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Let’s Connect 

Our Community

Discover the importance of a well-connected 

transportation network and learn about designs that can 

create safe crossings for people walking. Creating and 

improving neighborhood networks with street and trail 

crossings will show students how we can be intentional 

about improving access to destinations for all people.

Supplies

▸ Markers, pencils, colored pencils

(including white)

▸ Construction paper

▸ Envelopes (multiple sizes/colors if possible -

students can lift the flap to create the outline of

a building with a roof, then decorate)

▸ Kraft tape (easiest option for trails)

▸ Materials that students will build their

neighborhood upon (i.e., neighborhood

foundation) (choose one):

▸ Paper grocery bags

▸ Shoe boxes (reach out to a local shoe

retailer for extras)

▸ Glue sticks

▸ Scissors

▸ Packing tape

▸ Bag/basket/box

▸ Optional: Simple stickers (stars, dots, etc.)

▸ Optional: toy people, toy cars/buses/bicycles

(different sizes/styles are fine—this reminds

students that streets are for people and

interactions).

Supplemental Materials Provided

▸ Handout: building permit.

▸ Visual aid: PowerPoint file with 5-10 images of

pedestrian crossing treatments.

▸ Visual aid: PowerPoint file with 4 sample street

network layouts. Option to print/laminate.

(reference item for Activity Parts 1 and 5).

▸ Handout: neighborhood checklist prompts

(2 per sheet).

▸ Handout: cut-outs for road segment, refuge

island, 4-way intersection, T-intersection,

crosswalks, and roundabout.

Audience: 

Suitable for all ages

Format: Workshop style 

activity (1-2 hours) with a 

relatively small group 

(8-20 students).

FHWA-SA-20-088

STEM Lessons for Pedestrian Safety: Let’s Connect Our Community
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Introduction to Concept and Activity

These concepts should be reinforced by the lesson leader the during activities.

▸ It is easier to get around a community when streets, sidewalks, and trails are connected to each

other and make a complete network.

▸ The road network doesn’t have to be the same as the walking network (trails!), but people walking and

bicycling need to have safe, convenient place to travel along and cross streets.

▸ The quality, type, and number of connections and crossings greatly affect how well we can move

through the community by car, bike, bus, train, or on foot. Missing or poor connections can make

it difficult for people to reach places they need to go, or want to go, throughout the community.

Missing connections can also create safety problems.

Greetings and Icebreaker (5 minutes) Activity Part 1 (15 minutes): Depending on 

the size of the group, each individual student 

or small group picks an important community 

destination(s) from the bag/basket/box and 

chooses an intersection and at least one road 

segment (or multiple) to work with. Students then 

receive a “neighborhood foundation” and are 

issued their building permit. 

To Do in Advance

 Visit and access the space where the activity

will be taking place and ensure that necessary

furniture will be in place. Decide if you will/can

use computer projection.

 Confirm expected number of students to

determine how to structure the activity:

• Expecting 8-10: start Activity Part 1 individually

(each will choose an intersection, a few street

segments, and 1-2 “community destinations”).

• Expecting 10+: students start Activity Part 1

in groups of 2-3.

 Compile and print images (clip art/stock

photo) of important “community destinations” 

relevant to the students. Examples: school

for each age group, daycare, grocery store,

library, regional park, neighborhood park,

museum, and bus station.

 Print handouts

(checklist could be printed on stock paper).

 If not using computer projection:

• Print PowerPoint slides with images of

crosswalks at different types of crossings.

• Print a few copies of the PowerPoint slides with

street networks as a reference for student groups. 

 Deconstruct/cut the paper grocery bags or

shoe boxes to make similarly sized cross-shaped

bases (i.e., crossroads that mimic intersections

with streets extending on each side).

 Divide materials up into correct amount for

each student group and organize each group’s

materials into a separate box or bag.

 Review “The Why and How Behind the

Concepts” in the Primer.

 Before event starts:

• Make sure space is clear and set up for activity.

• Set up each table with supplies for each

group (specific materials for the activity

including “neighborhood foundation,” 

markers, construction paper, envelopes).

