Fuel Efficiency

Fuel Project Grant 

Abstract and Summary

Rationale

As America enters the technologically sophisticated twenty first century, many leaders in industry and education are pointing to our studentÕs deficits in math and science knowledge.   Of great importance in our society as acknowledged by the TEKS is the ability to read and understand graphical data representations.  Many students and adults do not see that math is a tool that can model reality in graphs and charts that help in problem solving.  Ultimately, these deficits in understanding undermine our democracyÕs need to share information as well as our nationÕs economic competitiveness.

Students exiting middle schools have been turned off by math education.  While we use manipulatives to create a visual understanding of math at early ages, students are often turned off as we move away from the hands on activity to the number crunching that is much of middle school mathematics. A similar process happens in middle school science as budget cuts restrict real-life experiments. Students are forced to deal with science as an abstract concept, generated only in science books. At the same time that math and science interest is waning among middle school students, interest in cars and independence is flourishing.

 The National Council for Teachers in Mathematics (NCTM) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) strongly recommends that science and math education should be integrated in middle and high school classrooms to give students a more holistic experience, as is the case in reality. Our project aims to incorporate this interdisciplinary approach by examining the biological, chemical, and mathematical implications of fuel consumption in contrast to available alternatives, both in the present and in the future.

Project Description

The United States lags behind other industrialized nations in science and mathematics beginning in the middle school grades.   During the last couple of decades, scientific literacy among ordinary Americans has also declined.  The transition between elementary school science with a great number of simple hands-on experiments, to the high school format of more complex and fewer experiments and greater reliance on the text book happens at the middle school level.  While students often enjoy their early grades science experiences, by high school many have a largely negative view of the sciences. Students fail to see the point of their learning experiences.  The introduction of project based instruction serves as a bridge between the two worlds of school science.  The idea of project based instruction is to allow students to continue the hands on learning process with a little bit more self direction and academic rigor.  Research has shown that project based instruction can be a powerful tool to increase their understanding and interest among students. 

            With these facts in mind, we propose to create an interdisciplinary setting for a project based instructional model.  We plan to have the students discover the most effective means of personal transport.  Students will study mathematical models that describe speed, energy efficiency, and economic cost.  In addition they will use information in the biological sciences to examine the effects of pollution and the costs of ecologically friendly alternatives to the car.  The students will use chemistry to explore the chemical reaction that is the foundation of internal combustion and they will create an ecologically safe alternative to diesel fuel.  As teachers make connections across disciplines, the students will be more engaged and be better learners.

 To accomplish their final goal, students will use many resources on the world wide web and will have to critically examine their sources.  They will use TI-83 graphing calculators to model functions such as interest payments, combustion and electrical energy used in a small electric motor.

             Throughout our program the students will be evaluated on their skills by regular assessment of their understanding of graphs and critical analysis of sources.  They will be graded on their ability to express scientific ideas in everyday language.  At the end of our program students should be able to interpret data expressed on a Cartesian coordinate plane.  They will be able to discern the quality of scientific information available to them on the web and be able to use sources and the results of their own experiments as evidence.  This evidence will form the basis for an end of unit assessment in the form of a persuasive essay (in the form of  letter to the editor) proposing the use of alternative or gas powered vehicles.  In this way students will explore science in a meaningful way and practice using scientific reasoning and argumentation in the public sphere.

Math Calendar

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Week 1	Brainstorm Car Cost	Environmental Cost,  Fixed Costs, Opportunity Costs, Variable Cost	Opportunity Cost Bus v. Car	Lab day	Proportion $/mile, miles/gallon, pollution/mile
Week 2	Slope Linear Equations Day 1	Slope Linear Equations Day 2	Slope Linear Equation Day 3	Lab day	Interest Rates Depreciation
Week 3	Compare Fractions Efficiency of Energy Production	Graphical Representation and Understanding Day 1	Graphical Representation and Understanding Day 2	Lab day	Persuasive Argument using Science and Mathematics Create Rubric
Week 4	Review and Evaluation of Cost Day 2 Using new Mathematics	Rough Draft of Letter to Editor	Concept Map Summation of Learning	Lab day	Final Letter to Editor Due

 

 

Chemistry Calendar

 

