Transportation Trio

Transportation TRIO Activities Inside: • Automotive Energy Flow • Pretzel Power • Road Trip

Grade Levels:

Elem

Elementary

Intermediate

Secondary

Subject Areas: Science Social Studies

Math

Teacher Information &Background America is a country on the move! About 28 percent of the energy we use each day is attributed just to transportation—moving people and goods to where they need to be. Every single vehicle or device that moves people, goods, and even energy products consumes energy!

The number one fuel used by the transportation industry is petroleum.

Petroleum, or crude oil, is refined into many products, most notably gasoline, diesel fuel, and aviation fuel (avgas). These fuels move our personal, light duty vehicles, they move heavy duty trucks, buses, and trailers, and they move ships, planes, and trains. In fact, over 90 percent of the fuels used for transportation are petroleum based fuels. These fuels are nonrenewable and often release emissions like carbon dioxide.

Over the past few decades, a focus on efficiency and conservation and emissions control have become an important part of the transportation industry. National standards require emissions monitoring, emissions testing, and that new cars meet the average mileage standards each year. These measures aim to decrease transportation related emissions. Other important movements include the use of alternative fuels for transportation. Alternative fuels include biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel), electricity, natural gas, and perhaps someday, hydrogen.

Renewable fuel standards today require that gasoline and diesel be blended with biofuels up to a certain percentage. Using alternative fuels can cut down on the use of some of our nonrenewables, and can help reduce emissions. Gas prices are a constant concern for a country on the move. As consumers, a focus on smarter movement with more efficient vehicles or fuels can help save money while saving the environment. But, changing our habits and our preferences can be challenging for a society that owns 15 percent of the world’s cars and travels nearly 12,000 miles per year in each vehicle!

These activities will introduce students to the ways we get from “Point A to Point B” and how we move the things we depend on. Students will become familiar with the various modes of transportation, how energy flows in transportation vehicles, the fuels available, and how far we can travel using various fuels. This Transportation Trio makes a great set of lessons for use after an oil and natural gas unit, and also works well in a multidisciplinary setting, as it incorporates mapping and mathematics skills. Transportation Trio activities can be found within NEED’s new transportation guides (available late in 2017), and throughout other NEED titles. The teacher information on the subsequent pages provides a detailed list of the titles. All guides can be downloaded by visiting www.NEED.org.

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Cover photo courtesy of Fabio Rodrigues Pozzebom via wikimedia commons

Transportation Trio

AUTOMOTIVE ENERGY FLOW TEACHER INFORMATION

&Background Most of us don’t give much thought to the way engines work in our vehicles. We make sure there is enough fuel, we turn the key or press the button, buckle the seat belt, and just drive. There are a lot of processes going on that you don’t see from the driver’s seat that enable you to get your car moving. Each of these processes involves energy and an energy transformation. This introductory activity will allow students to connect the forms of potential and kinetic energy they are studying to transportation, in our cars, buses, trucks, trains, ships, and planes.

This activity or similar energy flows can be found in the following NEED guides at www.NEED.org: Energy

on the Move Energy

Flows

 Time

Objectives

30-60 minutes

Students

will be able to identify and describe the forms of energy.

Students

will be able to describe how energy is transformed in an automotive system.

Extensions Have

students create or construct their own transportation energy flows as puzzles for their classmates to solve.

 Materials Scissors

Paper

clips or envelopes String

(optional) Forms

of Energy master Energy

Transformations master Fossil

Fuels Formation master Engines

master Electric

Vehicles master Burning

Fossil Fuels to Generate Electricity master Automotive

Energy Flow Cards

Have

the students create a skit to act out an energy flow from the lesson.

2Preparation Prepare

copies of the masters as needed for projection or discussion.

Make

one copy of the energy flow cards for each student or group. Cut and group the sets of cards by their letters, and clip together or place in envelopes.

Procedure 1. Ask students to think back to the last time they were at the gas pump. Where does the gasoline go? What does it do when it’s in the vehicle? How does it make the vehicle move?

