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LEGISLATORS IN THE CLASSROOM: A LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE SIMULATION PAGE 1 of 1

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LEGISLATORS IN THE CLASSROOM: CHECK OUT MY WHEELS LESSON PLAN PAGE 2 of 2

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For information about civic education resources available from the Wyoming Legislature, please

contact Anthony Sara or Riana Davidson, Legislative Information Officers, Wyoming Legislative Service Office,

Telephone: (307) 777-7881; E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

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A m e r i c a ’ s Le g i s l a t o r s B a c k t o S c h o o l P r o g r a m

F:\AA\LIO Documents\Civic Education and Outreach\Civic Education Programs\Lesson Plans

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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This document provides a quick overview and guide to the Check Out My Wheels lesson plan. A full

description of the lesson and the student handouts are attached.

Age Level for the Lesson

This lesson plan is most appropriate to use with elementary grade students.

Objectives of the Lesson

To suggest to students that in a diverse society such as ours, people have different and conflicting values, interests and priorities.

To develop in students a familiarity with how legislatures try to settle conflicts over values, interests, and priorities by means of deliberation, debate, negotiation, compromise, and majority votes.

To get across the idea that the work of the legislature in trying to resolve differences of opinion in society is a difficult, but important task.

Lesson Overview

1. Describe the objectives of the lesson to the students.

2. Ask the general discussion and introductory questions.

3. Divide the students into four groups (or you can have each student do this exercise on their own and take majority votes). Give the handouts to each group and ask them to discuss and decide on a

position to be reported back to the class about how they would classify each picture. The students

should classify the pictures into the following three categories of similarity: bicycle, skateboard, or

motorcycle. Allow five to ten minutes for this process.


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General Discussion Topics

1. Role of government related to public safety

2. Level of agreement in society

3. Role of legislature to try to settle conflicts

General Discussion Questions

1. Why do we need government?

2. Why do we have rules?

3. What role should government play to keep people safe?

4. Do we all agree on what government should do?

Introductory Questions

1. How many of you have a skateboard?

2. How many of you have a bicycle?

3. How many of you have or have ridden on a motorcycle?

4. Do you wear any protective gear when you ride these things? (e.g. helmet and pads)

5. Do your parents have rules that you must follow when you are riding a skateboard, bicycle, or motorcycle?

Classroom Activity

1. Separate the class into four groups. Give each group a set of handouts. (Or you can let each student review the handouts individually.)

2. Ask them to make a list of how pictures 1 through 5 are similar to or different from each other.

3. Ask the students to categorize each of the pictures into one of the three following categories: bicycle, skateboard, or motorcycle. The purpose of this exercise is to develop classifications to then establish

rules for each of the categories.

4. After about ten minutes, ask the students to present their list and compile all ideas about how the machines are similar to or different from each other onto the board. (You may wish to use a venn

diagram, shown below.)


Bicycle

Skateboard

Motorcycle

5. Briefly discuss “Discussion Questions” 1 and 2 listed below.

6. Have all students vote to determine a “team vote” to decide how each picture will be classified into the following three categories: bicycle, skateboard, or motorcycle.

7. Based on this classification ask the teams to create three rules that will be associated with the safe use of each classification of machine.

8. After deciding, have each team present their classification and rules and discuss “Discussion Questions” 3 through 8.

Discussion Questions

1. Which of these machines are most like bicycles? Which of these machines are most like skateboards? Which of the machines are most like motorcycles? Are any a mix of two or all three?

2. What criteria did you use to decide how to classify each of the pictures? (e.g. whether the object has a motor, number of wheels, operation technique, etc.)

3. How do you think these similarities and differences could complicate the job of trying to classify these machines when creating rules about how you can operate them? (e.g. Can you stand on a

bicycle or a motorcycle when you are riding it? Can you sit and ride a skateboard?)

4. In your opinion, which of these machines should require a license to drive? Which machines should be allowed on roads? Which machines should require protective gear, such as helmets or pads?

Which machines should be allowed to operate at night? Which should have a minimum age required

to operate the machine? (You may have the class vote on each of these questions.)

5. Was this exercise easy? Why? Why not?

6. What did you learn about having to classify a machine or object?

7. How difficult was it to decide as a group what rules should apply to these different machines?

8. How does this exercise relate to the role of government?

9. How does government determine what rules to apply to activities and objects? Is this an easy or difficult task? Why?

10. What role should government play in making sure you are safe when you use these machines?

11. Ask the students their opinions about pictures 6 and7. (This is for fun!)


Conclusion

Summarize how this exercise relates to your job as a legislator, specifically related to the lesson

objectives:

The role of government to help regulate the safety of citizens and the varying views of society about the level to which government should or should not regulate the activities of its citizens.

In a diverse society such as ours, people have different and conflicting values, interests and priorities.

Familiarity with how legislatures try to settle conflicts over values, interests, and priorities by means of deliberation, debate, negotiation, compromise, and majority votes.

The work of the legislature in trying to resolve differences of opinion in society is a difficult, but important task.

Driver’s Licenses, Motorcycles, and Helmet Safety in Wyoming

As you lead the “Dude Check Out My Wheels” lesson plan you may get questions from the students

about current Wyoming law. Below is a research memo the Legislative Service Office Research Staff

prepared about state laws pertaining to driver’s licenses, motorcycles and helmet safety in Wyoming.

