Curated OER
An Air-Powered Car
Youngsters read text about an environmentally-friendly car. They try to figure out the meaning of the vocabulary in the text and discuss issues related to alternative energy sources. This thoughtful, well-designed plan has all the...
Curated OER
Transportation Fuels: What Car Will You Drive?
How many different types of biofuels are out there? Seventh graders watch a series of videos and participate in a series of activities in order to better understand all the transportation options available. They consider what type of car...
Curated OER
Solar Kit Lesson #9 - Properties of Solar Radiation: Reflection, Transmission, and Absorption
Middle school science stars observe and record data on the solar radiation reflected off or transmitted through various materials. They predict properties for various materials, and test their predictions by touch. This activity becomes...
Carnegie Mellon University
Transportation
Teach your environmental studies, life science, or engineering class how an internal combustion engine works using the first few slides of the accompanying presentation. Then, focus in on the resulting carbon emissions. Finally, take a...
Curated OER
Solar Car Races: Build and retrofit for speed
If you have solar car kits for your junior high schoolers, they can experiment with photovoltaic cell angle, light intensity, and aerodynamic design to discover what makes their car move more quickly. This is a classic activity to use...
Curated OER
Alternative Energy
Students discover types of energy. In this physics lesson, students discuss ways to power a car a design a model car kit with an alternative form of energy.
Curated OER
Energy and Cars: What Does the Future Hold?
Young scholars examine alternative energy. In this research based lesson plan, students study alternative energy and how it will influence transportation in the future. They will write a report and give an oral presentation of their...
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Fuel Cell Experimentation
With rising oil prices and increasing concerns over global warming, the pressure is on for engineers to develop alternative sources of energy. Among the new technologies being developed are hydrogen fuel cells, which young scientists...
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The Greenhouse Effect
Why does it get so hot inside of our cars in the summertime? The greenhouse effect! Lab groups experiment to see what happens to an ice cube enclosed in a jar and placed in sunlight as compared to an ice cube outside of the jar. They...
Curated OER
Energy Conservation
Students investigate energy conservation. In this energy conservation and analyzing data lesson, students identify and explain several energy sources and research renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. Students use statistics form...
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Alternative Energy Part II - Lesson Eight of Eight - Energy Conversion and Propulsion
Students investigate the results of different propulsion methods. In this propulsion lesson, students measure the distance a test toy car goes using different types of propulsion. They record the distances in data tables before...
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Hydrogen Powered Cars
Students apply the principles of chemistry to investigate the concept of how a hydrogen powered car works. They study the electrochemical reactions that provide the energy source. Students also record observations in the functioning of a...
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Hybrid Vehicles: Cut Pollution and Save Money
Math and science meet in this lesson on hybrid electric automobiles. This 24-page resource provides everything you need for teaching a lesson that compares the use of internal combustion engines to hybrid electric engines. Participants...
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Selling and Buying a Green Car
Students investigate the concerns over fuel sources and the debate over ethanol as an energy source. In this alternative energy lesson plan students complete an activity of selling and buying an environmentally friendly car.
Carnegie Mellon University
Nuclear Energy
Extensive background material, clear objectives, and more are provided to help you teach an introduction to nuclear power. Learners will be able to explain how nuclear power is generated and how it compares to coal-created power. Provide...
Curated OER
Gas Prices Keep Rising
Students discuss rising gas prices, then read a news article about how the increase in fuel cost may affect other prices. In this economics and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary...
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Recycled Vegetable Oil Powers Vans, Cars
Students share their knowledge about fuel sources, then read a news article about vegetable oil as a cleaner alternative to gasoline. In this current events and environmental science instructional activity, the teacher introduces the...
Bonneville
Background Research on Alternative Transportation Vehicles
There's no alternative to a great research project. The second of five lessons in the Solar Transportation unit has scholars research different types of alternative vehicles. They determine the price, range, battery size, and cost to...
Curated OER
Methods of Power- Hybrids
Students list the reasons why people chose hybrid cars over traditional cars. In this technology lesson plan, students create a poster describing how hybrid cars work. They discuss ways to save fuel and improve a car's efficiency.
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Clean, Green Power
Students explore and discuss alternative energy sources, and identify disadvantages of current fossil fuels.
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Solar Racing
Students design and build solar-powered cars. In this renewable energy lesson, students view websites showing a Department of Energy contest and solar-powered car design guidelines. They work in teams to design and build prototypes of a...
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Biomass: The Energy of the Future
Students research renewable fuels. In this alternative energy activity, students compile information and create a comparison chart on renewable resources. This activity includes additional suggested readings, vocabulary, and a Biomass...
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Filling Up
In this filling up worksheet, students calculate the E85 per gasoline-gallon equivalent price to the E85 price per gallon to complete a chart of "alternative fuel". They use the data along with the price per gallon of gasoline to plot...
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Mobility 2030: Can We Meet the goals
Young scholars examine how various countries meet or do not meet sustainability challenges. They read and discuss an article, complete an informational table, and participate in a group discussion.