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Keystone Science School: Sustainable Automobiles

Created by the Keystone Center with support from GM, Sustainable Automobiles allows students to investigate automobile options to determine the most sustainable transportation for their futures. Through economic, equity, and environmental arenas, students will investigate fuel sources, car design, and community habits. This curriculum module is an interdisciplinary unit encompassing science, math, technology, language arts, and social science standards.

The materials below include an introduction, a key to the national standards addressed by the module, and lesson plans with student activity sheets. Supplemental information and interactive elements are available on the student sections of this web site. For more information on the Keystone Center, please visit the Keystone web site.

Grade Level:

Anticipated Duration:

Download Lessons >>
10-day period

 

Objectives

  • Spark students' interest in the automobile industry.
  • Give students the tools to make informed decisions as consumers.

National Standards:

Science
  • Science as Inquiry
  • Physical Science
  • Science and Technology
  • Personal and Social Perspectives
  • History and Nature of Science
Mathematics
  • Number and Operations
  • Algebra
  • Geometry
  • Measurement
  • Data Analysis and Probability
  • Problem Solving
  • Reasoning and Proof
  • Communication
  • Connections
  • Representation
Technology
  • Technology Research Tools
  • Technology Problem-solving and Decision-making Tools
Language Arts
  • Reading for Perspective
  • Understanding the Human Experience
  • Evaluation Strategies
  • Communication Skills
  • Communication Strategies
  • Applying Knowledge
  • Evaluating Data
  • Developing Research Skills
  • Multicultural Understanding
  • Participating in Society
  • Applying Language Skills
Social Sciences
  • Civics
    • Civic Life, Politics and Government
    • Foundations of the American Political System
    • Principles of Democracy
    • Roles of the Citizen
  • Economics
    • Scarcity
    • Marginal Cost/Benefit
    • Allocation of Goods and Services
    • Role of Incentives
    • Gain from Trade
    • Specialization and Trade
    • Markets -- Price and Quantity Determination
    • Role of Price in the Market System
    • Role of Competition
    • Role of Money
    • Role of Resources in Determining Income
    • Profit and the Entrepreneur
    • Growth
    • Role of Government
    • Using Cost/Benefit Analysis to Evaluate Government Programs
    • Macro economy: Income, Employment, Prices
    • Unemployment and Inflation
    • Monetary and Fiscal Policies
  • Geography
    • The World in Spatial Terms
    • Places and Regions
    • The Uses of Geography
  • U.S. History
    • Era 6: The Development of Industrial United States (1870-1900)
    • Era 7: The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
    • Era 8: The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
    • Era 9: Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
    • Era 10: Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)

Downloads:

Related interactive material in student sections:

Related stories:

Non-GM links on sustainability: