Many of us remember turning 16, getting our driver's license, and feeling that freedom of being able to get to wherever we wanted. I was a lucky one: my parents bought me a car right off the bat. However, that car was not exactly, oh, a Prius. My '84 Cutlass Ciera (with sweet whitewall tires and a Grateful Dead sticker) guzzled gas, but at less than a buck a gallon in '96, even on my restaurant hostessing paycheck, it was a small price to pay for freedom.

Kids today aren't much different, even if the world is. Gas is at least twice that, cars that kids want are, by and large, much bigger (anyone see the six-door Hummer on MTV's My Super Sweet Sixteen? Oh, me neither…), and global warming is looming much larger, but kids still want that freedom, and, if they are lucky, they'll still get to drive. So how do I get my kids to at least drive responsibly?

We start off by watching An Inconvenient Truth. This film kicks off our study of energy. Straightaway, the kids understand that transportation by fossil fuel has consequences for our communities and environment. Then, students list five cars, including their make, model, and year: either their own car, if they have one, or the car of a parent or friend; their dream car; a car they will realistically be driving in five years; an SUV; and a hybrid of their choice. Using FuelEconomy.gov, kids record both the city and highway estimated miles per gallon for their chosen cars. Then, using prices seen at the gas station across the street from our school, students calculate both weekly and yearly fuel costs for each vehicle, based on 300, 200, or 100 miles of driving per week. When students, particularly those who pay for their own gas, see the drastic differences between SUVs and smaller cars, particularly hybrids, they are shocked. The totals can vary by thousands of dollars.

Where do we go from there? First, I encourage kids to simply drive less. Our district is small–most kids can walk, bike, or take the school bus. Our community's recently-rejuvenated downtown area is just down the street from our school. There are city bus stops and a light-rail stop within two blocks, and we look at where public transportation can take us (they also get a kick out of seeing me on my bike in the morning or waiting for the bus.) Beyond that, we look at tips from 365 Ways to Save Gas by Ron Weiers, which outlines driving habits, maintenance tips, and good habits that help save gas (and is a great continuation if you loved Rebecca's auto-themed Tip o' the Days.) Hopefully, this allows students to think before and during driving, which will benefit their wallets and our world.