Smoke/carbon emission from the exhaust pipe of a car
Alternative Fuels and Vehicles (Climate Change Solutions)
Grades 9-12
Climate change is a major problem for our planet. One way we are contributing to increased climate change is by burning fossil fuels, which includes using petroleum gasoline in our cars. However, new technology with automobiles has allowed us to reduce our impact on climate change. We will further explore this idea in this lesson.
Teacher's Guide and Related Standards
Students will explain how the effects of climate change have led to changes in human activity.
- Why is it important to reduce carbon emissions from automobiles?
- What technological solutions exist to help us reduce carbon emissions from cars?
Motorweek Clip
- What clean alternative fuels does the Pride Travel Center have for vehicles?
- What does the owner of the Pride Travel Center advise the world to do?
Vocabulary
Supplemental Enrichment Activities
and Designing Solutions
Green Vehicle Solutions
This article and infographic educate students on the current conventional and alternative vehicles that exist. Have students form groups and become experts on each conventional and alternative vehicle in which they can develop a presentation to share with the rest of the class.
Vehicle Topic Options:
- Gasoline Vehicle
- Diesel Vehicle
- FFV
- EV
- PHEV
- CNG Vehicle
- FCV
Global Energy Consumption Graph
Have students analyze the graph showing global energy consumption of renewable and non-renewable energy resources. Interpret the data and have a class discussion about the implications of this graph. Students should come up with:
- Coal and oil consumption is still a major global issue.
- The good news is we are seeing drops in oil usage and increased use of renewable energy resources.
Climate Change through History
Watch the video to learn about the history of how humans have impacted the Earth’s climate. This animated timeline explores changes in climate during periods of glaciation and the effect of human-generated greenhouse gasses on our climate.