is like to travel on one of Italy's high-speed trains, which are better for the environment and more comfortable and convenient for passengers.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The video contains labeled chapters or segments that make it easy to jump to a specific part of the video.
- Students who live in places that do not have high-speed trains will find this insider's view particularly interesting.
- The video description offers links to articles that are mentioned in the video.
Prerequisites
- This video begins with an advertisement.
- The video discusses train speeds in kilometers per hour, so students who are unfamiliar with the metric system may wish to convert the speeds to miles per hour.
- The video does not explain the difference in carbon emissions between trains and airplanes.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Math classes can research the average speed for airplanes, high-speed trains, regular trains, and cars and practice calculating percentages (e.g., airplanes can travel x% faster than cars).
- Economics classes can research how Italy's mix of state-owned and private-owned train companies impacts the railway industry.
- To help students understand the environmental benefits of reduced air travel, teachers can implement the lesson Airplanes and Climate Change.
- Other resources on this topic include this article from NOAA about the role aviation plays in climate change and this report on greenwashing in the aviation industry.
From the scientist review
This video presents a valid case of switching to high-speed trains to save costs on air travel and reduce the carbon footprint from the transport sector. This is a case study in Italy and if replicated in other regions, it will reduce average CO2 levels globally from air transportation. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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