Automotive Care: Gasoline & Diesel (Semester Course)

Give your high school student the confidence to understand, maintain, and make smart financial decisions about one of the biggest investments they'll own—a vehicle. Automotive Care: Gasoline & Diesel is a secular, activity-based semester course designed for independent learners in grades 9–12. Through hands-on investigations, real-world projects, and practical consumer skills, students learn how modern vehicles work while developing knowledge that will serve them for years to come.

Unlike traditional automotive classes that focus solely on mechanics, this course combines automotive science, engineering, maintenance, and financial literacy. Students don't just learn how engines work—they also discover how to compare vehicles, understand insurance, calculate ownership costs, and create a realistic vehicle ownership plan.

Course Highlights

• 🚗 One semester (18 weeks)

• 🎓 ½ High School Credit

• 📚 Secular curriculum

• 🔧 Activity-based, hands-on learning

• 👨🎓 Designed for mostly independent learners

• 👨👩👧 Minimal parent preparation required

• 🌐 Uses free online videos and resources

• 📝 Includes grading rubrics, worksheets, projects, and discussion questions

• 🚙 Real vehicle optional—every activity includes a no-vehicle alternative for students without access to a car.

Students Will Learn

Throughout the semester, students explore:

• Shop safety and automotive tools

• Vehicle anatomy and major systems

• Gasoline engine operation

• Diesel engine operation

• Fuel systems and turbocharging

• Cooling systems

• Vehicle fluids and maintenance

• Batteries and electrical systems

• Braking systems

• Tires, steering, and suspension

• Fuel delivery, exhaust, and emissions

• Preventative maintenance

• Vehicle diagnostics and OBD-II systems

• Buying a vehicle

• Financing and loans

• Auto insurance

• The true cost of vehicle ownership

• Creating a complete vehicle ownership plan

Hands-On Learning

Students complete engaging activities throughout the course, including:

• Tool identification and safe handling

• Dashboard warning light decoding

• Building a four-stroke engine model

• Air filter inspections

• Diesel engine comparisons

• Fluid inspections

• Battery voltage checks

• Brake inspections

• Tire evaluations

• Maintenance scheduling

• Vehicle troubleshooting

• Cost-of-ownership calculations

• Vehicle purchasing and insurance planning

These practical experiences help students connect automotive theory with real-world skills they'll use for a lifetime.

Capstone Project

The course concludes with a comprehensive Vehicle Ownership Plan, where students integrate everything they've learned by researching, budgeting, financing, insuring, maintaining, and evaluating the long-term cost of owning a vehicle.

What's Included

• Complete 18-week course

• Detailed daily lesson plans

• Weekly activities

• Weekly mini-projects

• 12 worksheets

• Discussion questions

• Grading rubrics

• Final capstone project

• Suggested transcript wording

• Links to free educational resources

Perfect For

• High school homeschool students

• Career & Technical Education (CTE) electives

• Students interested in automotive technology

• Future drivers

• Students considering careers in transportation, diesel technology, engineering, agriculture, or mechanics

• Any student who wants practical life skills and financial confidence before purchasing their first vehicle

Practical, engaging, and designed for real life, Automotive Care: Gasoline & Diesel gives students far more than automotive knowledge—it equips them with the confidence to become informed, responsible vehicle owners while earning ½ high school credit.