Description of Student Activities
Focus on Teacher
Description and examples of student preparedness and classroom environment:
Students will be prepared because the majority of topics included in the PBL unit will have been addressed in some way during the semester. This background knowledge will assist students in answering their guiding question. Students will be familiar with lab procedures, research methods, and inquiry-based learning skills needed to complete the PBL unit. The 21st century skills students have crafted prior to the project through critical thinking skills and rigor will be enhanced even further. Other student preparedness will be prompted by an entry event that sparks their interest, and requires them to present to their local city council. The environment will be well structured, because all materials and activities will be created before students begin their unit. The transitions will be smooth for students, and resources they need along the way will be available as they need them. The classroom desks will be grouped together to create an environment that promotes collaboration.
Entry Event:
Students will complete a KWL chart on biofuels. To spark interest in biofuels research, students will be shown two video segments. The first segment will show students the energy crisis that the world is currently experiencing. The second video segment will show biofuels as a viable alternative to fighting this energy crisis. The first video shows excerpts from political figures and celebrity interviews. The inclusion of high profiled individuals will promote student interest. The second video is an easy-to-understand, step-by-step process showing the creation of biofuels. It serves as a great introduction to several biology standards including: plant structure and energy composition. Students will be connected geographically to the information shown in the video. After showing the video, students will be introduced to scenario below.
The entry event will be based on the scenario that follows:
The human population has reached its carrying capacity of planet Earth, and all countries have restricted reproduction. We are consuming energy at an exponential rate, through fuel, food consumption, electricity and heat. Systems are failing, and the resource supply is greater than the demand. The federal government has issued a statement that US citizens will no longer have access to fuel, because all of our petroleum supply has been depleted. They will continue to burn the last of the coal reserves for electricity, but these resources will soon be gone. The government has stated the only way to avoid a catastrophe economic shutdown is by using biomasses to create more biofuels. The government has chosen the state of Indiana as a possible solution for this international crisis. Indiana has been selected because it has the only available farmland left for biomass production. The state of Indiana is now asking for researchers to figure out which biomass crop we should grow. Corn is the leading farm crop in the state and is being looked at as a potential solution, but will this crop meet our energy demands? In fear of running out of time to solve this problem, all Indiana communities have been asked to come up with ways to sustain themselves. Only the strong will survive. You are a part of this coalition, and you must research biomass sources, find the best one, and present your findings to your local city experts to help sustain life.
Just-In-Time Teaching:
Students will be expected to master several biology themes as they work towards preparing their final presentations. Just-in-time teaching (JiTT) will be provided when students are struggling with any of the major themes. These themes include, the specificity of enzymes, the structure of the plant cell wall, the biochemistry of carbohydrates, the carbon cycle, and cellular respiration. In addition to these topics, if a group is having trouble with any other aspect of the project, students will submit a proposal to the teacher for further explanation of a project component. The teacher will know a just-in-time instruction piece is necessary when feedback from exit tickets results in less that 100% mastery by students. Debriefing, discussions, and KWL charts will also provide student feedback that will show where students are in the learning process. Students not showing mastery of a standard needed to complete their project will be directed to the JiTT materials in the table below.
JiTT- (Just in Time Teaching)- For when students need to learn something on the fly.
If students cannot answer the question in violet, they should be referred to the sub question in red. Each overlying standard below has a video and worksheet link that can be used to answer the sub question. Upon completion of each video, student will have a conference with the teacher discussing the contents.
The violet questions serves as a formative assessment tool.
1. What do you think would happen if scientist created an enzyme that could more efficiently break down cellulose in plants?
What are enzymes? What is a(n) active site, substrate and product?
Enzymes-Video Link
2. Why do we use carbohydrates as energy sources?
What atoms are in a carbohydrate? How does the amount of carbon in a biological molecule relate to the amount of energy the molecule has available?
Cell Wall Biochemistry-Video Link
3. How does the carbon cycle relate to climate change?
How does carbon flow from the atmosphere, to plants, to animals, back to the atmosphere and oceans?
Carbon Cycle-Video Link
4. Why are bacteria needed for biofuel production?
What is fermentation? What are the bi-products of this process?
Cell Respiration-Video Link
Focus on Students
Types of investigations which help answer the driving question:
Students will use inquiry and critical thinking skills to design their research projects. Investigations will include: determining biomass ethanol production in biomass samples after fermentation, looking at glucose concentrations in biomass samples, mapping the life cycle of carbon, predicting enzyme rates of reaction, and establishing connections between the biochemistry of a molecule and the energy composition. All lab activities are self-directed, the students will design what they will be testing in their experiments. Students will be expected to design their own data tables, choose their own variables for research, and analyze their findings. Students will complete three labs (calorimetry, enzyme catalysis, and fermentation) and two activities (carbon cycle, life cycle) during the course of the unit on topics recognized above. All of the labs will require students to act as scientific problem solvers. Students will be expected to form detailed hypotheses before they conduct any experiment. They will then use their data to reflect on their original hypothesis per lab using the lab design template and rubric. An additional lab to learn more about enzymes is toothpickase, this will be completed prior to performing the enzyme catalysis lab. Students will also be giving surveys to their community. The survey results will provide another form of data from a different perspective. Students will analyze the survey (optional) results and use this information as another component of their project. Students will be incorporating their math skills in data analysis, as well as the ethical concerns related to biomass production.