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
1.) Balancing Chemical Equations:	Introduce students to driving question.    Summarize the section; ask students what they know about alternative fuels.   Background Knowledge Probe	*Types of Chemical Reactions and Classification   Word Journal Due	Balancing Equations: Counting Atoms and Algebraic Methods	Balancing Equations: Counting Atoms and Algebraic Methods   Word Journal Due	Limited Reagent Reaction:  Do gasolince combustion problem as an example.   Talk about the effects of the products. (Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide)
2.) Stoichiometry	Limited Reagent Reaction:  Do gasolince combustion problem as an example.   Talk about the effects of the products. (Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide)	Gasoline Lab	Gasoline Lab	Word Journal Due   Assess the chemical reactions of alternative fuels.	Combustion Lab   Pro and Con Grid
3.) Changes in Matter	Introduction to Intermolecular Forces	Intermolecular Forces and Physical Properties	Nature of the Solid and Liquid States   Word Journal Due	Changes of Phase	Energy Changes
4.) Energy	Enthalpy and Energy (Exothermic versus Endothermic Reactions)	Calculate Energy Used in a Typical Car   Word Journal Due	Calculate energy of alternative fuels.	Section Summary and Conclusions	Unit Assessment

 

 

Biology Calendar

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
What type of fuel is used for your car and what does it emit? Show the greenhouse effect, www.pbs.org/pov/borders/2004/educators/edu_air1.pdf	Ozone, how it is affected by chemicals. Lesson plan on ozone: (number 7)	Go around school, put pollution testers (paper cut out in shape of window, with tape in between where particles can stick) in high traffic areas and low traffic areas, observe differences tomorrow	Discussion on results of pollution test, and how environment is influenced by currently used fuels	Create a poster on current fuel usage and its effect on the environment, hang in classroom
Introduce idea of alternative fuels, what it is, why would it be used, pros and cons of using alternative fuels, number 8 1st lesson plan, Pragya	Biodiesel and ethanol	Solar cars	Fuel cells	Week wrap up: debate (in form of 9 box game) of disadvantages and advantages of alternative fuels 2nd lesson plan, Pragya
Students divide up in groups that will eventually teach the rest of the class about the fuel they are focusing on, its pros/cons, and current research being done on it, who gains by its use	Students work on presentations	Students rehearse presentations, need to get ÔokÕ from teacher	Presentations on fuels by students	Presentation on fuels by students
Find 3 letters of the type you are going to write (to the editor, to mayor, etc) and become aware of characteristics of that type of writing, ie what do all 3 (or more) have in common?. Create rubric on which you want to be graded.	Work on letters in class, find three new sources which support your stance and 2 that donÕt	Work on letters in class, rough draft due by end of the day	Work on letters, peer review letters and grade them based on rubric	Polish letters, individual conferences with students and discuss what students learned in unit.

 

Materials List for Fuels Project

 

-       240  sheets of graphing paper and 30 TI-83s

-       10 computers with internet access.

-        10 posters.

-        5 Electronic Scales

-        1 Pack of Saltine Crackers

-        6 Books of Matches

-        75 Aluminum Pie Pans

-        40 Paper Plates

-        7 Bunsen Burners

-        7 Tongs

-       4 flints

-        7 Sponges of Extra Course Steel Wool

-        30 Research Fact Sheet: Alternative Fuels (one per student)

-        30 Information packet on Alternative Fuels (one per student)

 

 

Web sources:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov

http://www.state.sc.us/energy/PDFs/Lesson%20Plans.pdf, pg 90

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fe_test_schedules.shtml

http://www.ec.gc.ca/energ/fuels/reports/sulpur2001/sulphur_rpt_2001_sec4_e.htm

http://www.atti-info.org/technology/alt_fuels.html#7

Budget

Item	Quantity	Expected Cost	Source
Graphing Paper	240 sheets	5.97	Staples
Scientific Calculators	30	598.5	Staples
Poster Boards	10	33.5	Staples
Electronic Scales	5	349.95	Staples
White Paper	60 sheets	7.68	Staples
Saltine Crackers	1 box	2.99	Amazon.com
Lighters	3	44.91	Amazon.com
Aluminum Pie Pans	10	69.5	Amazon.com
Paper Plates	40	12.45	Amazon.com
Flints	4	9.6	HomeTrainingTools.com
Bunsen Burner	7	230.65	HomeTrainingTools.com
Tongs	7	19.6	HomeTrainingTools.com
Steel Wool	7 sponges	5.97	Amazon.com
Total		1391.27

Evaluation Plan

We are committed to both formative and summative evaluation throughout the project. 

The objective of this project-based, collaborative learning is to increase studentsÕ achievement in math and science, and to increase studentsÕ knowledge and skills in choosing an alternative fuel to improve our living environment.

Various layers of evaluation are designed throughout the project to evaluate objectives:

-       How is the math and science learning happened in the project?

-      How is this learning being applied to the real-life? 

-      Is the project doing what it is expected?  If not, why? 

-   What outcome is to be achieved?

The teacher observes students' participation and engagement, challenges with questions, interviews students for their progress.

Students will use notes to record their processes and document, review and analyze their work.  These works are collected to be used for the final report – writing a letter to the editor.  This letter will include their learning, processes and findings from math and science aspects.