And, where did that gasoline come from? Keep track of misconceptions students may bring up in discussion so these can be addressed during the activity. Explain to students that energy is needed to make the car move. Each of these questions will be answered by exploring how energy is transformed or “flows” through our vehicles.

2. Display the Forms of Energy master and review the forms of energy with the class as needed.

3. Discuss how energy can be transformed by displaying the Energy Transformations master.

Explain that energy transformations can be simple, for example radiant energy (light) transforms into thermal energy (heat). Transformations can also be complex, as in this master.

Energy can be transformed back to its original source. In many cases this is the sun! Ask students where they think they might substitute a car and its fuel source into the diagram.

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4. Review the process of forming fossil fuels using the Fossil Fuels Formation master. Explain that most of the transportation fuels we use today, like gasoline and diesel fuel, come from petroleum, a fossil fuel. Even electric cars, which run on electricity, get most of their energy from fossil fuels, because two-thirds of the electricity we generate comes from burning fossil fuels. Explain that these fossil fuels once got their energy from the sun, and that the energy we put into our vehicles once came from nuclear energy on the sun!

5. Show students the Engines master and the Electric Vehicles master and review the Background Information below with the class. If necessary, project the Burning Fossil Fuels to Generate Electricity master to discuss how energy is transformed to electricity before use in the vehicle.

6. Give each student their sets of energy flows. Ask them to place set A (conventional vehicle) in the correct order. As a class discuss the flow and point out each energy form in the flow. Direct students to do the same with set B (electric vehicle) and discuss.

7. Ask the class to put their cards away and write an expository paragraph, describing how energy flows through a vehicle. You can decide if you prefer the vehicle to be conventional or electric. Have students underline the forms of energy in their writing.

&Background Information Most of the vehicles we use today burn a fuel using the process of combustion. Burning fuels releases a lot of energy. Very simply, the energy from the fuel is used to push moving parts in the engine, which are attached to other moving parts, which turn the wheels and propel the car down the road. However, depending on the fuel used, engines can look a little different or a lot different!

Gasoline Powered Vehicles Gasoline, a product of petroleum, is a very common fuel for transportation. Just like with any fire, in order for it to burn or combust in your engine, it needs oxygen. In a gasoline engine, gasoline and air are mixed together by a computerized system. An engine has a few areas called cylinders where this occurs. Air is brought into the cylinder, and gasoline is injected at the same time. A spark plug then provides an electrical spark to ignite the fuel. As the gasoline burns, it releases a large amount of energy for just a little bit of fuel at one time. This energy pushes on a device called a piston inside the cylinder. The piston comes back up again, pushing out exhaust and making space for more fuel and air to come in so the cycle can repeat. An engine does this several hundred times per minute! Pistons are connected to a crank shaft, which transfers the piston’s motion energy to a spinning motion in the wheels of the car using the car’s transmission for help.

Chemical energy is transformed to thermal energy and motion energy!

Diesel Powered Vehicles Diesel vehicles are similar because their engines also burn a fuel that is a petroleum product. However, diesel engines use a different process to burn the fuel. Diesel engines do not have spark plugs to ignite the fuel like gasoline engines. Diesel engines pump air into the cylinder of the engine and compress it or push it into a smaller chamber. This increases the temperature of the air, making it quite hot. The diesel fuel is then injected into the hot air, and the high temperature air immediately lights the fuel on fire! Now the piston can move up and down, just like the gasoline engine, turning the crankshaft, and eventually transferring energy to turn the wheels of the car or truck.

