The Car of the Future

2.4.5 Generalize

Materials Required
The

Car of the Future article

Pen/pencil
Paper

Activate Background Knowledge

Quick

Write: write a quick paragraph or

two describing what a car of the future
might be like (appearance, fuel used,
technological features).
You have ten minutes to write this, so
take your time and include everything
you can think of. We will share after the
quick write.

Your ideas- pair and share

Share

your ideas about the car of the

future with a partner.
Each pair will share their best idea with
the whole class.

Vocabulary in Context
Each

of the following vocabulary words

is presented in a contextual sentence
from the article Car of the Future.
Work with a partner predicting what
each word means based on its
sentence then we will decide on a
working definition as a group.

Vocabulary: embedded
Guided

by advanced cruise control,

GPS, and sensors embedded in the
roadway, the car stays in its line,
maintains a safe distance from
other vehicles, and alerts you to
your exit.

Vocabulary: power grid

So you plug into the citys power grid

to feed it electricity generated by your
carfor which youll get an energy
credit later on.

Vocabulary: hydrogen
The

leading candidate to
replace good old smelly
gasoline is hydrogen, the most
plentiful and available element
on the planet.

Vocabulary: hybrids
Gasoline-electric

hybrids like
the Toyota Prius and the Ford
Escape will be more common.

Vocabulary: fossil fuels

As much as wed like to be

getting around in flying saucers,
the reality is that by 2020 well
still be driving vehicles that use
fossil fuels, says Mary Ann
Wright

Vocabulary: potent irritants

Oxides

of nitrogen-known as
NOX-are potent irritants.

Vocabulary: interchanges
But

there are no road signs

anywhere, not for stores, gas
stations, restaurants, or even
the local exits and
interchanges.

Vocabulary: interactive
The

interactive systems take

over. Your car spots a
convenience store at the next
exit and zaps your grocery list
ahead.

Idioms

What is an idiom?

Any guesses?

Hint: sometimes if
you misunderstand
an idiom you feel like
an idiot.

An idiom is a phrase
that should not be
read literally to
understand its
meaning. For
example, raining
cats and dogs
means its raining
very hard not that
cats and dogs are
falling from the sky.

Idioms in Context
1.

The cars electric motor runs on

hydrogen, and has already been topped
off, automatically from an appliance in
your garage.
What else could you top off?

Idioms in Context
Once

in the parking lot, you check the

fuel gauge and figure youve got more
than enough juice to make it home.
What is another situation youd need
enough juice for?

Idioms in Context
Fundamentally,

we see no game
changing technology available by 2020,
says Bob Rivard, vice president of
Advanced Technology and Product
Marketing for automotive supplier
Robert Bosch Corp.
Can you think of over game changing
advances in technology?

Idioms in Context
Electronic

functions, driver preferences,

wireless connectivityits all in the
pipeline, coming at us fast.
What else could be in the pipeline?

Idioms in Context
That

means everyone coming into the

auto market will have known nothing but
the Internet, and he or she will take it for
granted, he says.
Is there anything youve ever taken for
granted?
Did you ever think the phrase was take
for granite?

Idioms in Context
Far-fetched?

Prasad thinks no more so

than what was once another radical
ideadistributing money from
machines called ATMs.
What other ideas have seemed farfetched in the past?

Setting a Purpose
Today

you will be reading an article that

speculates about what cars might be
like in the future. The article describes
different fuel options in the year 2020.
Read and highlight information about
the different fuel possibilities along
with pros and cons of each.

During Reading
Read

and highlight the article, fuel

possibilities, and pros & cons for each.
We will use the Me-We-Two strategy to
fill out a graphic organizer
Me

= teacher
We = teacher + students
Two = two students

Gasoline (Me)
Gasoline

Pros

Cons

Diesel (We)
Diesel

Pros

Cons

Hydrogen (Two)
Fuel Options Chart
Hydrogen

Pros

Cons

Completed Fuel Options Chart

F u e l O p t io n s
3 F u e l O p t io n s
G a s o lin e

D ie s e l

H y d ro g e n

P ro

C on

P ro

C on

P ro

C on

a c c e s ib le

e x p e n s iv e

e f f ic ie n t

N O X o x id e s o f n it r o g e n a r e b a d

n o p o llu t io n

h ig h ly e x p lo s iv e

e a s y to b u y

le s s e f f ic ie n t

c h e a p e r th a n g a s

s u p e r io r f u e l

e x p e n s iv e t e c h n o lo g y

p o llu t e r

c le a n d ie s e l o r b io d ie s e l

n o s m e ll

d if f ic u lt t o c o lle c t

s m e lls

g a s s t a t io n s e x is t

e f f ic ie n t

n e w e n g in e / c a r

p r o d u c e s le s s C O

p le n t if u l
in e x p e n s iv e m a te r ia l
k n o w h o w t o m a k e it

Drawing conclusions - fuel

Looking

at the pros and cons of

gasoline, diesel, and hydrogen; which
fuel option is preferable? Write a
complete answer using three textbased details to support your choice.
The content of each bubble in the
graphic organizer is a text-based detail.

Authors Purpose
Did

the author of The Car of the

Future write to entertain, inform, or
persuade you? Use two text-based
details to support your choice.
We will share answers in several
minutes.

Drawing Conclusions
What

conclusion can you draw about

which fuel will be used by automobiles
in 2020? Provide two text-based details
from the article to support your
conclusion.

Predictions Revisited
Take

another look at your predictions of

what a car of the future would look like.
How similar was your prediction to the
one presented in the article? How was
your prediction different? (Compare and
contrast)

Final Reflection
Write

a quick journal about the

strategies used in this lesson, how
effective they were for you, and how
you will use them in future reading.