STEM Lessons for Pedestrian Safety: Let’s Connect Our Community
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Sample discussion:

Today we are gathered to create a connected 

neighborhood where people can get around 

easily and safely. There will be lots of important 

places like homes, a school, a library, and more. 

It is your job to make sure people have a way 

to travel between these places. Keep in mind 

the different ways that people travel (walking, 

biking, driving, or taking the bus). Before we get 

started, the city wants to make sure you have a 

plan for your part of the neighborhood. Use your 

building permit to draw what you plan to build.

Remind students that they need to incorporate 

their important community destination, but should 

add other elements like homes, shops, green 

spaces with trees, street signs, bus stops, sidewalks, 

and fun places like a swimming pool or a skate 

park. Encourage them to choose street names 

or a name for their neighborhood. This is just a 

simple drawing; they will have time next to build!

Activity Part 2 (20-25 minutes): Students bring 

up their drawing to have it inspected and have 

their building permit “approved” then get to work 

drawing and building on their “neighborhood 

foundation.” Students should start by gluing or 

taping down their intersection and/or street(s).

Optional: Assign the role of “building inspector” 

to a student volunteer. Or invite a special guest 

for the role of mayor (i.e., principal, parent, local 

elected official). Students could present their 

ideas to the mayor or the mayor could simply 

sign/stamp/use stickers to approve the permits.

Activity Part 3 (15 minutes): Call the student 

groups together and ask them each to spend a 

minute explaining how they designed their street 

and what is around it, including a name for their 

piece of the neighborhood. 

Next, ask the students to “lay out” their pieces of 

neighborhood to create a connected community. 

Encourage students to assess the layout and talk 

about which destinations might need to be closer 

together before making the final decision to tape 

the segments together (using packing tape).

Activity Part 4 (5-10 minutes): Pick a few 

pairs of destinations and ask students how the trip 

might be different for someone walking versus 

for someone traveling in a car (Optional: use toy 

people and cars as props to create scenarios). 

Ask questions: What could make the trip shorter/

easier for someone walking? What about 

someone using wheelchair? Use PowerPoint 

slides to show how crosswalks can be used at 

intersections or between intersections. 

Sample discussion:

Refuge islands can give people a place to rest/

look again before completing their crossing. 

Some communities use trails/paths to provide a 

network for people walking. This can shorten the 

distance they have to travel between certain 

destinations. 

Optional: Ask students to measure the distance 

between a few key pairs of destinations. Ask them 

to measure again after Part 5 and then calculate 

the ratio. 

Activity Part 5 (15-25 minutes): Make 

available a limited number of crosswalks and trail 

segments (ideally, Kraft tape, but you could use a 

wide ribbon, masking tape, strips of paper, etc.) to 

improve the network for people walking. Students 

must work together to decide how to place these 

items in a way that will benefit the most residents. 

Students may refer to their checklist to assess 

how equitably improvements are distributed 

throughout the community.

Activity Part 6 (5 minutes): Debrief and 

guided discussion. Revisit the relevant concepts 

and consider asking 

students if there are 

places where the 

shortest distance 

might not be the safest 

distance and why.

STEM Lessons for Pedestrian Safety: Let’s Connect Our Community
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Student Handout: Activity 1 - Building Permit

Name: _______________________________________________________________ Date: _________________

STEM Lessons for Pedestrian Safety: Let’s Connect Our Community
Neighborhood Checklist 

Does my neighborhood have:

SidewalksCrosswalksTrails

 Can I walk from my part of the neighborhood to everywhere else? Do I have crosswalks to cross the streets to get everywhere else? Are there different routes to walk to places? Are there places for people using wheelchairs to cross the street? What is missing from this community?

Remember:

Look for different routes to get to the same place!

Neighborhood Checklist 

Does my neighborhood have:

SidewalksCrosswalksTrails

 Can I walk from my part of the neighborhood to everywhere else? Do I have crosswalks to cross the streets to get everywhere else? Are there different routes to walk to places? Are there places for people using wheelchairs to cross the street? What is missing from this community?

Remember:

Look for different routes to get to the same place!