CenUSA Bioenergy High School Curriculum January, 2016
CenUSA Bioenergy High School Curriculum
January, 2016
Lesson 1: Introduction to Bioenergy
This is an introductory lesson covering bioenergy. Student will need this knowledge to complete labs and research in following lessons. Lessons are designed for 10th-12th grade students. This lesson was designed for a block schedule; however, it may be shortened and edited to suit the teacher, the material, and the class. This material may also be used in other agricultural classes.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to successfully achieve the following objectives:
- Define bioenergy and state at least two examples of bioenergy feedstock.
- State at least two examples of fossil fuels.
- Hypothesize why certain plants are used for bioenergy and what other plants might be used in the future.
Academic Standards
Domain: Emerging Technologies (Sustainable Energy Alternative)
Core Standard 1: Students apply knowledge of natural resources components to the management of natural resource systems.
Core Standard 6: Students research emerging renewable energy resource technologies.
Indiana State Standard: SEA-6.1
National AFNR Standards: CS.02.04; CS.03.03; CS.09; BS.01; BS.03; ESS.01; ESS.02; ESS.05; NRS.01
Next Generation Science Standards: HS-PS3-3
Documentation of Competencies Met by This Lesson
Connection to SAE/Career Development: Agricultural Communications, Agricultural Education, Agricultural Mechanics Energy Systems, Agriscience Research - Plant Systems, Diversified Agriculture Production, Diversified Crop – Entrepreneurship, Diversified Crop – Placement, Diversified Horticulture, Emerging Agricultural Technology, Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management, Fiber and/or Oil Crop Production, Grain Production – Entrepreneurship, Grain Production – Placement, Specialty Crop Production
Connection to FFA/Leadership Development/Personal Growth: Anything that involves working with new and emerging technology, diversified crop production, specialty crop production, educating the community about bioenergy, and continuing education.
Orvis, Kararo, Long ©Purdue Page 3 August 2014
CenUSA Bioenergy High School Curriculum January, 2016
Curriculum Content Included
Websites Utilized 4
Supplies Needed 4
Teaching Content and Learning Activities 5
1.1 Introduction to Bioenergy 5
Learning Activity: Energy Sources 5
Learning Activity 1: Bioenergy Overview 5
Teaching Content 6
Learning Activity 2: Introduction to Renewable Energy 6
1.2 History of Biofuels 6
Learning Activity: Biofuel Historical Timeline 6
1.3 Renewable Fuel Standard Program - President Bush (2022) 7
Teaching Content 7
Learning Activity: Exploring the RFS Program 7
1.4 Biofuel Policy 7
Learning Activity: Fueling the Future 7
Bioenergy Timeline 8
Bioenergy Timeline Worksheet 10
Lesson 1: Student Review Questions 12
Lesson 1: Student Review Questions - KEY 13
Lesson 1: Teacher Assessment 14
Supplemental Documents:
Lesson 1 PowerPoint Presentation
Lesson 1 Print Outs
Websites Utilized
· http://www.eia.gov/kids/resources/teachers/pdfs/submitted_lessons/source_roll_elem_lesson.pdf
· http://nuffieldbioethics.org/teaching-resource/biofuels/
· http://agenergyia.org/portfolio-items/module-5-intro-to-renewable-energy/
· http://www.bioenergywiki.net/Bioenergy_timeline
· http://www.ethanolrfa.org/pages/renewable-fuel-standard/
· http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5600
Supplies Needed
• 1 set of print-outs of the informational activity sheets on pages 2-11 at: http://www.eia.gov/kids/resources/teachers/pdfs/submitted_lessons/source_roll_elem_lesson.pdf (Larsen & Young, Science Central, Fort Wayne, IN)
• Biofuel Timeline (see pp. 7-8; also found in the Lesson 1 PowerPoint)
• Biofuel Timeline Worksheet for each student (see pp. 9-10; also found in the Lesson 1 Print Outs document)
Teaching Content and Learning Activities
Notes.
A PowerPoint presentation is included with this curriculum and includes the follow teaching content and learning activities. You may modify the presentation as needed for your class.
The teaching content and learning activities are presented here in the suggested order of occurrence.
1.1 Introduction to Bioenergy
Learning Activity 1: Bioenergy Overview
Directions
Before starting this lesson and the rest of the lessons in this curriculum, have the students watch the video “CenUSA Bioenergy Overview” found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqxbF8-F8lc
This video will help students become more aware of the overall content that these and future lessons will encompass. This video may be watched as a whole class, individually, or as a pre-lesson homework.
Teaching Content
What is bioenergy?
Bioenergy is energy that comes from plant or animal material, for example:
• plant oils or sugary/starchy parts of crops
• trees, wood chippings, or straw
• waste oil such as vegetable cooking oil
• animal waste
• oils in algae
Bioenergy is one type of renewable energy, which means that if managed in a sustainable manner, the supply will not be depleted over time. What are other forms of renewable energy students can think of?