Questions

1. How old must a person be to receive a learner’s permit (instructional driver’s license)?

2. How old must a person be to receive a motorcycle classification on their driver’s license?

3. What are the definitions of a motorcycle, moped, and off-road vehicle?

4. What is Wyoming’s law with regard to safety helmets on motorcycles?

Answers 1. According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), learner's permits may be issued to a

person that is age 14 years and older to assist in the learning process. Generally, learner’s permits

are issued for one year at a time, and may be renewed. If issued a learner’s permit, the person

must hold that permit for a minimum of 10 days before the person is eligible to apply for full

driving privileges. An intermediate permit must be held a minimum of six months before the

person is eligible to apply for full driving privileges. Full driving privileges are allowed at age

17, even if the person has never held a permit.

2. According to W.S. 31-7-110(b):

Any person at least fifteen (15) years of age may apply to the division for a

motorcycle instruction permit. The division, after the applicant has successfully

passed a written examination and a vision test may issue to the applicant an

instruction permit which entitles the applicant to drive a motorcycle for a period of

ninety (90) days without a passenger. If the applicant also passes a driving test, the

division may issue an instruction permit which entitles the applicant to drive a

motorcycle for a period of one (1) year, without a passenger. The motorcycle

instruction permit for a person who is under seventeen (17) years of age shall be

subject to restricted hours of operation as provided in W.S. 31-7-110(h)(ii)(B)

through (E).

Otherwise, full driving privileges are allowed at age 17, even if the person has never held a permit. This

could include the addition of a motorcycle classification to the driver’s license.


3. According to W.S. 31-1-101(E) a motorcycle is defined as:

"Motorcycle" means every motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of the

rider and designed to travel on not more than three (3) wheels in contact with the

ground but which may have attached thereto a sidecar for the purpose of transporting

a single passenger. For the purpose of registration and titling "motorcycle" includes

motorized bicycles and scooters, but excludes mopeds, motorized skateboards,

multipurpose vehicles and off-road recreational vehicles as defined in subparagraph

(K) of this paragraph;

According to W.S. 31-1-101(C) a moped is defined as:

"Moped" means a vehicle equipped with two (2) or three (3) wheels, foot pedals to

permit muscular propulsion by human power, an automatic transmission and a motor

with cylinder capacity not exceeding fifty (50) cubic centimeters producing no more

than two (2) brake horsepower, which motor is capable of propelling the vehicle at a

maximum speed of no more than thirty (30) miles per hour on a level road surface;

According to W.S. 31-1-101(K) (I-III) an off-road vehicle is defined as:

(I) A recreational vehicle primarily designed for off-road use which is fifty (50)

inches or less in width, has an unladen weight of nine hundred (900) pounds or less

and is designed to be ridden astride upon a seat or saddle and to travel on at least

three (3) low pressure tires. A "low pressure tire" is a pneumatic tire at least six (6)

inches in width, designed for use on wheels with a rim diameter of twelve (12) inches

or less and having a manufacturer's recommended operating pressure of ten (10)

pounds per square inch or less;

(II) Any unlicensed motorcycle which has an unladen weight of six hundred (600)

pounds or less and is designed to be ridden off road with the operator astride upon a

seat or saddle and travels on two (2) tires; and

(III) Any multi-wheeled motorized vehicle not required by law to be licensed and is

designed for cross-country travel on or over land, sand, snow, ice or other natural

terrain and which has an unladen weight of more than nine hundred (900) pounds.

4. Motorcyclists or riders under the age of 18 must wear a protective safety helmet,

as identified in W.S. 31-5-115(o):

No minor shall operate or ride nor shall the operator permit a minor to ride upon a

motorcycle unless he is wearing protective headgear securely fastened on his head,

and of a type which complies with standards established by the superintendent. This

subsection does not apply to persons riding within an enclosed cab nor to persons

operating or riding a moped. This subsection only applies to motorcycles used on public

highways, streets and thoroughfares.


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Please categorize the pictures in the handouts on the following pages into one of the three categories shown below:

Category 1: Most Similar to a Bicycle

Category 2: Most Similar to a Skateboard

Category 3: Most Similar to a Motorcycle




Picture Number 1

(In-line skate)

Please check the category below that you would use to classify this picture:

Category 1 (bicycle)

Category 2 (skateboard)

Category 3 (motorcycle




Picture Number 2

(Non-Motorized Scooter)








Picture Number 3

(Pocket bike)








Picture Number 4

(Motorized scooter)








Picture Number 5

(Motorized skateboard)








Which categories should require a license to drive? (Check all that apply)



Category 3 (motorcycle)

Which should require protective gear, such as helmets or pads? (Check all that apply)




Which categories should be allowed on roads? (Check all that apply)




Which categories should be allowed to operate at night? (Check all that apply)




Which should have a minimum age to operate the machine? (Check all that apply)




What should the minimum age be to operate the machine? ______________




Picture Number 6

Should adults be allowed to ride kid’s bicycles?




Picture Number 7

Should dogs be allowed to skateboard?

Tyson the Skateboarding Bulldog

http://www.skateboardingbulldog.com/

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