Means of Transport for Class 3 EVS

Transportation is one of the inevitable necessity for a comfortable life. We use various modes of transport every day. Every mode of transport takes different amount of time while we travel.

This concept explanation would introduce the learners to various modes of transport used in everyday life.

After going through the concept the learners will be able to:

State what is the meaning of transportation.
Give examples for
- Water transport
- Air transport
- Road transport
- Rail Transport
Differentiate between various modes of transportation looking at their pictures.
Identify the cheapest mode of transport and fastest mode of transport.
Mention the names of special vehicle used for various purposes.

Each concept is explained to class 3 students using descriptions, illustrations, and concept maps. After you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the end of the page.

Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept Means of Transport in PDF format.

Need for Travel:

Moving from one place to another is called travelling. People travel for the following reasons—

In search of jobs, educational and medical facilities.
Meeting family and friends.
Going for trips and vacations.

Modes of Transport:

The different modes of transport are mentioned below—

a) Road Transport:

Road transport comprises the means of transport that move on roads.
Early means of such a mode of transport were animal carts like bullock carts, horse carts, camel carts, etc.
Nowadays, land transport includes cars, scooters, buses, bicycles, motorbikes, etc.
Road transport can be classified based on the number of wheels.

Two-wheelers vehicles; examples: scooters, bicycles and motorbikes.
Three-wheelers vehicles; examples: auto-rickshaw.
four-wheelers vehicles; examples: cars, small trucks, etc.

b) Rail Transport:

Rail transport involves a railway track, a series of iron bars laid on the ground.
In this mode of transportation, the vehicle runs on railway tracks.

Examples: Steam engines, bullet trains, electric engines, monorails, metro trains etc.

c) Water Transport:

Water transport comprises the means of transport that move on water.
It is also one of the earliest means of transport as people used to travel from one place to another via ships and boats.

Examples: Ships, boats, yachts, and ferries.

d) Air Transport:

It is the fastest and most expensive means of transportation
Such a mode of transport does not require any track, road, or water.
They are specialised in floating in the air based on the navigation of directions.

Examples: aeroplanes, jet planes, hot air balloons, helicopters, etc.

Special Vehicles:

These are vehicles that are used for specific purposes

a) Tractor:

The tractor is a farm vehicle.
It is used for agricultural practices like tilling, sowing seeds, etc.

b) Ambulance:

It is a vehicle used to transport sick or injured people to the hospital.
It is usually white in colour with a big red cross on its front that makes it different from other regular vehicles.
An ambulance is equipped with a first aid kit and essential medicines.
It has a siren that is used to alert the traffic on the road.

c) Fire Engine:

It appears like a truck and has a red-coloured body.
It is equipped with all the things required to tackle a fire accident.
A fire engine has a characteristic siren that distinguishes it from other vehicles.

d) Police Car:

It looks like a jeep and is generally white in colour with a siren in front.
It is used by police personnel for patrolling and chasing criminals

e) Racing Car:

These are high-speed cars used for car racing events.
The drivers for these cars are trained specially.

f) Goods Train:

These trains are used to carry goods from one place to another.
They generally have a greater number of wagons so that the goods can be transported in large quantities.

g) Battle Tank:

Battle tanks are fighting vehicles that are used in wars by the army.
These are specialised in moving on rough surfaces.

h) Road Roller:

Such a vehicle is seen on road construction sites.
It is used for pressing the layers of materials used to make roads.
It is generally yellow in colour with huge heavy wheels in the front.

i) School Bus:

The vehicle specifically used to transport children to school from their homes and vice versa is a school bus.
It is usually yellow in colour, so that it can be easily identified on the roads from a long distance.

New Words:

Patrolling: Taking rounds for inspection.

Navigation: The process of directing the course of movement of a vehicle.

Siren: A device that gives off a loud sound that acts as a warning signal.

Did You Know?

The first train started in India 160 years back. The first passenger train ran between Bombay and Thane, which covered a distance of 34 km. Indian railways then developed a network covering a distance of around 14,500 km till 1880. This network connected the major cities like Bombay (now Mumbai), Madras (now Chennai) and Calcutta (now Kolkata).