Drivetrain Lab for teachers
Two free lesson plans built around the Drivetrain Lab: Classroom Edition, a no-login web lab where students compare gas, hybrid, plug-in and electric cars on lifecycle CO₂ and see how the local power grid changes the answer. Each guide includes schedules for a 45–55 minute period, an 80–90 minute block or two days, a ready-to-copy student sheet, and an answer key.
AP Environmental Science
Under what conditions does an electric car emit less over its life than a gas car?
Students partition lifecycle emissions, check the lab’s numbers by dimensional analysis, change one variable at a time, and finish with a four-part FRQ. Connects to Units 6, 7 and 9 and science practices 4, 6 and 7.
Environmental Science
Which car is better for the air, and does it depend on where you live?
Students read a stacked bar graph, move the same electric car from state to state, tell smog from CO₂, and answer with claim, evidence and reasoning. For grades 9–12 Environmental Science, Earth Science or Biology; adaptable for grade 8.
Using these materials
The guides are free to use, copy and adapt for your own classes. The Word versions are there so you can edit the student sheets for your state and schedule. The answer keys use the lab’s starting example (Arizona, 12,000 miles a year), so press Reset to the starting example before class work.
For a deeper look at cost, including purchase price, loans, leases and insurance, older students can try the companion Drivetrain Cost Lab for Car Shoppers.
These are first editions, and feedback from teachers who use them is welcome: chris@oddlyaudaciousapps.com.
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