Format
1. This program begins with a discussion of bioenergy and bioproducts to activate students' background knowledge.
2. The presenter will lead students in a discussion about the cycle of the bioproducts industry.
3. Students will play a game - "Bioproduct - yes or no?" using poplar leaf paddles to vote on a variety of different products.
4. Students will be introduced to the three main ideas of the Center of Bioenergy Innovation current research around poplar trees as a source for fuel and bioproducts;; increase the rate of growth, decrease water usage, increase sugar production and decrease production costs.
5. Students will be introduced to the field of genetic research with a hands-on experiment to demonstrate the differences between physical changes and genetic changes.
6. Students will engage in a discussion about genetic modification and its impact on bioenergy and bioproducts.
7. Students will simulate genetic modification of the DNA sequence and delivery systems scientists use to introduce the edited DNA back into the plant to yield the desired changes.
8. The science educator will lead students through a review of the life of a bioproduct with emphasis on the Center of Bioenergy Innovation's approach.
Objectives
-The participant will be introduced to the industry of bioenergy and bioproducts.
-The participant will evaluate the suitability of a variety of products for potential bioproducts..
-The participant will discuss and compare the benefits and challenges of bioproducts and petroleum-based products..
-The participant will extract wheat germ DNA.
-The participant will simulate the process of editing DNA and delivering it back into a plant.
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 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.