Subjects
Subject(s)
Arts & Humanities
--Language Arts
Mathematics
--Arithmetic
Health
--Environmental
Science
--Agriculture
--Chemistry
--Physical Science
----Earth Science
----Environmental
----Physics
Social Studies
--Civics
--Current Events
--Economics
Grades
Grades 2-up
News Content
Vehicles powered by vegetable oil are one of the cleaner alternatives to gasoline-powered vehicles.
Anticipation Guide
Before reading, ask students to share what they know about how cars, vans, buses, and trucks are powered. For example, What kind of fuel do they use? Write down the information that students know so you can refer to it after they have read this weeks news story.
News Words
Next, introduce these words that appear in the News Word Box on the students printable page: diesel, designed, operate, engine, expensive, and fuel. Discuss the meanings of any of those words that might be unfamiliar. Then ask students to use one of those words to complete each of these sentences:
Read the News
Click for a printable version of this weeks news story Recycled Vegetable Oil Powers Vans, Cars.
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More Facts to Share
You might share these additional facts with students after they have read this weeks news story.
Comprehension Check
Revisit the Anticipation Guide at the top of this lesson; ask students to add to the list they started in anticipation of reading. What new facts have they learned about how vehicles are powered and the kinds of fuels they use.
You might follow-up that activity by asking some of these questions:
Recalling Detail
Think About the News
Discuss the Think About the News question that appears on the students news page. You might use the think-pair-share strategy with students to discuss this question. If you use this strategy
Follow-Up Activities
Math. Share with students this chart, which shows the current cost of gasoline and diesel fuel in the U.S. (averaged) and in specific regions. Have students do the math" to determine the difference in the prices of gasoline and diesel in the U.S. and each of the nine regions listed. (For example, during the week of March 31, the average price of gasoline in the U.S. was $3.29 a gallon. The average price of diesel was $3.96. By doing the math, students will learn that diesel costs 67 cents more a gallon than gasoline.)
Language arts phonics. The letters ie can make different sounds in different words. Ask students to identify the sound that ie makes in the word diesel. Then ask students to identify the sound ie makes in any of the words below that they might know.
Easy words for young readers:
believe, brownie, chief, cookie, die, field, friend, lie, movie, piece, thief, view
Words for older readers:
Note: In some of these words (for example, audience and fiery) the ie sound is actually split between two syllables; it does not make a single sound as it does in diesel. achieve, ancient, anxiety, audience, boyfriend, briefcase, calorie, cashier, conscience, dietician, efficient, experience, fiendish, fiery, fiftieth, frontier, glacier, grievance, hieroglyphic, hygiene, impatient, kerchief, lieutenant, masterpiece, menagerie, necktie, notoriety, nutrient, obedient, patient, prairie, premiere, quiet, quotient, recipient, relieve, rookie, scientific, society, variety, viewpoint, windshield, zombie
Science. The exhaust from cars, trucks, and buses releases nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide into the air. Those pollutants are among the causes of acid rain. To help students understand the concept of acid rain, you might try one of these hands-on science experiments:
For younger students:
A Green Penny
After completing the experiment, point out to students that the reason the Statue of Liberty turned green (from its original copper) is due to a somewhat similar reaction. The statue naturally would have changed color due to exposure to the oxygen in the air. However, the acid in acid rain speeds up the reaction just as the vinegar (acetic acid) caused the reaction with the penny to occur in less than a week.
The Effects of Acid Rain on Radish Plants (Grades 7-12)
Yucky Lab Activities: Acid Rain (Grades 2-6)
Looking at Acid's Effects on Metal (Grades 3-12)
Assessment
Use the Comprehension Check (above) as an assessment. Or have students work on their own (in their journals) or in their small groups to respond to the Think About the News question on the news story page.
Lesson Plan Source
Education WorldNational Standards
LANGUAGE ARTS: English
GRADES K - 12
NL-ENG.K-12.2 Reading for Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills
MATHEMATICS: Number and Operations
GRADES 3 - 5
NM-NUM.3-5.3 Compute Fluently and Make Reasonable Estimates
GRADES 6 - 8
NM-NUM.6-8.3 Compute Fluently and Make Reasonable Estimates
GRADES 9 - 12
NM-NUM.9-12.3 Compute Fluently and Make Reasonable Estimates
SCIENCE
GRADES K - 4
NS.K-4.2 Physical Science
NS.K-4.4 Earth and Space Science
NS.K-4.5 Science and Technology
NS.K-4.6 Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
GRADES 5 - 8
NS.5-8.2 Physical Science
NS.5-8.4 Earth and Space Science
NS.5-8.5 Science and Technology
NS.5-8.6 Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
GRADES 9 - 12
NS.9-12.2 Physical Science
NS.9-12.4 Earth and Space Science
NS.9-12.5 Science and Technology
NS.9-12.6 Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Civics
GRADES K - 4
NSS-C.K-4.5 Roles of the Citizen
GRADES 5 - 8
NSS-C.5-8.5 Roles of the Citizen
GRADES 9 - 12
NSS-C.9-12.5 Roles of the Citizen
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Economics
GRADES K - 12
NSS-EC.K-4.1 Productive Resources
NSS-EC.K-4.7 Markets and Market Prices
NSS-EC.K-4.8 Supply and Demand
NSS-EC.K-4.9 Competition in the Marketplace
NSS-EC.K-4.11 Money
TECHNOLOGY
GRADES K - 12
NT.K-12.1 Basic Operations and Concepts
NT.K-12.2 Social, Ethical, and Human Issues
See recent news stories in Education Worlds News Story of the Week Archive.
Article by Ellen Delisio and Gary Hopkins
Education World®
Copyright © 2008 Education World
04/09/2008