Kinds of data students will collect and analyze to address the driving question:
Students will collect and analyze data on various types of biomass. Students will be looking at the ethanol production of various plants of their choice, glucose levels of various plants post-enzymic breakdown, climate and geography of Indiana related to crop production, cost of various biomasses, energy costs associated with growing biomasses, public opinions, carbon footprint, and rate of plant growth. Students will use their findings to decide on the best biomass to use in Indiana.
Types of evidence students will gather to support their findings:
Students will collect evidence from laboratory investigations to support their claims (measurements of products formed and concentration of biofuel produced). This will be in the form of data tables and graphical representations. For the research portion, they will look in what biomass if found in their geographic locations and how cost effective biofuels could be. All research will come a reputable sources and cited.
How activities create student ownership and foster engagement and active student involvement:
The students will be engaged and involved in presenting their research and compiling data during the enzyme and fermentation investigations. Since biofuels could potentially be manufactured in the community, students will feel a sense of ownership and personal involvement in the lesson.
How the activities engage higher order thinking leading to mastery of biofuels:
Students will engage in higher order thinking skills when they apply what they found in the enzyme and fermentation lab investigations to their research. Their research will be used to create a presentation justifying their results. After the presentation they will answer higher order questions to demonstrate their understanding of the topic.
Examples in the project where students are expected to make decisions and take on responsibility:
During lab investigations, students will compile their data and incorporate it into their presentation. While performing their research and lab activities, the student’s will assign different roles or tasks to make sure all items in the rubric are met. Student's will also gather information from different individuals from a self-generated survey (optional) about biofuels and community perception.
How students will be prepared to take on responsibility:
Throughout the lesson, the teacher will use scaffolding techniques to bring the students up the the level they need to be in order to quickly interpret the information. A review of the structure of the cell wall, photosynthesis, respiration, biochemistry (carbohydrates and bonding), and carbon cycling will be scaffolded.
Image taken from http://greenenergyplatform.net/biofuel/
Focus on Teacher
Description and examples of student preparedness and classroom environment:
Students will be prepared because the majority of topics included in the PBL unit will have been addressed in some way during the semester. This background knowledge will assist students in answering their guiding question. Students will be familiar with lab procedures, research methods, and inquiry-based learning skills needed to complete the PBL unit. The 21st century skills students have crafted prior to the project through critical thinking skills and rigor will be enhanced even further. Other student preparedness will be prompted by an entry event that sparks their interest, and requires them to present to their local city council. The environment will be well structured, because all materials and activities will be created before students begin their unit. The transitions will be smooth for students, and resources they need along the way will be available as they need them. The classroom desks will be grouped together to create an environment that promotes collaboration.
Entry Event:
Students will complete a KWL chart on biofuels. To spark interest in biofuels research, students will be shown two video segments. The first segment will show students the energy crisis that the world is currently experiencing. The second video segment will show biofuels as a viable alternative to fighting this energy crisis. The first video shows excerpts from political figures and celebrity interviews. The inclusion of high profiled individuals will promote student interest. The second video is an easy-to-understand, step-by-step process showing the creation of biofuels. It serves as a great introduction to several biology standards including: plant structure and energy composition. Students will be connected geographically to the information shown in the video. After showing the video, students will be introduced to scenario below.
The entry event will be based on the scenario that follows:
The human population has reached its carrying capacity of planet Earth, and all countries have restricted reproduction. We are consuming energy at an exponential rate, through fuel, food consumption, electricity and heat. Systems are failing, and the resource supply is greater than the demand. The federal government has issued a statement that US citizens will no longer have access to fuel, because all of our petroleum supply has been depleted. They will continue to burn the last of the coal reserves for electricity, but these resources will soon be gone. The government has stated the only way to avoid a catastrophe economic shutdown is by using biomasses to create more biofuels. The government has chosen the state of Indiana as a possible solution for this international crisis. Indiana has been selected because it has the only available farmland left for biomass production. The state of Indiana is now asking for researchers to figure out which biomass crop we should grow. Corn is the leading farm crop in the state and is being looked at as a potential solution, but will this crop meet our energy demands? In fear of running out of time to solve this problem, all Indiana communities have been asked to come up with ways to sustain themselves. Only the strong will survive. You are a part of this coalition, and you must research biomass sources, find the best one, and present your findings to your local city experts to help sustain life.
