Educator-Vetted and Customized Curricular Resources on Transitioning from Internal Combustion Vehicles to Electric Vehicles (EVs)
Introduction
Driven by the rapid expansion of the zero emission vehicle industry and the transformation of transportation infrastructure, CE and the Clean Energy Fellows launched the Clean Transportation Toolkit in order to advance the next phase of this growing talent ecosystem initiative. Together, they identified high-quality existing resources that highlight best practices in clean transportation education and workforce development, while also identifying clear gaps present in the tools and supports available for this content area and building new resources to address these needs.
A key outcome of these collaborative efforts is the development of a Clean Transportation Implementation Toolkit, a curated mini library of resources that includes this blend of existing, adapted, and newly created classroom curricular materials. Lessons are designed to allow teachers the flexibility to mix and sequence activities to best suit their students’ needs and grade levels. By engaging with these resources, students deepen their understanding of foundational scientific concepts and apply real-world science and engineering practices. These learning experiences are anchored to a critical question: “How will the transition from internal combustion vehicles to EVs affect local communities?”
Development Process
Over the course of a year, these teacher-experts engaged in professional development on topics including localized energy justice, community assets, career-centered learning, contextual data literacy, and battery science in order to expand their content knowledge across grade levels. Through a series of interactive work sessions, they developed a cohesive K-12 learning framework build around essential questions that connect classroom learning to real world phenomena that guide student inquiry.
Educators identified focus areas that would most engage their students and reflect the needs of their local communities, included agricultural transitions to electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell technologies, and emerging eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles) transportation systems. A central theme across their work was comparing efficiency and impact of fossil fuel transportation to zero emission alternatives, providing students with authentic challenges and data as well as the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the complex engineering solutions involved in shaping the future of clean transportation.
Tools included in the kit that were created by CE’s partners and national education experts were modified to reflect the place-based contexts for students of these Clean Energy Fellows or their individual unit. Partners with curriculum featured include Ten Strands, EDF Energy, the Boston University, the National Energy Foundation, and Sustainable Transportation Education Program (STEP) at North Carolina State University, Teach Engineering, and REVIT. CE’s projects, and the broader movement for accessible clean energy education as a whole, would not be successful without the immense and growing number of curricular tools built by passionate experts like these.
Storyline and Essential Questions
CE and its Clean Energy Fellows used an Next Generation Science Standards “Storyline” framework to organize this set of curriculum, aligning a bundle of individual lesson plans and activities with grade-band-specific essential questions that address a big-picture challenge. Storylines ensure that students can identify why they are engaged in particular science activities, pointing to a distinct question that will involve developing proficiency in content and practices from multiple angles. The Clean Transportation Implementation Toolkit Storyline uses one overarching K-12 question, with elementary, middle, and high school grades using a series of smaller age-appropriate questions to build toward this high-level theme.
K-12 Overarching Question: How will the transition from internal combustion vehicles to EVs affect local communities?
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
- How can renewable energy resources work to create energy?
- What natural resources exist in and around my community?
- What are the Clean Transportation Alternatives to Fossil Fuel Vehicles?
- What is the history and future of fossil fuels transportation?
- What is electricity, how is it connected to energy, and how do we meet our energy needs?
- How do electric, hydrogen, and fossil fuel vehicles compare?
- How do clean transportation vehicles compare to fossil fuel vehicles?
- As the shift from fossil fuel to clean transportation vehicles create new job opportunities, how can communities equip the next generation workforce to benefit from this tranistion?
- What could the future of clean transportation look like in your community?
Elementary School Curriculum
Elementary Essential Question #1: How can renewable energy resources work to create energy?
Dr. Universe is a very smart cat who teams up with professors, researchers, experts from Washington State University to investigate tough questions from curious elementary and middle school students. Before reading Dr. Universe’ answer, students can discuss their understanding of the question, “Will electricity ever run out?.” After learning from Dr. Universe, they can share what they learned about energy, electricity, and renewable and non-renewable sources of energy.
Elementary Essential Question #2: What natural resources exist in and around my community?