Why should bioenergy be considered as a source of energy?
The majority of the energy the developed world currently uses comes from sources known as fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas). These fuels originate from under the land or sea all across the globe. Since it took them millions of years to form, once they have been used they cannot be replaced, and therefore, their supply can run out. Fossil fuels are considered non-renewable energy sources. Biofuels are an example of renewable bioenergy that can use much of the existing infrastructure and provide a more sustainable and environmentally responsible fuel source. Two examples of biofuels currently on the market are biodiesel and ethanol.
How was bioenergy used throughout history?
Bioenergy is not a new concept. Human beings have been using different forms of bioenergy ever since…well, ever since there have been human beings! Wood has been used throughout history in either direct ways, such as heating homes and cooking food, or indirect ways, such as boiling water to make steam that could then power a locomotive. Humans moved away from bioenergy once fossil fuels were discovered.
1.2 Overview of CenUSA Bioenergy
CenUSA Bioenergy Project Overview
CenUSA Bioenergy (www.cenusa.iastate.edu) is an example of an academic research project collaboration between universities, private industry, and the U.S. government. CenUSA Bioenergy was funded by a USDA NIFA AFRI grant from 2011-2016. The primary goal of the project was to research and develop a comprehensive system for the Midwest United States to produce second-generation biofuels using native perennial grasses as feedstock (inputs to the bioenergy system). Figure 1 shows the overall vision of CenUSA Bioenergy.
Figure 1. CenUSA Bioenergy vision (https://cenusa.iastate.edu/files/test_now_orb1.jpg).
As the figure shows, there are many different parts to such a large project, and a description of each one of the ten objective teams can be seen in Table 1.
Table 1. CenUSA Bioenergy objectives (https://cenusa.iastate.edu/files/page/informational-flyer.pdf)
Objective Name / Objective DescriptionObjective 1: Feedstock Development / Develop improved perennial grass cultivars and hybrids that can be used on marginal cropland in the Central United States for the production of biomass for bioenergy.
Objective 2: Sustainable Production Systems / Conduct comparative analyses of the productivity potential and the environmental impacts of promising bioenergy crops and management systems using a network of 14 fields strategically located across the Central United States.
Objective 3: Feedstock Logistics / Develop systems and strategies to enable sustainable and economic harvest, transportation, and storage of feedstocks to meet industrial needs.
Objective 4: System Performance / Provide detailed analyses of feedstock production options and an accompanying set of spatial models to enhance the ability of policymakers, farmers, and the bioenergy industry to make informed decisions about which bioenergy feedstocks to grow, where to produce them, what environmental impacts they will have, and how biomass production systems are likely to respond to and contribute to climate change or other environmental shifts.
Objective 5: Feedstock Conversion / Perform a detailed economic analysis on the performance of a refinery based on pyrolytic processing of biomass into liquid fuels and provide biochar to other researchers on the project.
Objective 6: Markets and Distribution / Study farm-level adoption decisions, exploring the effectiveness of policy, market, and contract mechanisms that facilitate broad-scale voluntary adoption by farmers. Evaluate impacts of an expanded advanced biofuel system on regional and global food, feed, energy, and fiber markets.
Objective 7: Health and Safety / Conduct a detailed analysis of all tasks associated with biofeedstock production for hazard targets of personnel, equipment, environment, downtime, and product. Determine potentially hazardous respiratory exposure limits associated with the production of biofeedstocks.
Objective 8: Education / Provide rich interdisciplinary training and engagement opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in all areas of the bioenergy value chain to meet the workforce challenges of the bioeconomy.
Objective 9: Extension and Outreach / Deliver science-based information and informal educational programs linked to CenUSA project goals to agricultural and rural economy stakeholders.
Objective 10: Commercialization / In August 2014 CenUSA added a Commercialization objective to the project portfolio to advance perennial grass commercialization opportunities. Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) and Renmatix lead parts of this effort to commercialize perennial grasses.
This high school classroom curriculum is an output of the Objective 9 (Extension and Outreach) team at Purdue University. Additional outputs from the team include interpretive signage interactive walking tours, a 4-H curriculum, and summer 4-H science workshops.
1.3 Overview of Curriculum
Over the coming weeks and months, this curriculum of 15 total lessons will provide authentic and experiential learning opportunities giving students a hands-on view of cutting-edge agricultural research topics. This curriculum aims to show how agriculture is the intersection of many different areas of study in STEM fields, from biology, to chemistry, to engineering, and more, thus mirroring the CenUSA Bioenergy project itself.
