Freight Train
"A train runs across this track..."
Freight Train by Donald Crews
A book review for this book can be found by clicking the link.
Read this book together as a class using the big book format, if possible. Discuss the vocabulary words such as... steam engine, tender, box car, tank car, gondola car, caboose, cattle car, trestle, etc. Compare freight trains and passenger trains. Talk about how the wheels fit onto the track. (The children are always curious as to why the train doesn't just fall off.) Discuss railroad safety and how it is dangerous to play near railroad tracks, etc.
The Burlington Northern Railroad provides railroad safety info. for our area. Check with the railroad in your area to see if they have any promotional material on railroad safety.
In the anthology, From Sea to Shining Sea, published by Scholastic there are several railroading stories, songs and poems to use as read alouds. The story of "Casey Jones" should be preread by the teacher to determine its appropriateness in your class setting, since it has a tragic ending.
The dedication page of Freight Train refers to pieces of railroading history and railroading legends. This page also refers to "the countless freight trains passed and passing the big house in Cottondale". This house is Donald Crews' grandmother's house. A trip to his grandmother's on a passenger train, to "Big Mama's" as she is called, is featured in another book by Donald Crews, Big Mama. This story is an excellent complement to the unit and serves as a way to get to know the author, since it is autobiographical in nature. It is also published by Scholastic.
Another big book that goes along with this unit is I've Been Working on the Railroad, which is published by The Wright Group and is part of their "Song Box" collection. It has a cassette tape that goes with it.
Also, use the text of Freight Train to focus on recognizing the capital and lowercase g and its corresponding sound. There are many words that begin with g in the book... green, gondola, going, gone, etc. Write G and g on cards and match them to the letters in the book. Say words, some of which begin with /g/ and the children indicate by showing thumbs up or thumbs down if the word begins with /g/. In a center, provide student-size copies of the book and they can copy words which contain G or g onto green paper or by using a green crayon to underline the letter g. For other activities dealing with the letter G try this site: A World of Kindergartens
Freight Train can also be used for matching and recognizing color words. Write the color words contained in the story on cards and match them to the text. Studying color words seems to invariably lead into discussions on rainbows. If you take off on this tangent try these links:
(It is not "kid friendly" sites as far as early childhood goes, but they are good information.)
Make a freight train display in our hallway as an art activity. Each student begins with a half a sheet of construction paper (pass out assorted colors for a more interesting display). They add 2 black circles for wheels. Then they look through catalogs for something that their box car is transporting. When they make their selections, they cut them out and glue them on their box cars. Then using inventive spelling, they write the name of the item underneath it. All the box cars are taped to the wall like a freight train. Add a black tender and steam engine to the front and a caboose to the back. Post the words "Freight Train" coming out of the steam engine as if it were smoke.
Finally, here is a terrific web site for photos and even live webcams at various railroad stations across the country. I know that my class would love this!!!
These ideas were originally published in Kindergarten Kafe' in the April/May 1998 issue. Kindergarten Kafe' is an online newsletter published five times yearly.
© 1997 againes@netins.net
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