Smoke/carbon emission from the exhaust pipe of a car

Alternative Fuels and Vehicles (Climate Change Solutions)

Grades 9-12

This lesson focuses on two main ideas:

How technological solutions (alternative vehicles) are reducing carbon emissions.
Current trends and effects of the use of renewable vs. non-renewable energy resources.

Procedure

INTRODUCTION (15 minutes)

Read the introduction to students and review new vocabulary. Students will watch the “Motorweek” video. After the video, have a discussion around the essential questions and thinking questions aligned to the topic and video.

EXTENSION (15-30 minutes)

Complete extension activities with students, as you see fit.

ASSESSMENT (15 minutes)

Have students apply their newfound knowledge by completing a Summative CER on the lesson using evidence from the video and activities as support.

REFLECTION (10 minutes)

Have students complete a reflection.

Standards

NGSS Performance Expectation

HS-ESS3-1.
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.

Science and Engineering Practices
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
Constructing explanations and designing solutions in 9–12 builds on K–8 experiences and progresses to explanations and designs that are supported by multiple and independent student-generated sources of evidence consistent with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.

Construct an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations, models, theories, simulations, peer review) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

Disciplinary Core Ideas
ESS3.A: Natural Resources
- Resource availability has guided the development of human society.
ESS3.B: Natural Hazards
- Natural hazards and other geologic events have shaped the course of human history; [they] have significantly altered the sizes of human populations and have driven human migrations.

Crosscutting Concepts
Cause and Effect
- Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.
Connections to Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World
- Modern civilization depends on major technological systems.

Summative CER

Option 1:

Construct an explanation addressing how humans have taken advantage of the advanced technology of motor vehicles in tackling the problem of climate change. Use evidence and reasoning from the videos and activities to support your explanation.

Option 2:

Construct a scientific explanation to describe the major differences between renewable and non-renewable energy resources. Further, elaborate on how they connect to climate change. Use evidence and reasoning from the videos and activities to support your explanation.

Reflection Questions

How has human activity contributed to climate change?
How are humans harnessing the power of technology to reduce the effects of climate change?

Summative CER Rubric

No Response Score Point 0	Not There Yet Score Point 0.5	Beginning To Score Point 0.75	Yes Score Point 1.0
The claim is missing	The claim is incorrect or irrelevant.	The claim partially takes a position on the topic or issue addressed within the prompt.	The claim takes an appropriate position on the topic or issue addressed within the prompt.
There is no type of evidence in the response	The evidence is irrelevant or does not support the claim.	The evidence partially supports the claim and demonstrates some understanding of the topic or text, using appropriate sources.	The evidence supports the claim and demonstrates a strong understanding of the topic or text, using appropriate sources.
There is no use of words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and to clarify the relationship between the claim and evidence.	Use of words, phrases and clauses fail to show or explain any relationship between the claim and evidence.	Scientific words, phrases, and clauses used lack cohesion but partially clarify the relationship between the claim and evidence.	Appropriate scientific words, phrases, and clauses are used to create cohesion and to clarify the relationship between the claim and evidence.