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Transportation and the Environment: Energy, Fuels and Emissions

Elementary, Middle

Description

Personal vehicles are an essential component of modern life, but gasoline fueled private transport is a leading source of air pollution and carbon emissions. Even though vehicle dependence can be reduced through sustainably designed transportation systems that integrate public and active transport, the reality is that cars will always be on the road. Emission reduction strategies must include technological advancements in vehicle fuel efficiency and alternative fuels, which is the focus of this STEM lesson that teaches students about the connections between natural resources, fossil fuels and environmental sustainability, while involving them in an engineering design process to create and present an idea for an eco-friendly vehicle. A combination of classroom learning and an associated hands-on activity involves pupils in achieving the follwing objectives:

 

  • Distinguish between renewable and non-renewable natural resources
  • Describe how vehicle emissions contribute to atmospheric pollution and climate change
  • Identify alternative fuel sources and emerging vehicle technologies
  • Design, create and present an idea for a new vehicle that is impressive, functional and reduces pollution
  • Explain the role of engineers in developing sustainable designs that help protect the health of our planet

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

  • Problem solving
  • Critical thinking
  • Design
  • Collaboration
  • Presenting and discussing ideas

Strengths

  • Builds STEM skills
  • Focuses on solutions through technological innovation
  • Includes a hands-on activity that encourages exploration and discovery
  • All worksheets readily available in a .pdf or .xls format
  • Well planned with a teacher outline, links to curriculum standards, downloadable worksheets and answer keys and an activity outline

Weaknesses

  • Very limited audio-visual materials and student background information
  • Does not provide a rubric for the summary assessment, "My Life as an Environmental Engineer"
  • Does not include some age-appropriate statistical information about traffic volumes, emission rates or global temperature increases 

Recommendation of how and where to use it

This lesson has been developed to support Grade 3-5 STEM learning by involving pupils in an activity that uses problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity to design a car that reduces pollution. Science concepts related to air quality, renewable and non-renewable resources, carbon emissions and their contribution to climate change are explored from the context of alternative fuels and sustainable transportation.

Many schools are exploring greener approaches to student travel that encourage physical activity. After participating in this lesson, a class could develop an action project that highlights the multiple benefits of active school transport. Green Communities Canada has an Ideas Lab  that provides numerous resources to support student initiatives to reduce the environmental impact and improve the safety of school travel within their communities.

Relevant Curriculum Units

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  • Alberta
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    • Grade 4
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      • Science
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        • Computer Science: Problem solving and scientific inquiry are developed through the knowledgeable application of creativity, design, and computational thinking
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        • Matter and Energy: Understandings of the physical world are deepened through investigating matter and energy.
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        • Science 4:Energy can be transformed
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        • Energy
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        • Earth Science
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        • Science 5: Living and technological Systems: Learning and Living Sustainably
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        • Technology: Exploration/Design & Experimentation/Application: Design Thinking Skills
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        • Science 4:Energy can be transformed
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        • Energy and Control: Conservation of Energy
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        • Science 4:Energy can be transformed

Themes Addressed

Air, Atmosphere & Climate (2)

  • Air Pollution
  • Climate Change

Energy (1)

  • Alternative Energy

Land Use & Natural Resources (1)

  • Transportation

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good

Students are able to discuss various forms of alternative fuels and new vehicle technologies such as "hybrid" cars, by actively providing input and describing ideas when they apply their new learning to the "Cars from the Future" design challenge.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Very Good

Pupils will be able to describe how current technologies can reduce human impacts on the environment and support consumer demand for climate change solutions and environmental responsibility. The corresponding human health benefits of lower emissions are discussed from the perspective of clean air, water and natural systems. The lesson also supports an understanding that new, innovative cars can be challenging from an economic perspective by increasing production and purchase costs.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Good

The lesson supports an awareness that reliance on personal vehicles can only be reduced through a systems-thinking approach in developing transportation networks that combine technological innovation with improved public transit, enhanced active transportation infrastructure and creative urban planning.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Satisfactory

An action project is not included with this resource, but students are encouraged to think about the future of our planet from the perspective of personal sustainability decisions.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Satisfactory

Students are actively involved in formulating potential solutions to reducing human impacts on the environment and describing their opinions about sustainability.

 

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Poor/Not considered

This is not considered in the resource.

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Satisfactory

The lesson does not involve an outdoor experience but students do consider the negative environmental consequences of air pollution.

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Satisfactory

Climate change is an issue of immediate concern that requires concrete action to reduce emissions and learners will recognize that change begins at a local level by creating sustainable communities that contribute to global health.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Good

Discussions surrounding fossil fuel use, carbon emissions and air pollution support an awareness of how human activity has caused the current global temperature increases over time that are impacting our world. Learners will also understand how future-oriented engineering can support global efforts to increase renewable energy use and protect the environment.

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Good

An engineering process forms the basis of the lesson whereby students are able to bring their own perspective, articulate ideas and explain their reasoning as they work in teams to create and present their "eco-car" designs.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Good

The lesson and design activity supports STEM learning related to problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity. The science of climate change and atmospheric pollution are discussed from the context of human impacts on the environment, non-renewable and renewable resources.

Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Good

Students apply learned concepts from the lesson introduction to support critical thinking, creativity and innovation in the design process.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Satisfactory

No specific differention tools are included, but the hand-on nature of the car design activity will appeal to many students.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good

The real-world challenge engages students in a meaningful problem-solving task that is relevant to current global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help prevent further climate change by creating sustainable transportation solutions.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory

Students work in teams to complete worksheets, design a vehicle and present their ideas. The introduction and conclusion of the lesson involves whole class discussions.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Good

Discussion questions and the completion of a group "Transportation Rating System" worksheet provide formative assessment tools. The lesson suggests teachers provide a summary assessment of learning with a writing task, "My Life as an Environmental Engineer" in which individuals will describe their own idea for a device that uses renewable energy to clean water or air.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Satisfactory

On the second day of the activity "Cars from the Future" student teams briefly present their designs to other class members.

Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Good

The introduction of the lesson has students imagine they are travelling on a plane to the Bejing Olympics and along the way they engage in a discussion regarding the role of engineers in designing the plane, other forms of transport and "green" transportation technology. To conclude, the plane lands in China and students imagine the traffic and air pollution while describing solutions. This approach presents the lesson in an authentic context.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Good

Students have creative freedom and input into the decision-making process for their innovative car designs.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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