Electric Vehicles Some vehicles used today burn very little or no fuel at all inside them. Instead, they use electricity to power the car. Some cars, called hybrids, use a combination of gasoline and electricity, while others rely only on electricity! Hybrid electric vehicles have a smaller gasoline powered engine, and use a series of electrical technologies to provide the rest of the power. Hybrid vehicles also use an electric motor that pulls energy from a battery as it is needed. It uses a special feature called regenerative braking to help charge the battery – as the car brakes, the wheels turn the electric motor to generate electricity that can be stored in the battery as chemical energy until it is ready. Some hybrids, called plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), can be plugged into an outlet to charge the battery, too. Battery electric vehicles, or EVs, like the popular Tesla, use no combustion at all. EVs use a large battery bank and an electric motor to power the vehicle. These vehicles must be plugged in to charge the battery. Electricity is stored in the battery as chemical energy until it is needed to power the vehicle. Most EVs also use regenerative braking, like hybrids do, to help charge the battery during trips, but these batteries can only be fully recharged by plugging in.

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Transportation Trio

MASTER

Forms of Energy All forms of energy fall under two categories:

POTENTIAL

KINETIC

Stored energy and the energy of position (gravitational).

The motion of waves, electrons, atoms, molecules, and substances.

CHEMICAL ENERGY is the energy stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules. Gasoline and a piece of pizza are examples.

RADIANT ENERGY is electromagnetic energy that travels in transverse waves. Light and x-rays are examples.

NUCLEAR ENERGY is the energy stored in the nucleus of an atom – the energy that holds the nucleus together. The energy in the nucleus of a plutonium atom is an example.

THERMAL ENERGY or heat is the internal energy in substances – the vibration or movement of atoms and molecules in substances. The heat from a fire is an example.

ELASTIC ENERGY is energy stored in objects by the application of force. Compressed springs and stretched rubber bands are examples.

MOTION is the movement of a substance from one place to another. Wind and moving water are examples.

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY is the energy of place or position. A child at the top of a slide is an example.

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SOUND is the movement of energy through substances in longitudinal waves. Echoes and music are examples.

ELECTRICAL ENERGY is the movement of electrons. Lightning and electricity are examples.

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6

Stored Electrical Energy

BATTERY

Electrical Energy

Nuclear Energy

Electrical Energy

Motion Energy

Radiant Energy

Radiant (light) Energy

Chemical Energy

Chemical Energy

Energy Transformations in a Hand Generated Flashlight

MASTER

Transportation Trio

MASTER

OCEAN

Small marine organisms

30 0 t o 400 M ILLIO N

P

OCEAN

K

E ROC

D RO CK

T AN

SEDI MEN IMP

SED

ERME ABL ORO US

IMEN

TARY RO

Organisms turn into oil and natural gas

50 to

CK

SEDI

TOD AY

ROCK

Trapped oil

Trapped gas

MENT AND

Fossil Fuels Formation

Y E A R S AG O

How Petroleum and Natural Gas Were Formed

100 M

ILLIO Tiny sea plants and animals died and NY E were buried on the ocean floor. Over time, A R S AG they were covered by layers of sediment and rock.

O Hundreds of millions of years ago, the remains were burried deeper and deeper. The enormous heat and pressure turned them into oil and gas.

Today, we drill down through the layers of sedimentary rock to reach the rock formations that contain oil and gas deposits. We then can separate the petroleum, natural gas, and propane for use.

POR

ABLE

ROCK

ROCK

TARY

MEN

SEDI

RME IMPE

OUS

Note: not to scale

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MASTER

Engines Internal Combustion Engine, Single Cylinder

Spark Plug

Internal Combustion Engine, Diesel Fuel Injector A. Injection: Fuel and Air Mixture

B. Compression

Exhaust Valve

C. Power: Fuel Burns and Forces Piston Down

D. Exhaust: Exhaust Exits as Piston Travels Back Up

Spark Plug

Compression and Combustion

Internal Combustion Engine, Diesel Air Intake

Fuel Injector Piston

Exhaust Valve Compression and Combustion Air Intake Piston Oil

Oil Output Rotary Mechanical Power (20% Efficiency)

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Transportation Trio

MASTER

Electric Vehicles How a Hybrid Electric Vehicle Works ER SPLIT SSP DEVICE POWER BATTERYY

GENERATOR

ELECTRIC MOTOR

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

Hybrid electric vehicles combine the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors. Hybrid electric vehicles do not need to be plugged in to charge the battery because they are charged by an onboard generator.

