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Year 8

Impacts of transport on the greenhouse effect

I can compare the impact of different types of transport on global warming.

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New
New
Year 8

Impacts of transport on the greenhouse effect

I can compare the impact of different types of transport on global warming.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Link copied to clipboard

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Burning fuels for transport produces greenhouse gases, other pollutant gases, and particulates.
  2. Petrol and diesel vehicles burn fuels, while electric vehicles do not, but fuels may be burned to generate electricity.
  3. The energy use of planes, trains, cars, ships, and buses can be compared.
  4. Vehicles use energy and resources during manufacturing.
  5. Parts of vehicles may become waste at the end of their useful lives.

Keywords

  • Greenhouse gases - gases in the atmosphere that keep it warmer than it would be without them

  • Particulates - solid particles and liquid droplets in the air

  • Contrail - the white cloud-like trail behind an aeroplane made of ice crystals

  • Recycle - to convert waste material into new products

Common misconception

Greenhouse gases are only emitted in the life of a vehicle when it is moving.

Discuss greenhouse gas emissions caused by the extraction of resources, production of materials, manufacturing of parts and the vehicle itself, as well as the recycling and disposal of the vehicle at the end of its life.


To help you plan your year 8 science lesson on: Impacts of transport on the greenhouse effect, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This lesson is intended to include comparisons only between powered common types of transport. The emphasis is deliberately limited to the differences in greenhouse gas emissions, their causes, and, in the case of contrails, other factors that affect the greenhouse effect.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words about the greenhouse effect with their definitions.
Correct Answer:atmosphere,layer of gases that surrounds a planet

layer of gases that surrounds a planet

Correct Answer:carbon dioxide ,a greenhouse gas made by burning fuel

a greenhouse gas made by burning fuel

Correct Answer:emissions,releases of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere

releases of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere

Correct Answer:greenhouse gases,atmospheric gases keeping Earth warmer than it would be without them

atmospheric gases keeping Earth warmer than it would be without them

Q2.
What is the increase in Earth’s temperature above what is has been for many thousands of years called?
Correct Answer: global warming
Q3.
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
total effect of all greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
effect of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
Correct answer: effect of extra greenhouse gases added by human activity
increase in temperature of Earth since the industrial revolution
Q4.
What is the name given to the average weather conditions in a country or region?
Correct Answer: climate
Q5.
What would happen to Earth’s average temperature if the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increased less quickly than it is now?
fall very quickly
fall slowly over a long period of time
Correct answer: continue to rise, but less quickly
continue to rise, but more quickly
Q6.
What would happen to Earth’s average temperature if the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere started to decrease?
fall very quickly
Correct answer: fall slowly over a long period of time
continue to rise, but less quickly
continue to rise, but more quickly

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What are tiny particles of solids or droplets of liquids in the air called?
Correct Answer: particulate, particulates
Q2.
What are some of the advantages of electric cars?
usually cheaper to buy than similar petrol cars
Correct answer: usually cheaper to run than similar petrol cars
Correct answer: they do not emit greenhouse gases
can be fully charged in one or two minutes
Q3.
How do electric cars cause some greenhouse gas emissions?
Correct answer: charging using electricity generated by burning fossil fuels
charging using electricity produced by solar panels
emitting carbon dioxide from their batteries
Correct answer: producing the materials they are made from
Q4.
What word describes what happens to over 85% of a car at the end of its life?
Correct Answer: recycled, it is recycled, recycle, recycling
Q5.
Order the forms of transport for a family of four travelling from London to Paris, starting with the one that emits the least amount of greenhouse gases.
1 - Eurostar (electric) train
2 - electric car
3 - petrol car
4 - plane
Q6.
What to aeroplanes produce that increases the greenhouse effect?
clouds
Correct answer: contrails
Correct answer: greenhouse gas emissions
particulates