Mastery Science
Death to diesel
Death to diesel
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Short description
Major car manufacturers have fitted software to diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests. In this activity students use their knowledge of chemical reactions to predict the products of combustion in a diesel engine. They then develop their communication skills by drafting a video (using supplied character cut-outs on lolly sticks) to persuade car buyers not to buy diesel cars.
Learning objectives
- Types of Reaction: Predict the products of the combustion of a given reactant and show the reaction as a word equation
- Communicate ideas: Know how to make it clear, concrete, correct and coherent
Blueprint curriculum link
- Unit: Matter & energy
- Concept: Combustion: Fuels burn when heated in a type of reaction called combustion. It is highly exothermic and produces carbon dioxide and water
- Skills: Speak: Speak effectively
- Learning stage: Acquire
Activity contents
- Teachers guide
- PowerPoint file
The activity is delivered as a zip file. After you checkout, you will be sent an email with the link to download it.
Weblinks
Update Nov 2015: More cars with cheat tests
Information on the effect of air pollution on life expectancy.
Teacher background knowledge; Government report with recommendations to reduce nitrogen dioxide pollution from diesel.
This article poses the question: why is it so hard to make clean diesel cars?
Article describing some health impacts of exposure to diesel engine emissions.
A report on efforts to quantify the health effects of nitrogen dioxide on Londoners.
Information on the effect of air pollution on life expectancy.
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Tried this with lower ability Year 7 – they loved making the vlogs! I didn’t go into the equations part too much, as that was a bit hard for them, but they were engaged and interested in the topic. Thank you
Tried this with lower ability Year 7 – they loved making the vlogs! I didn’t go into the equations part too much, as that was a bit hard for them, but they were engaged and interested in the topic. Thank you