This overview (Table 2) allows for both students and educators to review and get a feel for what is to come over the coming weeks and months. Any prerequisite knowledge should be refreshed as necessary prior to the implementation of the lesson itself.
Lesson Title / Lesson DescriptionLesson 1: Introduction to Bioenergy / Gives background and purpose of CenUSA Bioenergy project; gives brief overview of bioenergy, renewable vs. non-renewable energy.
Lesson 2: Carbon Cycle / Explains the carbon cycle and potential impacts it could have on the environment if disrupted.
Lesson 3: Photosynthesis / Defines role of plants in carbon cycle; detailed discussion of light-dependent and light-independent reactions; lab activities investigate chlorophyll and transpiration.
Lesson 4: Nitrogen Cycle / Discusses natural and anthropogenic nitrogen movement through soil, water, and air; lab activity has students analyze variables associated with erosion associated with nitrate leaching.
Lesson 5: Fermentation / Outlines the steps involved in fermentation and how biological enzymes are used to convert sugars into ethanol; lab activity will have students compare fermentation outputs of different feedstocks.
Lesson 6: Corn to Ethanol / Appraises the use of corn for ethanol production and its impact on the environment, industry, and land use; lab activity has students complete the initial steps of the wet milling process by extracting starch.
Lesson 7: Soybeans to Biodiesel / Examines the impacts on the environment and industry due to soy production for food and biofuels; lab activity introduces transesterification as a biodiesel production method.
Lesson 8: Biomass and Biochar / Reviews biomass in the context of fuel usage, contrasts biomass and fossil fuels, introduces biochar and potential uses; lab activity results in creation of mini-pyrolyzer and biochar production.
Lesson 9: Second Generation Biofuels / Introduces the concept of second-generation biofuels made from cellulose; lab activity has students compare and contrast different cellulosic feedstock and their sugar output by performing hydrolysis.
Lesson 10: Perennial Grass Development / Describes the process of feedstock development through breeding and selection; lab activity has small groups of students complete a plant breeding simulation.
Lesson 11: Countries Using Bioenergy / Presents a picture of bioenergy usage around the world, potential for future usage, as well as pros and cons of worldwide adoption of bioenergy; lab activity has students create bioenergy action plans for international countries.
Lesson 12: Economics of Bioenergy / Outlines potential economic impacts of bioenergy on numerous stakeholders, including food and industry; lab activity is a role-playing activity that simulates a congressional hearing about the future of biofuels in the United States.
Lesson 13: Environmental Impact of Bioenergy / Examines potential environmental impacts, both positive and negative, as a result of increased bioenergy usage; lab activity has students make decisions as farmers that have short-term and long-term economic and environmental impacts.
Lesson 14: Careers in Bioenergy / Concludes the curriculum by illustrating the diverse nature of potential careers in bioenergy; lab activity has students explore different careers by assuming the identity of a bioenergy professional.
Learning Activity: Fueling the Future
Directions
1. Have students watch the video Earth 2050: Fueling the Future found at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6KhU0tWMy4
2. Either have students answer the review questions on their own, in small groups, or as an entire class.
Lesson 1: Student Review Questions
Name: ______Date: ______
Select T/F for the questions listed below:
1. ______CenUSA Bioenergy is a multi-university research project investigating the use of prime crop land to grow perennial grasses for bioenergy purposes.
2. ______Bioenergy is not a new concept to human beings.
3. ______Animal waste is one example of a potential bioenergy source.
4. ______Fossil fuels are liquid or gaseous fuels made from renewable plant or animal material.
5. ______Coal, oil and gas are biofuels. These fuels originate from under the land or sea all around the world.
Lesson 1: Student Review Questions - KEY
Name: ___ MASTER KEY______Date: ______
Select T/F for the questions listed below:
1. ____F______CenUSA Bioenergy is a multi-university research project investigating the use of prime crop land to grow perennial grasses for bioenergy purposes.
2.____T______Bioenergy is not a new concept to human beings.
3. ____T______Animal waste is one example of a potential bioenergy source.
4. ____F______Fossil fuels are liquid or gaseous fuels made from renewable plant or animal material
5. ____F______Coal, oil and gas are biofuels. These fuels originate from under the land or sea all around the world
Lesson 1: Teacher Assessment
As the teacher, reflect on the Lesson 1 and answer the following questions.
1. What did the students like about this lesson?
2. What did the students dislike about this lesson?
3. Did the students find anything difficult in this lesson? If so, what?
4. What are the strengths of this lesson?
5. What are the weaknesses of this lesson?
6. What went well during this lesson?
7. What did you find difficult or challenging during this lesson?
8. Where the objectives met effectively during this lesson?
9. Were the labs or activities relevant to the lesson topic?
10. Overall, do you have any other suggestions or thoughts about this lesson?
Kararo, Voigt, Orvis ©Purdue Page 12 January 2016