Phenomenon: Harvesting Fresh Water From Fog (YouTube Video)
Students are introduced the the Atacama Desert in Chile, know as the the driest place on Earth. Students are encouraged to predict what resources might be abundant or limited in this extreme environment. Through the video, students learn that local Chilean communities collect fog for drinking water and agricultural use using mesh nets on windy hilltops. Students can develop their understanding of naturally occurring resources and explore how human engineering can help overcome challenges- while also applying these ideas to their local communities.
Elementary Essential Question #3: What are the Clean Transportation Alternatives to Fossil Fuel Vehicles?
Phenomenon: Meet the 89-Year Old Who Built a Train in His Backyard (YouTube Video)
In this short video from Wired, students will meet an 89-year old entrepreneur who wants to disrupt the railroad with a modern twist on a very old train idea. Students can discuss the costs and benefits of a shift from fossil fuels to clean transportation and what new renewable energy transportation technologies might be possible in the future.
Middle School Curriculum
Middle School Essential Question #1: What is the history of fossil fuel transportation?
Phenomenon: Electric School Buses
Electric School Buses (YouTube Video)
California School District First in Nation to Use All Electric Buses (YouTube Video)
Across the country, traditional diesel school buses are being replaced with electric school buses. Students watch the video on how electric school buses work.
Students watch the video about Oakland, CA, the first district in the country to use all electric buses, and how they feed unused energy back into the grid.
Students are asked what they notice and wonder about these new electric buses (are they quieter or smell different?). Students discuss why they think schools are making the switch, and what the impacts on student health, the environment, and school funding might be.
As a class, students could explore each state’s Electric School Bus program through the Electric School Bus Data Dashboard.
Middle School Essential Question #2: What is electricity, how is it connected to energy, and how do we meet our energy needs?
Phenomenon: PBS’ What is the Power Grid? Video
A resource to support inquiry around the essential question: “Where does our energy come from?” to create a Driving Question Board. This video explains energy and the electrical grid: Where does our electricity come from? How are fossil fuels formed? What is the largest machine in the world?
Middle School Essential Question #3: How do Electric, Hydrogen, and fossil fuel vehicles compare?
Phenomenon: Domino’s Pizza Safe Sound (YouTube Video)
To improve road safety Domino’s Pizza the Netherlands introduces a human engine sound on their silent electrical scooters. Great starting off point for a discussion of differences between electric and gas-powered vehicles
High School Curriculum
High School Essential Question #1: How do clean transportation vehicles compare to fossil fuel vehicles?
Phenomenon: Alternative Fuels Data Center
The Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) provides information, data, and tools to help fleets and other transportation decision-makers find ways to reach their energy and economic goals through the use of alternative and renewable fuels, advanced vehicles, and other fuel-saving measures. Students can explore the AFDC and brainstorm questions they may have about particular resources.
High School Essential Question #2: As the shift from fossil fuel to clean transportation vehicles creates new job opportunities, how can communities be equipped to benefit from this transition?
Phenomenon: Electric vs Gas Powered Lawn Equipment Decibel Sound Test (YouTube Video)
About the Equitable Gas Leaf Blower Phase Out (Resource for Portland, OR-area students)
New Hybrid Bucket Trucks (YouTube Video)
Con Edison’s First Fully Electric Bucket Truck (YouTube Video)
This series of videos explores the impact of moving from gas powered to electric machinery, starting with lawn equipment and then utility vehicles. Students can develop statements about community impact of the transition as well as develop questions about what changes they would see in their community as it prepares for and benefits from this transition.
Questions for discussion:
What does it take for a city (like Portland) to fully transition to ZEV (zero emission vehicles)? Questions generated: What are the needs of our transit system to support this? What about Infrastructure (charging)? What are the needs of workforce?
As an alternative, consider a utilities’ existing fleet of large utility vehicles which aren’t fully converted to ZEV but are equipped with an electric motor on top to power ladders, etc. Workers could turn off the motor so they don’t idle in neighborhoods- how would this benefit communities?
High School Essential Question #3: What could the future of clean transportation look like in your community?
Phenomenon: Self Flying Air Taxis in Houston
This article from SmartCities Dive describes the pilotless air taxis coming to a greater Houston community as soon as 2030. Students can read or listen to the article and learn about the electric autonomous aircraft with vertical take off and answer: What?, When?, Where?, How? & Who Benefits? as well as discuss what their hopes for the electrified future of transportation in their communities.