Road Race A local fieldwork activity using the free OS maps for schools

Scenario The local running club is planning to run a 5K road race in your local area next year They have come up with 3 proposed routes They want you to investigate each route and find out which one would be the most suitable

Starter activity Look at the map extract your teacher has given you It shows each of the three proposed routes Complete the starter activity sheet

Your brief You have been sent a “brief” which tells you what you need to consider when you investigate each route… Hills – it can’t be too hilly. A few is OK though How will traffic be affected? The best route will be the one likely to cause the least disruption

And… What will local people think? The best route will be the one with the least opposition The best route will be scenic / attractive to keep the runners happy!

The fieldwork You are going to be organised into groups Each group will be given one of the proposed routes to investigate

Here’s how… 1.Traffic counts at set times to assess the potential impact on traffic 3.Environmental quality surveys to assess the attractiveness of the route 4.Observations to decide the most suitable locations for the water stop / first aid point 2.Questionnaires to find out people’s opinion of the proposed race

Follow-up You will now use the data you collected during your fieldwork to summarise your main findings in the “follow-up worksheet (1)” Once you’ve done this, you will swap information with the other groups, and complete “follow-up worksheet (2)” so that you have information about all three proposed routes

Decision time! Using the “evidence” for each route you must decide which would be the most suitable for the race Your task is to write a report for the running club to explain and justify your decisions