How an Electric Vehicle Works BATTERY

ELECTRIC MOTOR

PLUG

Electric vehicles store electricity in large battery banks. They are plugged into a wall outlet (either a 240-volt or standard 120-volt) for several hours to charge. An electric motor powers the wheels, and acts as a generator when the brakes are applied, recharging the battery. ©2017 The NEED Project

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10

1

3 BOILER

4

TURBINE

GENERATOR

6

6. Electricity is sent to a switchyard, where a transformer increases the voltage, allowing it to travel through the electric grid.

5. Inside the generator, the shaft spins coils of copper wire inside a ring of magnets. This creates an electric field, producing electricity.

ROTATING SHAFT

COPPER COILS

ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION

SWITCHYARD

DETAIL

4. The high pressure steam turns a turbine, which spins a shaft.

3. The steam travels at high pressure through a steam line.

2. Water is piped into the boiler and heated, turning it into steam.

MAGNETS

5

GENERATOR

ELECTRICITY GENERATION

FEED WATER CONDENSER

2

STEAM LINE

1. A fossil fuel is fed into a boiler, where it is burned to release thermal energy.

PETROLEUM

or

NATURAL GAS

or

COAL

FUEL BURNING

Burning Fossil Fuels to Make Electricity

Burning Fossil Fuels to Generate Electricity

MASTER

Transportation Trio

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MASTER

+ Energy

2

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22

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Ancient Sea Animal

ANCIENT ANCIENT SEA ANIMAL SEA ANIMAL

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in my cells.

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CHICKEN

forms of energy.

MASTER

2 A

HEAT AND PRESSURE

I am a fossil fuel.

The chemical I turned ancientenergy plants stored in me came and animals into fossil fuels. from the remains of ancient ferns.

Petroleum PETROLEUM

I am a fossil fuel.

I am a fossil fuel.

The The chemical energy chemical stored stored inenergy me came in me came from the from the remains remains of ancient sea of plants ancient plants andsea animals. and animals.

COAL

A2

A

AUTOMOTIVE ENERGY FLOW CARDS

I convert chemical energy in petroleum into motion, sound, and heat.

Automobile B

+ Radiant Energy Sun 12

Through the process of fusion, I convert nuclear energy into radiant energy.

Transportation Trio

AUTOMOTIVE ENERGY FLOW CARDS

MASTER

2 B1

B1

2

Ancient Fern EGGSFERN ANCIENT

HEAT AND PRESSURE ANCIENT SEA

B2

CHICKEN

PLANT

2

ANCIENT COAL Coal SEA ANIMAL

in my cells.

HEAT AND Thermal Power Plant PETROLEUM PRESSURE Š2017 The NEED Project

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Through process I store the chemical energy from food in of photosynthesis, turned ancient plants my cells and turn II converted radiant into fossil fuels. some of it into other energy into chemical formsand of energy. energy stored it in my cells.

I am a fossil fuel.

The chemical energy I am a fossil fuel.

The I stored chemical chemical stored stored inenergy me came energy fromfrom food in methe came thefrom remains remains ofsea ancient ferns. ancient plants of ancient ferns.

2

2B

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1.800.875.5029

I am a fossil fuel.

The chemical energy I convert chemical or stored in me came nuclear energy in fuels I turned ancient from the remains into thermal energy then plants and animals of into ancient sea plants electrical energy. into fuels. andfossil animals. www.NEED.org

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MASTER

AUTOMOTIVE ENERGY FLOW CARDS

B

ctric Vehicle Works ELECTRIC Battery MOTOR

I convert electrical energy into chemical energy and store it in my cells. I help to convert chemical energy back into electrical energy.