Just-In-Time Teaching:
Students will be expected to master several biology themes as they work towards preparing their final presentations. Just-in-time teaching (JiTT) will be provided when students are struggling with any of the major themes. These themes include, the specificity of enzymes, the structure of the plant cell wall, the biochemistry of carbohydrates, the carbon cycle, and cellular respiration. In addition to these topics, if a group is having trouble with any other aspect of the project, students will submit a proposal to the teacher for further explanation of a project component. The teacher will know a just-in-time instruction piece is necessary when feedback from exit tickets results in less that 100% mastery by students. Debriefing, discussions, and KWL charts will also provide student feedback that will show where students are in the learning process. Students not showing mastery of a standard needed to complete their project will be directed to the JiTT materials in the table below.
JiTT- (Just in Time Teaching)- For when students need to learn something on the fly.
If students cannot answer the question in violet, they should be referred to the sub question in red. Each overlying standard below has a video and worksheet link that can be used to answer the sub question. Upon completion of each video, student will have a conference with the teacher discussing the contents.
The violet questions serves as a formative assessment tool.
1. What do you think would happen if scientist created an enzyme that could more efficiently break down cellulose in plants?
What are enzymes? What is a(n) active site, substrate and product?
Enzymes-Video Link
2. Why do we use carbohydrates as energy sources?
What atoms are in a carbohydrate? How does the amount of carbon in a biological molecule relate to the amount of energy the molecule has available?
Cell Wall Biochemistry-Video Link
3. How does the carbon cycle relate to climate change?
How does carbon flow from the atmosphere, to plants, to animals, back to the atmosphere and oceans?
Carbon Cycle-Video Link
4. Why are bacteria needed for biofuel production?
What is fermentation? What are the bi-products of this process?
Cell Respiration-Video Link
Focus on Students
Types of investigations which help answer the driving question:
Students will use inquiry and critical thinking skills to design their research projects. Investigations will include: determining biomass ethanol production in biomass samples after fermentation, looking at glucose concentrations in biomass samples, mapping the life cycle of carbon, predicting enzyme rates of reaction, and establishing connections between the biochemistry of a molecule and the energy composition. All lab activities are self-directed, the students will design what they will be testing in their experiments. Students will be expected to design their own data tables, choose their own variables for research, and analyze their findings. Students will complete three labs (calorimetry, enzyme catalysis, and fermentation) and two activities (carbon cycle, life cycle) during the course of the unit on topics recognized above. All of the labs will require students to act as scientific problem solvers. Students will be expected to form detailed hypotheses before they conduct any experiment. They will then use their data to reflect on their original hypothesis per lab using the lab design template and rubric. An additional lab to learn more about enzymes is toothpickase, this will be completed prior to performing the enzyme catalysis lab. Students will also be giving surveys to their community. The survey results will provide another form of data from a different perspective. Students will analyze the survey (optional) results and use this information as another component of their project. Students will be incorporating their math skills in data analysis, as well as the ethical concerns related to biomass production.
Kinds of data students will collect and analyze to address the driving question:
Students will collect and analyze data on various types of biomass. Students will be looking at the ethanol production of various plants of their choice, glucose levels of various plants post-enzymic breakdown, climate and geography of Indiana related to crop production, cost of various biomasses, energy costs associated with growing biomasses, public opinions, carbon footprint, and rate of plant growth. Students will use their findings to decide on the best biomass to use in Indiana.
Types of evidence students will gather to support their findings:
Students will collect evidence from laboratory investigations to support their claims (measurements of products formed and concentration of biofuel produced). This will be in the form of data tables and graphical representations. For the research portion, they will look in what biomass if found in their geographic locations and how cost effective biofuels could be. All research will come a reputable sources and cited.
How activities create student ownership and foster engagement and active student involvement:
The students will be engaged and involved in presenting their research and compiling data during the enzyme and fermentation investigations. Since biofuels could potentially be manufactured in the community, students will feel a sense of ownership and personal involvement in the lesson.
How the activities engage higher order thinking leading to mastery of biofuels:
Students will engage in higher order thinking skills when they apply what they found in the enzyme and fermentation lab investigations to their research. Their research will be used to create a presentation justifying their results. After the presentation they will answer higher order questions to demonstrate their understanding of the topic.
Examples in the project where students are expected to make decisions and take on responsibility:
During lab investigations, students will compile their data and incorporate it into their presentation. While performing their research and lab activities, the student’s will assign different roles or tasks to make sure all items in the rubric are met. Student's will also gather information from different individuals from a self-generated survey (optional) about biofuels and community perception.
How students will be prepared to take on responsibility:
Throughout the lesson, the teacher will use scaffolding techniques to bring the students up the the level they need to be in order to quickly interpret the information. A review of the structure of the cell wall, photosynthesis, respiration, biochemistry (carbohydrates and bonding), and carbon cycling will be scaffolded.
Image taken from http://greenenergyplatform.net/biofuel/