Online Cellulosic Bioenergy Curriculum Materials and Videos for Teachers

Free bioenergy curriculum materials and videos for teachers are now available online via the K20Alt site at http://k20alt.ou.edu/journal/planting-fuel-photosynthesis/.  The materials provide teachers with hands-on science curriculum that meets state education standards, while also providing students with cellulosic bioenergy knowledge for the 21st Century. 

"Planting Fuel:  Photosynthesis" is the first in a series of K20Alt online cellulosic bioenergy lessons. The comprehensive material, which includes supportive video for teachers, lesson plans, a PowerPoint tutorial, detailed PASS objectives, experiments, graphs, and student handouts, was developed by Dr. Rao Uppalapati, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation scientist and OK EPSCoR researcher, in collaboration with the University of Oklahoma's K20 Center.  The project was made possible through an award from Oklahoma EPSCoR. Click here to access the material.

Lesson Synopsis:

Planting Fuel:  Photosynthesis
K20Alt Authentic Learning and Teaching Online Video and Classroom Curriculum Materials

Rising fuel costs have sparked a recent interest in and exploration of bioenergy sources like ethanol, biodiesel and biogas. Bioenergy sources are renewable energy sources utilized for electricity, heat and vehicle fuel. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, bioenergy derived from plant materials is among the most rapidly growing technologies being enhanced and developed today. In this lesson, students will analyze the process of energy transfer that occurs between sunlight and plants as they explore the process of photosynthesis. Students will design experiments to determine whether a bean plant will grow in the dark.  Data collected from the experiments will later be utilized to assist students in understanding how plants can be utilized to harvest bioenergy.