B

Electric Motor

I convert electrical energy into motion or mechanical energy, thermal energy, and sound.

e electricity in large battery banks. They are plugged ither a 240-volt or standard 120-volt) for several hours c motor powers the wheels, and acts as a generator applied, recharging the battery.

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Transportation Trio

Pretzel Power TEACHER INFORMATION

&Background Petroleum and natural gas are widely used as transportation fuels. Most of our personal vehicles run on petroleum products like gasoline and diesel fuel. Some vehicles run on natural gas, but these are mostly used in a fleet setting, or often in public transportation vehicles. Vehicles can also run on alternative fuels, such as ethanol, biodiesel, and electricity. Some vehicles, depending on their fuel, size, engine technology, and other factors, are more efficient than others. These vehicles have a higher mile per gallon (MPG) rating, allowing consumers to go further on less fuel, while being kinder to the environment. Battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, and compressed natural gas vehicles do not run on gallons of liquid fuel in their fuel tank. In this case, these vehicles have a MPGe rating. MPGe describes the number of miles the vehicle can go using an amount of fuel (electricity or natural gas) with the same amount of energy as a gallon of gasoline. In this activity, students will use pretzels as their fuel to learn more about MPG ratings and compare the differences in efficiency of various vehicles.

This activity can be found in the following NEED guides at www.NEED.org: Fossil

Fuels to Products Wonders

of Oil and Natural Gas Oil,

Natural Gas, and Their Energy Transportation

Exploration Energy

on the Move

 Time 20 minutes, plus time for research

Objective

Classroom Management Tip

Students

will be able to define “miles per gallon” and explain why this rating is important.

If time does not allow for student research, download pre-made vehicle cards for the activity that contain the necessary information. Make sure to hand out cards that cover a variety of vehicles.

The pre-made cards can be downloaded from any of the titles listed above. For easy assembly on notecards, you can print the cards on Avery brand sticky labels, #5392.

 Materials 3” x 5” Cards Internet

access for students Bag

of pretzels* Plastic

sandwich bags Three

signs (Home, Near Town, Far Town) Pretzel

Power worksheet

*NOTE: Any substitute for pretzels may be used. Be sure that any food item that is used conforms to school policies and is allergen safe for your students.

2Preparation Prepare

a plastic bag with ten pretzels for each student.

Extension

Make

three signs, one labeled “Home”, one labeled “Near Town”, and one labeled “Far Town.” The signs should be large enough to see from across the room.

Have

students conduct the additional research and answer the questions on the bottom of the worksheet.

Select

a large area and place the Home, Near Town, and Far Town signs on poles or walls. The distance from Home to Near Town should be 50 steps. The distance from Home to Far Town should be 100 steps. (Do not give these distances to students.)

Make

a copy of the worksheet for each student.

Procedure 1. Pass out the worksheet to students. Have students look up a car they would like to drive on www.fueleconomy.gov. On 3” x 5” cards, students should record the car’s name, model year, miles per gallon or equivalent, and the number of passengers the car holds. If students are selecting a vehicle that operates on flex-fuel (FFV), have them select the fuel they will use gasoline or E-85 - prior to recording mileage ratings and game play.

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2. Distribute a bag of pretzels to each student. Tell students not to eat the pretzels until they are instructed to begin.

3. Explain to the students that each pretzel represents one gallon of gasoline, and each step (heel-to-toe) the student takes represents one mile traveled.

4. Students eat a pretzel and take the appropriate number of steps before eating the next pretzel. All steps are heel-to-toe.

5. Facilitate both rounds of play. At the close of each round, discuss the questions below with the class. Ask students to complete their worksheet.

 Round One Use

only 5 pretzels for this round. Each person will drive his/her car to work in Near Town and return Home. If anyone runs out of fuel (pretzels), he/she must stay at that point until round one is over. Line up at Home and start stepping!

DISCUSS: Which cars got you to work and home? Which didn’t?

Did anyone have extra fuel remaining?

What

alternatives to driving your own car are there?

