A Note for Teachers

• Facing History and Ourselves is an educational charity providing teaching resources to help young people develop as empathetic, critical thinkers, who understand the role they can play in shaping society for the better. We believe that civic agency is developed through intellectual rigour, emotional engagement and ethical reflection. Learn more about us on our website.

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• This PowerPoint presentation has been created to be used in a S1-S4 and KS3-KS4 assembly on World Car Free Day. �
• While you may need to modify this presentation to meet the needs of your students, please note that Facing History and Ourselves does not endorse your changes that alter the presentation's content or original layout.

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World Car Free Day

Assembly

Facing History UK Assemblies

#ChangeStartsWithMe

World Car Free Day

What is World Car Free Day and why does it matter?

Flat world car free day illustration

World Car Free Day

• World Car Free Day takes place annually on 22nd September.
• The aim is to encourage people in towns and cities to go car-free for a day, and to help people reflect on more sustainable modes of transport.
• On this day, cities across the world close some roads to cars, creating more space for people and sustainable transport like cycling.

Flat world car free day illustration

Group Brainstorming

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What means of transport are more sustainable than cars?

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“We have built a whole system around cars; car culture is prioritising cars above everything else on the street, whether that’s people, buses, bicycles or children playing. All of those things have become secondary to the fast movement of cars.”

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Patrick Miner, PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh

Carspiracy

You’ll Never See The World The Same Way Again

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Play video on YouTube

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As you watch the video, think about the following questions:

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1. What does this video reveal about people’s attitudes to cars?
2. What does ‘motonormativity’ mean?
3. How do cars harm people’s health?

Statistics About Cars

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• Globally, 1 in every 34 deaths are caused by cars, their production, use & infrastructure.
• Car crashes are the eighth leading cause of death: 700 children are killed daily in crashes.
• SUVs are bad for people and the planet: people of all ages hit by them are 44% more likely to die than those hit by normal cars (for children this figure is 82%, and for children under 10, 130%), if they were a country they would be the 5th largest emitter of CO2.
• The production of cars, their use and their infrastructure pollute the air, water & the land.
• Cars, which are parked 95% of the time, occupy a large amount of space in cities, making them less people friendly & more vulnerable to unsafe levels of heat during heat waves.
• Noise pollution from cars creates stress, anxiety & disturbs people’s sleep. Cars also create social isolation & make people more sedentary.
• Car pollution comes from fumes & from tyre and brake particles.
• In the UK, road transport is responsible for 28% of greenhouse gas emissions; of that, cars and taxis account for 53%.
• 20 miles per hour speed limits save lives.

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In The City of London

Bicycles Now Outnumber Cars

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Play video on YouTube

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As you watch the video, think about the following questions:

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1. How has cycling in the City of London changed in recent years?

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• What are the benefits of cycling around cities?

Think, Pair, Share

• How can reducing the amount of cars in cities improve people’s quality of life?
• How will you participate in World Car Free day?
• What do you think can be done to make cities more sustainable and people-friendly?

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1 and 2. World Health Organisation, Mental Health of Adolescents, November 2021

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Exit Ticket

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Take a moment to think about the following:

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Cars can harm people and the environment by________________________.�

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Reducing car use can__________________

________________________________________.

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�To participate in World Car Free Day I will ______________________________________.

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