Process

PART ONE:  CHOOSE YOUR ROLES

Your first job is to select the tasks you will each complete. Meet with your group members and select one of the four roles below. Follow the directions for researching your topic.

Energy Engineer       

The Board of Directors understands that biofuels require a transfer of energy. Your job is to reseach these questions:

1. We realize all energy begins with the sun. How does the sun produce energy? How does it get here?  

2. Why does this energy get transformed into plant energy?

3.How does this energy become the basis for a biofuel?

4. Does the law of conservation of energy have anything to do with this? Is all the plant energy converted to biofuel energy?

Your findings will be summarized on several Power Point slides for your group presentation. You might use drawing tools to create a flow chart or chain of events showing these different energy transfers.

Biologist

We know biofuels come from plants. Your Board of Directors wants a report on the process plants use to convert energy. They need details!

1. You will create a slide that shows how the process of photosynthesis works, using labeled drawings. These can be done by hand  and scanned for use or using a paint program.

2. You will also create another slide of a plant cell, showing the basic cell structures and pointing out the parts responsible for photosynthesis. Include the chemical formula for photosynthesis, and be prepared to explain what it means to the board.

3. Identify the kind of energy plants make available as a biofuel. View the first clip on this website to explain how a plant such as corn is turned into a biofuel such as ethanol.: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/energy/site/EIZinfogr.asp  

 Environmentalist

1. Your  first job is to find out what kinds of biofuels are currently being developed. You could create a chart for your slide showing this. Photos in your Power Point would help get your examples across. 

2. The Board of Directors also wants to know what effect global warming will have on growing plants to use as biofuels.  Several of the websites below contain information to help you. One slide in your presentation should summarize your findings.

Ecologist

Every environmental decision has pros and cons. Your job is to find out the good and the not so good results of producing and using biofuels to replace traditional sources of gasoline (fossil fuels). Summarize your findings in a T chart (one side of the page says "good" or "positive" and another side says "not so good" or "negative"). Create a slide of pro and another side of con results.

PART TWO: DO YOUR RESEARCH

Once you've selected your roles, your next job is to research your information. the suggested websites for you to visit are listed below. Your supervisor (teacher) will give you some advice on viewing, scanning, and taking notes from webpages. You will spend several days on your research. During those days, date a page in your science spiral notebooks and use it to take notes. Part of your evaluation will be on your wise use of time during those days. At the end of your research time, you will be invited to an energy summit meeting where you will meet with all the other experts in your field to discuss your notes, share information, and support each other in your tasks.

It's possible that in the research time given you will not get to all the links listed below. During your summit meeting with other experts, you will be able to share information, and this will help you with your research.

Your final Power Point presentations will be posted on line in our classroom blog for others to review (no last names will be attached to your slides). Your parents will receive an e-mail invitation to view them, along with a link where they can comment on your final products, ask questions, and respond to your ideas. Since many of our parents are employed by auto related companies, it will be interesting to hear their comments on the role of biofuels in future years.

ENERGY ENGINEER

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/energy/site/EIZinfogr.asp (easy to watch cartoon clips)

http://scidiv.bcc.ctc.edu/rkr/Biology201/labs/pdfs/PhotosynthesisLab201.pdf (all EEs must read)

http://www.ftexploring.com/energy/enrg-types.htm (read Two Types of Energy--in Many Forms)

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/methuselah/photosynthesis.html#

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070519130131AAjrAsY

http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter13.html (read nuclear fusion)

http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/science/formsofenergy.html

http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/education/k-12/curricula/sm1/documents/SM1_k-w-l.pdf (page 2--solar energy)

http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/science/formsofenergy.html#conservation

 (law of conservation of energy)

BIOLOGIST

http://library.thinkquest.org/3715/photo3.html (easy to use--start here!)

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/energy/site/EIZinfogr.asp (easy to watch cartoon clips)

http://library.thinkquest.org/3608/makefood.html (all biologists must read)

http://scidiv.bcc.ctc.edu/rkr/Biology201/labs/pdfs/PhotosynthesisLab201.pdf (all biologists must read)

http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=52

http://www.purchon.com/biology/plant.htm

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/methuselah/photosynthesis.html#

http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookPS.html (good one!)

http://www.ftexploring.com/me/photosyn1.html

http://www.ftexploring.com/photosyn/chloroplast.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/plants/cell/

http://library.thinkquest.org/5420/cellsplt.html (another easy to use site)http://www.teachersdomain.org/resources/tdc02/sci/life/stru/photosynth/assets/tdc02_vid_photosynth/tdc02_vid_photosynth_56_mov.html

http://www.purchon.com/biology/palisade.htm

ENVIRONMENTALIST

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/energy/site/EIZinfogr.asp (easy to watch cartoon clips)

http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/biomass.html (copies of this will be given to all team members)

http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/faqs/index.html#overview6 (all environmentalists must read)

http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=2773 (all environmentalists must read)

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/31182/story.htm

http://www.physorg.com/news75568548.html

http://starbulletin.com/2006/01/11/business/story02.html

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/37354/story.htm

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=sci_tech&id=4983691

http://www.physorg.com/news100838926.html

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/31458/story.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050121093440.htm (rising CO2 levels)

http://newfarm.org/features/2007/0607/weeds/woodsen.shtml (first few paragraphs, rising CO2 levels)

ECOLOGIST

http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/biomass.html (copies will be given to all team members)

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/energy/site/EIZinfogr.asp  (easy to watch cartoon clips)

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/29712/story.htm

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/31356/story.htm

http://www.rncos.com/Blog/2007/01/rising-use-of-biofuel-may-drag-crude.html

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/31180/story.htm

http://www.worldpress.org/print_article.cfm?article_id=2994&dont=yes

http://enn.com/todays-news/13121

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5369284.stm

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2007/02/03/synthetic_biology_replace_oil_addiction_with_a_sugar_binge.htm

http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3562

http://www.physorg.com/news78069543.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/04/02/biofuel.debate/

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=34005 

(look at advantages paragraph)

http://www.smm.org/buzz/blog/which_biofuel_is_better

                                                   

PART THREE: CONSENSUS AND POWER POINT

After your energy summit meeting with other experts in the room in your field, you will return to your team. During your team meeting, you will present your findings to your team. Use this information to discuss the question you have to report on:  Are biofuels a reliable, cost efficient, environmentally sound investment for your company? As you discuss this question, consider the following ideas on consensus building to help you reach an agreement on your conclusion for your Power Point.

http://webquest.sdsu.edu/processguides/consensus.html

Each of you will produce 1-3 slides that summarize your findings as described in the task portion of this WebQuest. In addition, your team will include 1-3 slides at the end of your presentation giving your recommendations to the Board of Directors with your reasons for these recommendations. You will also include a title slide and a closing slide listing the websites and resource materials you used. (Copy and paste anything from this WebQuest to save yourself time). Your presentation to the board (class) will include your slides with your comments explaining them, as well as time for questions from your audience.