 Round Two Use

the remaining five pretzels and try some of the alternative suggestions discussed above. Everyone will travel to Far Town and return Home. Expect “negotiations”. Suggest students carpool to work. Drivers may eat each passenger’s pretzels as fuel. Line up at Home and start stepping!

DISCUSS: Who made it to Far Town and back? How did you do this?

Who

did not make it to Far Town and back? Why not?

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Transportation Trio

Pretzel Power & Background Petroleum and natural gas are widely used as transportation fuels. Most of our personal vehicles run on petroleum products like gasoline and diesel. Some vehicles are more efficient than others and allow us to go farther with less fuel while being kind to the environment. ? Question 

What is ‘gas mileage’ and why is it important to getting around?

 Materials One 3” x 5” card or label Bag of 10 pretzels from your teacher

Procedure 1. Think about the kind of car you would like to drive.

2. Use a computer and look at the fuel efficiency of your choice using www.fueleconomy.gov.

3. On your card, record the name of the car, the year it was made, how many miles per gallon it travels, and how many passengers can fit in the car.

4. Your teacher will give you a bag of pretzels. Each pretzel represents one gallon of gasoline and the bag represents one tank of gas.

5. For Round One: You will be “driving” from “Home” to work in “Near Town” and back Home again while using only 5 gallons of gasoline (5 pretzels). You will be marking the distance driven by taking steps heel-to-toe. One step represents one mile driven.

Eat one pretzel. Take as many heel-to-toe steps as your car would be able to drive on one gallon of gasoline. Do not take any more steps than your car can drive.

Eat another pretzel and again take as many steps as your car can drive on one gallon of gasoline. Continue this until you have used five “gallons of gasoline” (eaten five pretzels).

6. For Round Two: In this round you will be traveling to “Far Town” in your car. Decide if you should carpool, and find passengers for your car, or join another person’s carpool.

If you carpool, all members combine their pretzels. Only one person may eat a pretzel at a time.

When your teacher indicates the start of Round Two, begin stepping as a group as you drive to Far Town. Count the steps together for the car you chose to drive.

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 Conclusion 1. During Round One, were you able to make it to Near Town and back Home? Did you have fuel remaining?

2. During Round Two, were you able to make it to Far Town and back Home? How were you able to travel this greater distance?

3. Describe how this activity compares to driving real cars using real fuels.

4. Explain the benefits of carpooling. Describe the disadvantages, too.

5. If you were to drive a car of your own would you select the car you “drove” today? Explain using observations from this activity.

 Research Questions 1. Use the same website (fueleconomy.gov) that you used at the beginning of this activity to research your family’s car(s). Discuss it with your family.

2. Look at some of the cars listed on the website. Which ones are the most fuel efficient?

Are they cars you would choose to drive? What are the advantages and disadvantages to owning these cars?

3. What might cause a person to choose a different fuel for his or her vehicle? How can different fuels affect the range, performance, and mileage of a vehicle?

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Transportation Trio

ROAD TRIP TEACHER INFORMATION

&Background Petroleum provides most of the U.S.’ energy for passenger vehicles and transportation. Gasoline and diesel fuel are both products of petroleum refining. In this activity, students will choose a vehicle, then determine the environmental impact from operating that vehicle on an extended vacation based on statistics provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Objective Students

will be able to describe the impact oil and natural gas can have on the environment when used as a transportation fuel.

 Materials

 Time 45-90 minutes

Conduct

the activity as a multidisciplinary unit with social studies teachers and/or library specialists.

2Preparation Secure

computers or computer lab time so each student has internet access. Alternatively, you may also provide students with an atlas and require they use mapping skills to plan their route.

Make

a copy of the worksheet for each student.

Procedure 1. Describe the activity to students and explain how much time they will have available to use computers or atlases at school. Encourage them to complete all of their research before doing calculations.

2. Work through a sample problem for calculating the number of gallons of gasoline consumed for a certain distance driven.

