How Can We Get More People on Their Bikes?

Positives

• Students will be challenged to think about the ways that shifting how we get around could have a significant impact on the climate crisis. 
• This podcast focuses on case studies around the world including the Netherlands, France, Colombia, and Uganda. 

Additional Prerequisites

• Before listening, it may be helpful to give students context about the locations highlighted in the podcast. 
• Since the podcast is somewhat lengthy, it may help comprehension to pause at a couple of natural stopping points to summarize what students have heard so far. 
• This podcast switches to climate news at 26:30. 

Differentiation

• It may help students to have a graphic organizer or note-taking guide while listening in order to help organize main ideas and new learning presented in the podcast. 
• This SubjectToClimate lesson plan could be used in science classes to help students compare the environmental impacts of different modes of transportation. 
• Have students watch this Not Just Bikes video and discuss in groups how Paris purposefully transformed its city's bicycle infrastructure. 
• Engineering or design classes could put students in groups to design a project in their cities to change bicycle and transportation infrastructure. 
• Social studies classes could have students work in groups to propose ways to address local governments about why transforming bicycle infrastructure could positively impact the environment. 
• Other related resources include this short video about a protected bike lane pilot program in New York City, this TED Talk about detoxing transportation, and this course about taking personal action.