LESSON 5: Restructuring InfrastructureTime: 45-90 minutes
Lesson Overview
Switching from gasoline-powered vehicles to vehicles powered by alternative energy sources is a complicated process. One reason is that the U.S. transportation infrastructure—that is, the way we produce, transport, and store energy for use in our vehicles—is designed primarily to deliver oil and gasoline. Even converting a simple gas station so that it contains ethanol or biodiesel pumps can be a lengthy, expensive process requiring specialized training. In Lesson 5, students will investigate the infrastructure requirements of alternative energy sources in order to identify the structures and systems that will need to be in place by the year 2020 to accommodate their vehicle designs.
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:- Describe in general terms the infrastructure currently in place for alternative energy sources.
- Present infrastructure data as a graph.
- Determine the costs of building infrastructure appropriate for the wide-scale use of alternative energy sources.
Lesson Essential Questions
1. What infrastructure is currently in place for alternative energy sources?
2. How can infrastructure data effectively be represented?
3. What are the costs of building infrastructure for alternative energy sources?
