Drivers, Start Your Engines!

Drivers, Start Your Engines!

Making Air Quality Practical, Relevant, and FUN for Youth

Roberta BurnesEnvironmental Education Specialist

Kentucky Division for Air Quality

Air quality is abstract

Make it activeMake it

personalEngage the

senses

How do consumer decisions impact air quality?

2006 Hummer H3 Midsize SUVMPG – City 16/Highway 20

Maximum Seating - 5

2006 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleMPG – City 18/Highway 26

Maximum Seating - 2

2006 Toyota Prius Compact Hybrid SedanMPG – City 60/Highway 51

Maximum Seating - 5

Setting the Stage

• Students receive car cards with MPG data

• Each student gets three gas tokens

• Each gas token is worth one gallon of gas

ProcedureStudents line

upChoose city

or highway

ProcedureBegin walking,

counting stepsOne step=one

mile

ProcedureRefer to car cards for

MPGDrop one gas token

for every gallon of gas you use

When you run out of gas, stop!

ProcedureSome cars go

farther than others on a gallon of gas! Maybe I should choose another vehicle ….

The carpool advantageStudents

choose who they want to carpool with

Students “pool” their gas tokens

No one runs out of gas!

Extensions: Hybrid cars

Where’s the exhaust?

Extensions: GHG emissions

Collecting tailpipe exhaust to test for CO2

Extensions: GHG emissions

Car exhaust is release into solution of bromothymol blue

Amount of color change indicates relative concentration of CO2

ConclusionsAir quality

impacts everything – people, plants, environment

Look for ways to make it “touchy-feely”

Have fun!

Contact

Roberta BurnesKentucky Division for Air

Quality800-928-0047

roberta.burnes@ky.gov