What's the Best Fuel for Your Car?
Articles/Websites
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences, Economics
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Provided by TED-Ed
What it is
- This TED-Ed video identifies why it is necessary to develop replacements for traditional gasoline-fueled cars by discussing oil spills, air pollution, global warming, and extreme weather.
- Students will learn about the positives and negatives of electricity and other liquid fuel alternatives.
- The video introduces the concept of green premiums or economic barriers to fossil fuel alternatives.
- The resource includes comprehension questions and links to additional resources to explore.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This video is relatable for most students because people use passenger vehicles in many places around the world.
- Electric cars are becoming popular, especially among younger generations, making this video engaging for students. Students are likely to be familiar with popular brands like Tesla.
Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with fossil fuels and their environmental impact.
- Students and teachers must create free accounts to utilize the "think" feature, which includes 5 multiple choice and 3 short answer questions.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can explore how green premiums apply to technologies other than car fuel.
- Students can research the innovations mentioned in the video and identify the benefits and challenges in implementing them.
- Chemistry classes can discuss the structure of hydrocarbons and how they are used to produce energy.
- Other resources on this topic include this podcast about lithium mining and electric car batteries and this video about the best cars for the environment.
- Students can learn more about the challenges of producing and using biofuels in this Seeker video.
From the scientist review
This TED-Ed video details the strengths and challenges of how we power our cars. To achieve the standards set by the Paris Climate Agreement, it is necessary to drastically cut the number of fossil-fuel-burning vehicles in operation. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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