MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Driver Education
Grade 10
Authored by: Jacquleen Calabrese
Chris Kubik
Mike Radzieski
Reviewed by: Sean Dowling
Supervisor of PE/Health and Athletics
Adopted by the Board: August 27, 2013
Members of the Board of Education: Lisa Ellis, President
Patrick Rowe, Vice-President
David Arthur
Kevin Blair
Shade Grahling
Linda Gilbert
Thomas Haralampoudis James Novotny
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Rossi
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road, Madison, NJ 07940
www.madisonpublicschools.org
I. OVERVIEW
Driver Education 10 is a Marking Period long course offered at Madison High School. All tenth graders
will take part in the Driver Theory Course, which is part of the Physical Education and Health
Curriculum. This course is designed to help the novice driver attain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes
necessary to become a safe, low risk, responsible driver. The course will use the IPDE (Identify, Predict,
Decide, and Execute) process as basis for instruction. The IPDE process is an organized system of seeing,
thinking, and responding to different situation that may arise once students are on the road. The course
will cover different units including the Driving Task, Controlling Your Vehicle, Driving in Different
Environments, and Being a Responsible Driver. The Driving Task includes driving responsibilities, basic
car control, traffic signs, signals, and roadway markings. Controlling Your Vehicle includes natural laws and
car control, performing basic maneuvers, negotiating intersections, and sharing the roadway. Driving in
Different Environments includes driving in urban and rural areas, expressway driving, handling emergencies,
and driving in adverse conditions. Finally, Being a Responsible Driver will cover the effects of emotions on
driving, alcohol and other drugs, buying and owning a vehicle, as well as maintaining a vehicle. The
comprehensive in-depth course will end with the administration of the knowledge portion of the New
Jersey Driver Test.
II.
RATIONALE
Driver Education programs prepare young people to drive and can play a role in helping teens to develop
driving skills. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teenagers, accounting for 36%
of all deaths. (CDC2006) Driver Education will provide a foundation for safe behaviors through
knowledge and practicing beginning skills. Teen are more likely to underestimate hazardous and
dangerous situations. Teens are more likely to speed and allow shorter following distances than older
drivers. Teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use of any age group. In 2005 23% of drivers 15 to 20 that
died in motor vehicle crashes had a BAC of .08 or higher. (CDC2006) Driver Education should be viewed
as the beginning of the learning process to becoming a safe, knowledgeable responsible driver. A
comprehensive Driver Education program can allow students to practice positive decision –making skills.
Driver Education, along with behind the wheel experience, is necessary to reduce crash involvement.
III.
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STUDENT OUTCOMES ( Linked to N.J. Core Curriculum Standards listed below)
Students should have sufficient knowledge of the rules and regulations of traffic laws which will be
evaluated be a passing grade of 80% or higher on the New Jersey State Drivers Exam. (2.1)
Students should understand the importance of as well as develop positive communication skills in
order to maintain a safe, effective Highway Transportation System. (2.2)
Students should understand the importance of and develop the ability to make positive decisions as it
pertains to traffic safety. (2.2)
Students will understand the technology and resources available in the field of Driver Education.(2.1)
Students will understand the negative effects of peer pressure on an individual's ability to operate a
vehicle safely as well as develop the skills needed to resist negative peer pressure as it pertains to traffic
safety.(2.1)
Students will develop an understanding of the impact of fatalities and injuries due to traffic accidents
on the individual involved their family, community and the workplace.(2.1)
Students will develop an understanding of the negative effect that alcohol and other drugs have on an
individual’s ability to drive a vehicle.(2.3)
Students will have the knowledge of the legal, financial, and emotional repercussions of driving under
the influence of alcohol and other drugs.(2.3)
NJ Core Curriculum Standards for Physical Education and Heath
2.1 Wellness: All students will acquire health promotion concepts and skills to support a health, active
lifestyle.
A. Personal Growth and Development
2.1.12.A.1. Analyze the role of personal responsibility in maintaining and enhancing
personal, family, community, and global wellness.
2.1.12.A.2. Debate the social and ethical implications of the availability and use of technology and
medical advances to support wellness.
D. Safety
2.1.12.D.1. Determine the causes and outcomes of intentional and unintentional injuries in adolescents
and young adults and propose prevention strategies.
2.1.12.D.3. Analyze the relationship between alcohol and drug use and the incidence of motor vehicle
crashes.
2.1.12.D.4. Develop a rationale to persuade peers to comply with traffic safety laws and avoid driving
distracters.
2.1.12.D.5. Summarize New Jersey motor vehicle laws and regulations and determine their impact on
health and safety (e.g., organ/tissue donation, seatbelt use, and the use of hand-held
devices).
E. Social/Emotional Health
2.1.12.E.1. Predict the short- and long-term consequences of unresolved conflicts.
2.1.12.E.2. Analyze how new technologies may positively or negatively impact the incidence of conflict
or crisis.
2.1.12.E.3. Examine how a family might cope with crisis or change and suggest ways to restore family
balance and function.
2.2 Integrated Skills: All students will develop and use personal and interpersonal skills to support a healthy,
active lifestyle.
A. Interpersonal Communication
2.2.12.A.1. Employ skills for communicating with family, peers, and people from other backgrounds
and cultures that may impact the health of oneself and others.
2.2.12.A.2. Demonstrate strategies to prevent, manage, or resolve interpersonal conflicts.
2.2.12.A.3. Analyze the impact of technology on interpersonal communication in supporting wellness
and a healthy lifestyle.
B. Decision Making and Goal Setting
2.2.12.B.1. Predict the short- and long-term consequences of good and poor decision-making on oneself,
friends, family, and others.
