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.
Science objective
Types of Reaction: Predict the products of the combustion or thermal decomposition of a given reactant and show the reaction as a word equation (KS3 Science Syllabus)
Enquiry objective
Communicate ideas: Know how to make it clear, concrete, correct and coherent (KS3 Science Syllabus)
Download the activity
Death to diesel?
Death to diesel? (Teachers guide)
Engage
Car manufacturers have been cheating exhaust fume tests. What are the health impacts of emissions from diesel cars?
Review
Students find out about the chemical reactions that make some of the substances emitted by diesel cars, and write chemical equations for these reactions.
Consider
Students produce a vlog to persuade car buyers to boycott diesel cars.
Decide
Students peer evaluate each others’ vlogs and decide whether they will persuade car buyers to boycott diesel cars.
Go further
Why not use the dilemma of diesel cars as a context for teaching the whole combustion topic?
- Start by setting up the dilemma, using slides 2-4
- Teach the science of combustion as usual way, making connections with the diesel context
- Ask students to apply their science, using slides 6-9
- Challenge students to reach an informed decision, using slides 10-11
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.