Part of Lesson Plan: **Catalytic Converter (updated) by Richard Williams

Activity Overview / Details

As the students enter the classroom they will see a question written on the white board:

What comes out of a car’s exhaust?

I let them stew on this while I take roll and complete any other housekeeping tasks required. Then I ask the class for answers. Typically I’ll get the standard answer of CO, HC, NOx, CO2 and O2. If someone actually studied before class I may even get SO2. I agree with, and congratulate them on their correct answers.

Then I ask them if we can simplify what they have come up with. After several minutes of attempts, I’ll suggest, "Whatever goes in the intake." After several seconds of looking at their confusion I’ll let them know it’s like when a group of guys and a group of girls go to a party. Now they’re still confused but much more interested. I’ll continue by saying things like girl #1 leaves the party with guy #4 and girl #2 & #3 leave with guys #5 & #6 and so on. I explain that everyone that went in is going to leave but not necessarily with the same persons they came with. They have been "re-arranged".