3.2 Engine Performance
This is a 50-minute agricultural education lesson (Renewable Fuels curriculum, Unit 3 Lesson 2: “Engine Performance”) that teaches students about fuel quality and ethanol use in motor vehicles. Students learn why fuel quality matters to engine longevity, the benefits of ethanol in automobile performance, and user guidelines for properly fueling vehicles with fuel blends. It includes an interest approach, three objectives, teaching strategies (Little Professor Moment, Mother Goose Moment), transparency masters, a student activity sheet, and an assessment with answer key.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
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- Recognize that the quality of fuel used in any motor vehicle engine is very important to its long life and proper operation.
- Identify the benefits of using ethanol in automobile performance.
- Identify the user guidelines for properly filling vehicles with blends of fuel.
- Time required
- Instruction time for this lesson: 50 minutes.
- Materials
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- Writing surface
- Overhead projector
- TM.A
- TM.B
- TM.C
- AS.A – one per student
- Assess. A
- Precepts
- A. Action — A5. Communicate effectively with others. E. Awareness — E1. Address issues important to the community.
- Key Terms
- Antiknock Index, Renewable Fuels
- Resources
- http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx; http://www.nwicc.com/pages/continuing/business/ethanol/module5.htm; www.ethanolrfa.org; http://www.ethanolfacts.com/ETHL2007/engine.asp#
Downloads & Links
Aligned Standards
National Standards
- NL-ENG. K-12.2Reading for understanding.
- NSS-EC.9-12.2Effective Decision Making — Understand marginal benefit is the change in total benefit resulting from an action. Marginal cost is the change in total cost resulting from an action.