Alternative energy sources have become increasingly important as the production of domestic oil has declined and dependence on foreign oil has increased. Historically, there have been four time periods during which the United States was in fact crippled by oil shortages. These time periods include: (1) the early 1900s; (2) World War II; (3) the early 1970s; and (4) a fifteen-month period from 2007-2009. During this most recent time period, oil prices doubled in only nine months and then fell to half the original price in the next six months. Americans felt the effects of this phenomenon in many aspects of their lives: (1) travel to work; (2) vacations; (3) groceries; (4) buying products that required shipping; and (5) the cost of heating their homes. This uncontrollable change in oil prices will happen again as the nation's demand continues to increase while domestic production and future foreign production diminish. The general population needs to be technologically literate concerning alternative fuels in order to make intelligent decisions on meeting energy needs. This article focuses on a new unit of study that teaches concepts relating to alternative fuels--specifically, ethanol and biodiesel. Also covered are the responses from students, parents, and administrators concerning the new unit of instruction. This article does not claim to be the definitive answer to alternative fuels, but the unit has proven successful and will, hopefully, encourage teachers to explore curricular activities covering all aspects and types of alternative fuels. (Contains 2 tables and 5 figures.)