Current Electric Vehicle Usage in the Community:

Analyzing the % of EV’s in the Parking Lot


Grades: 7-10

Subject Area(s): Mathematics, Environmental Science

Lesson Description: Students will conduct research within their school community to better understand EV usage around campus

Lesson Objectives:

  • Understand the concept of electric vehicles (EVs) and their impact on sustainability and the environment.

  • Develop data collection and analysis skills by determining the percentage of electric cars in the parking lot at the school or North Shore Community College.

  • Analyze the findings to draw conclusions and explore the potential for increasing electric vehicle adoption.

Materials:

  • Internet access for research

  • Pen/pencil and paper

  • Digital devices (optional) for data entry and analysis

  • Access to school ground / parking lots

Day 1: Introduction and Research

Discussion Questions:

  • What do you know about electric cars?

  • Have you seen any electric vehicles in the parking lot or around the community?

  • What are the potential benefits of electric vehicles for the environment and sustainability?

  • How would EV infrastructure benefit the community?

Steps:

Provide an overview of the lesson objectives and explain the data collection task:

Students will collect data on the number of electric cars in the parking lot at their school or North Shore Community College (up to Essex Tech staff to decide). The data will be used to determine the percentage of electric cars used by school staff in comparison to conventional gasoline-powered cars.

Divide students into small groups and assign each group a specific location to conduct their research:

  1. School parking lot: students will count the number of electric cars and conventional cars in their assigned parking lot.

  2. North Shore Community College parking lot: (granting permission) students will count the number of electric cars and conventional cars in the parking lots.

Instruct students to conduct research individually or as a group using reliable sources to learn more about electric vehicles, their benefits, and their environmental impact. They should also research the differences between EVs and conventional cars, and how to understand how to identify an EV vs. a combustion engine vehicle (there are typically badges on the backs of cars that are electric).

Day 2: Data Collection and Analysis

Students should record the data in a table, including the total number of electric cars, total number of conventional cars, and the respective percentages. Students can include Hybrid (HEV) Plug in Hybrid (PHEV) and electric bikes as electric cars.

Once data is collected, students should be working from the shared data set (all of the parking lots combined).

Instruct students to calculate the percentage of electric cars.

Students may use the following formula: Percentage of electric cars = (Number of electric cars / Total number of cars) x 100

Review the research findings on electric vehicles and engage students in a brief discussion to share their insights and discoveries.

After completing the data collection and calculations, students should analyze the results and draw conclusions:

  • What is the percentage of electric cars in the parking lot?

  • How does this percentage compare to their initial expectations?

  • What factors could contribute to the observed percentage of electric cars?

  • Are there any patterns or trends they notice in the data?

Facilitate a class discussion where groups share their findings and conclusions. Encourage students to compare their results if different locations were assigned.

Summarize the discussion and ask students to reflect on the potential for increasing electric vehicle adoption:

  • What can individuals, schools, or communities do to promote electric vehicle adoption?

  • How can increased electric vehicle adoption contribute to sustainability and environmental goals?

Extend the Project

Instruct students to collect data on the % of EVs found on the school campus for 1 week and then find an average % for the entire week.

Assessment

  • Students' participation in class discussions and group work

  • Accuracy and completeness of data collection and calculations

  • Quality of conclusions drawn from the analysis

  • Reflection on why they think there are/are not many electric vehicles used by on-campus staff