Reducing emissions from transport
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe how to travel in ways that reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Key learning points
- Cars use more energy to travel 100 km if they are heavier or travel at higher speeds.
- Cars use less energy if their tyres are inflated to the correct air pressure
- Walking and cycling regularly improve a person’s physical health
- Well-planned infrastructure for cycling, walking and public transport make it easier and safer to travel without a car
Keywords
Efficiency - the fraction of energy supplied to an object or system that is usefully transferred
Streamlined - shaped to reduce drag forces
Infrastructure - the set of facilities and systems that serve an area
Common misconception
Driving at a high speed does not have much effect on the amount of energy a car uses for a whole journey.
Discuss the idea that the faster a car travels, the greater the drag force pushing back on the car. A good analogy is walking slowly or quickly through water in a swimming pool - it's much harder to walk quickly because of the increased drag.
Teacher tip
For task B, pupils could be provided with a map of the school and local area on which they could draw their ideas, rather than describe them in prose.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the drag force on a moving bus?
Q2.Which direction does the drag force act on a moving car?
Q3.Why does a moving car have less drag than a bus moving at the same speed?
Q4.Which statement about the drag acting on a car is correct?
Q5.What word is used to describe cars that are shaped to reduce drag?
Q6.How do electric vehicles help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Two petrol cars make the same journey. The one that uses less petrol is more what?
Q2.What helps an electric car to use less charge to make a journey?
Q3.What is not a benefit of driving a petrol car at 60 mph on a motorway, instead of at 70 mph?
Q4.What is the best definition of infrastructure?
Q5.What infrastructure can encourage fewer journeys by car?
Q6.What infrastructure does not encourage more journeys by bicycle?
To help you plan your 8 science lesson on: Reducing emissions from transport, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 science lesson on: Reducing emissions from transport, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 science lessons from the Climate change and greenhouse gases unit, dive into the full secondary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.