Trains and kids have always gone together!

Railroads were one of the biggest inventions in the 1800's and revolutionized transportation and shipping in America. National Train Day on May 8, 2010, marks 141 years of connecting travelers coast to coast and commemorates the day the first transcontinental railroad was created. 

On May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the "golden spike" was driven into the final tie that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, transforming America by creating the nation‘s first transcontinental railroad.   

Many wonderful transportation lessons on the available for teachers on the web:

•    Suite 101 has a creative lesson plan geared towards kindergarteners using a train theme to teach addition and subtraction. 
•    The Discovery Education site has an informative lesson plan for the 6-8 grade level that incorporates U.S. History. 
•    On the Kids Page of National Train Day there is a wonderful educational download that educators can make use of for transportation lessons.