C. Character Development
2.2.12.C.1. Analyze current issues facing the disability community and make recommendations to
address those issues.
2.2.12.C.2. Judge how individual or group adherence, or lack of adherence, to core ethical values
impacts the local, state, national, and worldwide community.
2.2.12.C.3. Analyze current issues facing the disability community and make recommendations to
address those issues.
D. Advocacy and Service
2.2.12.D.1. Plan and implement an advocacy strategy to stimulate action on a state, national, or global
health issue, including but not limited to, organ/tissue donation.
2.3 Drugs and Medicine All students will acquire knowledge about alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and
medicines and apply these concepts to support a healthy, active lifestyle.
A. Medicines
2.3.12.A.3. Relate personal abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medicines to wellness.
B. Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
2.3.12.B.1. Compare and contrast the incidence and impact of commonly abused substances (such as
tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, anabolic steroids, and other drugs) on individuals and
communities in the United States and other countries.
2.3.12.B.2. Debate the various legal and financial consequences of the use, sale, and possession of
illegal substances.
C. Dependency, Addiction and Treatment
2.3.12.C.1. Correlate duration of drug abuse to the incidence of drug-related injury, illness, and death.
2.3.12.C.3. Predict the societal impact of substance abuse on the individual, family, and community.
IV.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND CONTENT
The Driving Task
1. What are the three parts of the highway transportation system?
2. What are the four steps in the IPDE Process?
3. How does the Smith System and Zone Control System make the IPDE Process more effective?
4. What are the steps in the GDL licensing program?
5. What are some responsibilities you have as a driver?
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What are the 3 types of signs?
What are the meanings behind the different traffic signals and roadway markings?
What are the functions of the different instrument controls and devices found in a vehicle?
What are the steps you must take as you get ready to drive?
What is the difference between a vehicle with a manual transmission versus an automatic
transmission?
Controlling Your Vehicle
1. How does kinetic energy and gravity affect your vehicle?
2. What factors affect a vehicle's stopping distance?
3. What are vehicles’ active and passive restraint devices?
4. What is the safety belt law in NJ?
5. What are the proper techniques for steering, signaling, and changing lanes?
6. What are the proper techniques for the different types of parking?
7. What should be done at the different types of intersections?
8. What is the motorcycle law in the state of NJ?
9. What are the laws regarding pedestrians in the state of NJ?
10. What are the laws regarding special and emergency vehicles?
Driving In Different Environments and Situations
1. What are the factors that make urban driving difficult?
2. What is the 3-second rule and how is it used?
3. What factors should you consider when driving in rural traffic?
4. What are strategies for low-risk driving on expressways?
5. What steps should be taken to safely enter and exit an expressway?
6. What are the safety precautions to take in adverse weather?
7. What are the different types of emergencies a driver might encounter and what are ways to handle
each one?
8. What steps should you take if you are ever in a collision?
9. What are the different types of vehicle malfunctions an individual may encounter?
10. What is the proper technique of handling a vehicle in a skid?
Being A Responsible Driver
1. How can emotions affect your ability to drive a vehicle?
2. How do your senses help you drive?
3. What are temporary and permanent disabilities that affect an individual's ability to drive?
4. How does alcohol and other drugs affect your ability to drive?
5. What are the laws that govern use of alcohol and other drugs while driving?
6. How does peer pressure affect a person’s ability to make safe driving decisions?
7. What are the financial responsibilities of owning a vehicle?
8. What are an individual's responsibilities in insuring a vehicle?
9. What are the ways that individuals can reduce the effects of vehicles on the environment?
10. What are important tips for maintaining a vehicle?
V. STRATEGIES
Development of concepts will take place through video presentations, demonstrations, and software and
Internet driven activities. Cooperative group activities and role playing, which will allow for problem
solving as well as responsible decision making opportunities, will be utilized. Teacher guided discussions
and guest speakers will enforce important key concepts and strategies introduced throughout the course.
Students will be asked to read and jigsaw chapters in the textbook and in the driver’s manual and be able
to discuss the concepts with their peers.
VI. EVALUATION
Assessment may include
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Notebooks
Student Journal
Quizzes
Tests
Summary and written response to articles
New Jersey State Driver Exam
VII. REQUIRED RESOURCES
Textbooks for course:
Johnson,Crab,Opfer,Theil, Drive Right 10th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2007
Supplemental Text:
New Jersey Driver Manual, NJ Motor Vehicle Commission. Current Edition
VIII. SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
The Driving Task (2 weeks)
1. Highway Transportation System
2. IPDE Process
3. The Smith System
4. Zone Control System
5. Driver Responsibilities
6. GDL Process
7. Signs, Signals, Roadway Markings
8. Instruments, Controls, Devices
9. Getting Ready to Drive
10. Manual Automatic Transmission
Controlling Your Vehicle (2 Weeks)
1. Natural Laws and Car Control
2. Stopping Distances
3. Passive Restraint(Safety Belts)
4. Performing Basic Vehicle Maneuvers
5. Intersections
6. Sharing the Roadway
Driving in Different Environments and Situations (2 weeks)
7. Urban Traffic
8. Rural Traffic
9. Expressway Driving
10. Driving in Adverse Conditions
11. Handling Emergencies
Being A Responsible Driver (2 weeks)
1. Emotions and Driving
2. Disabilities and Driving
3. Alcohol, Other Drugs and Driving
4. Coping with Peer Pressure
5. Buying and Owning a vehicle
6. Maintaining a Vehicle
7. Environmental Concerns
New Jersey Driver Manual (1 week)
1. Review
2. State Exam