Unit 5: Transportation
Lesson 1: Using Public Transportation
Topic 1: Cost
OBJECTIVES
Identify all forms of public transportation in your area.
Practice calling the companies to obtain information about the cost of using the service.
Call the actual companies to get cost information.
MATERIALS
Transportation Comparison Sheet
marker board or something to write on
INSTRUCTIONAL FORMAT
This lesson provides information about how a person can comparison shop for
the best transportation alternative. One of the most important skills to
keep a job is getting there on time each day. For many people who cannot
afford a car or learn how to drive, this task becomes increasingly difficult.
In order to develop independence in this area, the trainer may need to be
very involved in the initial stages. It may feel as though you are doing
more work than if you arranged the transportation for the person. However,
as the student gains experience in obtaining his own transportation, he should
become more independent. During this unit, the trainer will work with the
student to identify transportation options in the area. Prior to beginning
the class, the trainer should call the various transportation companies in
the area. This will allow the trainer to base the instruction on what is
available in the specific area and provide accurate information when the
students do practice calls to get information.
Discuss different transportation options in the area. As much as possible,
have the students come up with the information on their own. Write the
information on the board. In general, discuss how each form of transportation
works (i.e., you give a bus driver money, a token, or a pass to ride the
bus, you pay a cab driver a given amount at the end of the trip, you put
a token in a machine at the gate in a subway).
Teach the students how to call and get information about the cost of using the transportation. The steps involved are:
Look up the number in the phone book.
Dial the phone.
Greet the person who answers the phone.
Say something like "I would like some information about how much it costs to ride the bus."
Tell the person on the phone the address where you need to be picked up and the address of where you need to be dropped off, as well as the times you need the service. This will allow the person to tell you the availability and give the best estimate of the costs.
Write down the cost, so you can compare it to other companies. If the student
has limited writing skills, he should be taught to ask the company representative
to send the information by mail. Once the information is received in the
mail, the student should take the information to a resource person to get
assistance in understanding the information.
Have the students practice making the calls. Trainers should play the part
of the transportation companies' representative. The trainers should use
the information they obtained prior to the class to provide accurate information
during the practice calls. Keep in mind that some companies might mail the
information, so the person will have to wait until she receives it in the
mail to make the comparisons.
As students become more comfortable making practice calls to local transportation companies, they should be instructed to make calls to actual companies. Once the students have gathered the necessary information, they should sit down with a trainer or another resource person to decide what the best transportation option will be.
SIGNS OF GENERALIZATION
Once students have identified the best transportation option during this
process, they may not need to use the skills frequently. If a student needs
to identify a different form of transportation in the future, he should have
the skills to identify the best means of transportation.
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