Lesson Plan - Are We Ready for Driverless Cars?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• autonomous 
• proponents

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about whether they would want to ride in a driverless car.

1. What is the meaning of autonomous? What clues in the article help you determine this meaning?
The word autonomous means “operated without human control.” One clue is the sentence, “A car that drives itself may seem like something from the future.” Other clues come from the section in which the article explains how autonomous cars work: “Driverless cars use cameras and sensors to detect their surroundings. Artificial intelligence, or AI, processes information to help the car act like a human driver would.”
^{R.4 Vocabulary}

2. Why does Alain Kornhauser talk about riding in an elevator? What point is he trying to make?
In the article, Alain Kornhauser talks about riding in an elevator to support his argument that people may just be scared of driverless cars because they are new. He points out that many people are frightened the first time they ride in an elevator. He says, “Maybe you were scared the first time you rode in an elevator. But the door just opened and you got out.” 
^{R.1 Text Evidence}

3. What are some details in the article that support the idea that self-driving technology “still has a long way to go”?
Several details in the article support the idea that self-driving technology “still has a long way to go.” For example, the article says that a research group  estimates that autonomous vehicles still need at least 11 billion miles of road testing. It also notes that driverless cars may not be able to handle poor weather and may be subject to cyberattacks.
^{R.8 Reasons and Evidence}

Featured Skill: Reading an Editorial Cartoon
The skill builder “What’s the Message?” invites students to take a closer look at the editorial cartoon that appears on page 5. Have students work in small groups to analyze the cartoon and decide whether they agree with the artist’s viewpoint.
^{R.7 Text Features}