3. Have students share their trip and describe what they would change to the class or a small group. Encourage the class to ask questions of the presenters.

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Exploring

Oil and Natural Gas Exploring

Climate Change Understanding

Climate Change Energy

on the Move

Extensions

Internet

access for each student Calculators

for each student Road

Trip worksheet

©2017 The NEED Project

This activity can be found in the following NEED guides at www.NEED.org:

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Have

students prepare a digital presentation or presentation board displaying their “trip”, sites they would see, and what they would do differently. Have students prepare a budget for their spending.

Ask students to research and share an item that has a similar mass to the amount of carbon dioxide they released on their trip.

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Road Trip The Challenge Energy is required to transport you from place to place. Transportation consumes 27 percent of the United States’ total energy supply and is responsible for 34 percent of the greenhouse gases emitted each year.

Plan a four day road trip vacation. Where would you go? What stops would you make along the way?

1. Select a vehicle make and model for your trip, then find its fuel economy ratings at www.fueleconomy.gov. Fill in the information below.

Vehicle Make and Model: __________________________________________________________ Fuel Type: _______________________

Fuel Economy (MPG): ______________________

2. In the chart’s left hand column, plan out each segment of your trip. Use the data and formulas provided below to calculate how many gallons of fuel will be required, and the amount of CO2 emissions produced.

The EPA uses the following CO2 emission values. Circle the value you will use in your calculations.

Gasoline CO2 Emissions = 19.6 pounds/gallon Diesel CO2 Emissions = 22.4 pounds/gallon Miles Driven/MPG = Total Gallons Consumed Total Gallons Consumed x CO2 Emissions lbs/gal = Total CO2 Emissions (lbs)

TO

FROM

MILES

GALLONS CONSUMED

TOTAL CO2 EMISSIONS

Answer the Following Questions/Share with the Class 1. Why did you choose the vehicle you chose?

2. What is the total amount of CO2 emissions associated with your trip?

3. What is the price of fuel in your area? How much will fuel cost for the entire trip?

4. Are there ways you can reduce your fuel consumption on this trip? Explain.

5. Are there some portions of your trip where you can use public transportation? Why or why not?

6. How would using public transportation compare to driving your own personal vehicle?

7. A 2014 Volkswagen Jetta using diesel fuel is rated to get mileage of up to 42 MPG. A 2014 Volkswagen Jetta using regular gasoline gets 26-36 MPG. Which car would be better to take on your road trip? Use data to explain your reasoning.

8. Can you find a less expensive, less carbon intensive vehicle than your first vehicle choice? Find at least two alternatives and explain how they compare to your original vehicle.

Resources: For more information on alternative fuel vehicles, visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center at www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/.

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Transportation Trio

Youth Energy Conference and Awards

Youth Awards Program for Energy Achievement

The NEED Youth Energy Conference and Awards gives students more opportunities to learn about energy and to explore energy in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). The annual June conference has students from across the country working in groups on an Energy Challenge designed to stretch their minds and energy knowledge. A limited number of spaces are available for a special two-day pre-conference event which that allows students access to additional information, time to discuss energy with their peers, and access to industry professionals. The conference culminates with the Youth Awards Ceremony recognizing student work throughout the year and during the conference.

All NEED schools have outstanding classroom-based programs in which students learn about energy.

Does your school have student leaders who extend these activities into their communities? To recognize outstanding achievement and reward student leadership, The NEED Project conducts the National Youth Awards Program for Energy Achievement.

For More Info: http://tinyurl.com/youthenergyconference

Share Your Energy Outreach with The NEED Network!

This program combines academic competition with recognition to acknowledge everyone involved in NEED during the year—and to recognize those who achieve excellence in energy education in their schools and communities.

What’s involved?

Students and teachers set goals and objectives and keep a record of their activities. Students create a digital project to submit for judging. In April, digital projects are uploaded to the online submission site.

Want more info? Check out www.NEED.org/Youth-Awards for more application and program information, previous winners, and photos of past events.

