Format
1. This program begins with a discussion of biofuels and gasoline to activate students' background knowledge.
2. Then, we compare and contrast four fuel types.
3. Next, we explore the controversy between gasoline and biofuels by relating it to the carbon cycle and ocean acidification.
4. Then, students model the process of ocean acidification through a hands-on activity.
5. Next, students participate in a game of "Does It Contain Corn?"
6. Then, we move into the idea of switchgrass as a biofuel source.
7. Finally, students model the cell wall of both corn and switchgrass.
Objectives
Objectives
-The participant will compare and contrast fuel types.
-The participant will model the process of ocean acidification.
-The participant will develop an appreciation for the widespread use of corn in common products.
-The participant will model the cell wall of both corn and switchgrass to understand the challenge of harvesting sugars from plant cells to make biofuels.
Standards Alignment
National Standards
5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
MS-PS1-3. Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.