Chemistry in the Earth System · Week 4 · Combustion and Energy
Comparing Fuels
Calculating the energy per gallon of different fuels and weighing tradeoffs in a decision without rushing.
- Students will
- Students calculate the energy in different amounts of fuel and use the numbers to explain why trucks choose diesel, weighing tradeoffs before deciding.
- SEL skill
- Slow down to weigh pros and cons before choosing a fuel
- What it looks like
- Students practice responsible decision-making by slowing down to weigh pros and cons.
- Content focus
- Calculating and comparing energy in fuels
- Format
- Small group problem-solving
Responsible decision-making
Responsible decision-making means making caring, constructive choices by thinking about ethics, safety, and consequences. More responsible decision-making activities
What you get
A teacher guide with what to say, step by step, plus student pages and a supports page for students with diverse learning needs, including those with IEPs. Print or Project it, or assign it in Google Forms and Google Docs for Google Classroom. Your first 10 activities are free.
Standards
- HS-PS3-1: High School Physical Science performance expectation
- Science and engineering practice: SEP5 Using mathematics and computational thinking
- Crosscutting concept: CCC3 Scale, proportion, and quantity
- CA Environmental Principles and Concepts: Principle II: People influence natural systems
- Literacy in science: RST.9-10.5 Analyze the structure of the relationships among concepts in a text.
- Traditional course: Chemistry
Fits these textbook chapters
- Modern Chemistry, Chapter 2: Measurements and Calculations
- Modern Chemistry, Chapter 9: Stoichiometry
- Modern Chemistry, Chapter 16: Reaction Energy
- Modern Chemistry, Chapter 22: Organic Chemistry
- California HMH Science Dimensions: Chemistry in the Earth System, Unit 5: Reaction Energy
Textbook names are used only to help you find activities that fit what you teach. RoseThread Connect is not affiliated with these publishers.
More responsible decision-making activities for Chemistry in the Earth System
- Energy Budgets Responsible decision-makingCalculating Earth's energy budget and balancing a personal energy budget of sleep, school, and work.
- Thermal Energy and Choices Responsible decision-makingDesigning a device that keeps a lunch cool and justifying design choices honestly, including weaknesses.
- Nuclear Changes Responsible decision-makingModeling fission, fusion, and decay and discussing how fear and facts both enter energy decisions.
- Rates of Reaction Responsible decision-makingArguing how temperature and concentration change reaction rates and noticing what speeds up or slows down our own reactions.
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RoseThread Connect activities are drafted with the help of AI and shaped by educators. Students never have to share anything personal. Our five SEL skills are informed by CASEL's SEL Framework; RoseThread Learning is not affiliated with or endorsed by CASEL.