©2017 The NEED Project

8408 Kao Circle, Manassas, VA 20110

1.800.875.5029

www.NEED.org

21

Games, Puzzles, and Activities Looking for some fun energy activities? There are plenty of fun games, puzzles, and activities available at www.NEED.org/games.

WIND

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Transportation Trio

ORDER MATERIALS ONLINE! Anemometers and solar cells and light meters — oh my! Getting your kits (or refills) has never been easier! Check out NEED’s official online store at shop.need.org.

©2017 The NEED Project

8408 Kao Circle, Manassas, VA 20110

1.800.875.5029

www.NEED.org

23

National Sponsors and Partners Air Equipment Company Alaska Electric Light & Power Company Albuquerque Public Schools American Electric Power American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers Arizona Public Service Armstrong Energy Corporation Barnstable County, Massachusetts Robert L. Bayless, Producer, LLC BG Group/Shell BP America Inc. Blue Grass Energy Cape Light Compact–Massachusetts Central Falls School District Chugach Electric Association, Inc. CITGO Clean Energy Collective Colonial Pipeline Columbia Gas of Massachusetts ComEd ConEdison Solutions ConocoPhillips Constellation Cuesta College David Petroleum Corporation Desk and Derrick of Roswell, NM Direct Energy Dominion Energy Donors Choose Duke Energy East Kentucky Power Energy Market Authority – Singapore Escambia County Public School Foundation Eversource Exelon Foundation Foundation for Environmental Education FPL The Franklin Institute George Mason University – Environmental Science and Policy Gerald Harrington, Geologist Government of Thailand–Energy Ministry Green Power EMC Guilford County Schools – North Carolina Gulf Power Hawaii Energy Idaho National Laboratory Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation

©2017 The NEED Project

Illinois Institute of Technology Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico James Madison University Kentucky Department of Energy Development and Independence Kentucky Power – An AEP Company Kentucky Utilities Company League of United Latin American Citizens – National Educational Service Centers Leidos Linn County Rural Electric Cooperative Llano Land and Exploration Louisville Gas and Electric Company Mississippi Development Authority–Energy Division Mississippi Gulf Coast Community Foundation Mojave Environmental Education Consortium Mojave Unified School District Montana Energy Education Council The Mountain Institute National Fuel National Grid National Hydropower Association National Ocean Industries Association National Renewable Energy Laboratory NC Green Power New Mexico Oil Corporation New Mexico Landman’s Association NextEra Energy Resources NEXTracker Nicor Gas Nisource Charitable Foundation Noble Energy Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative Northern Rivers Family Services North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality North Shore Gas Offshore Technology Conference Ohio Energy Project Opterra Energy Pacific Gas and Electric Company PECO Pecos Valley Energy Committee Peoples Gas Pepco Performance Services, Inc. Petroleum Equipment and Services Association

8408 Kao Circle, Manassas, VA 20110

1.800.875.5029

www.NEED.org

Phillips 66 PNM PowerSouth Energy Cooperative Providence Public Schools Quarto Publishing Group Read & Stevens, Inc. Renewable Energy Alaska Project Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources Robert Armstrong Roswell Geological Society Salt River Project Salt River Rural Electric Cooperative Saudi Aramco Schlumberger C.T. Seaver Trust Secure Futures, LLC Shell Shell Chemicals Sigora Solar Singapore Ministry of Education Society of Petroleum Engineers Society of Petroleum Engineers – Middle East, North Africa and South Asia Solar City David Sorenson South Orange County Community College District Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development–Energy Division Tesla Tesoro Foundation Tri-State Generation and Transmission TXU Energy United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey University of Kentucky University of Maine University of North Carolina University of Tennessee U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Department of Energy–Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy U.S. Department of Energy–Wind for Schools U.S. Energy Information Administration United States Virgin Islands Energy Office Wayne County Sustainable Energy Western Massachusetts Electric Company Yates Petroleum Corporation