Overview:
Entry Event (1)
Hands and Enzymes Inquiry(2-3)
Internet Research(4-5)
Enzyme Guided Inquiry Labs (6-9)
Expert Visit, More Inquiry, Connections, Group Reflection (10)
Creating Marketing Material (11-14,15)
Post Test Reflection (15)
Entry Event (1)
Hands and Enzymes Inquiry(2-3)
Internet Research(4-5)
Enzyme Guided Inquiry Labs (6-9)
Expert Visit, More Inquiry, Connections, Group Reflection (10)
Creating Marketing Material (11-14,15)
Post Test Reflection (15)
Day 1: Entry Event
Pre-test: Biomass/Biofuels, Enzymes. (15 min) Entry Event Video: National Geographic, Aftermath. Guided questions between each video. Whiteboard activity to connect biomass to biofuels into help solve this problem. (30 min) Assessment: What does this biomass have to do with these videos?-Exit Slip (5 min) |
Day 2: Toothpickase
Debrief: Show image or actual corn stalk. Ask questions to get students to connect the stalk to depletion of petroleum resources. (10 min) Engage: Toothpickase Lab: Hands as Enzymes to breakdown toothpicks. Students complete multiple trials to determine which conditions allow for the maximum number of toothpicks to be converted during 10 seconds. (30 min) Assessment: Use data to support conclusions from your trials for converting toothpicks (biomass) into two pieces (biofuels) with enzymes?. (10 min) |
Day 3: Toothpickase (Cont.)
Group reflection and Conclusions from yesterday (10 min) Toothpickase lab whiteboarding to connect the model reaction to biomass to biofuels. (15 min.) Gallery walk/Group sharing of toothpick lab results and . (25 min) Assessment: Gallery Walk Posters/Whiteboards and comments made on others posters. |
Day 4: Enzyme Research
Debrief: Pose “What ways can I improve as a team member and problem solver?” To prepare for today’s research. (5 min) Task: Students will research, analyze, and share important reactions in the conversion of biomass to biofuels. Students also find two possible contacts to ask questions about biomass and biofuels. (35 min) Reflection: What questions do you have about biomass converting to biofuels? (10 min) Assessment: Friday’s 2-3 minute presentation about the reactions that convert biomass to biofuels. |
Day 5: Enzyme Research
Debrief: What did we learn during yesterday’s research? Class discussion. Task: Students continue to research, analyze, and share important reactions in the conversion of biomass to biofuels. Assessment: Present their findings on reactions in 2-3 minutes to show what they have found and concepts they do and don’t understand. |
Day 6: Enzyme Lab Plan
Debrief: Corn Stalk and Stover images with questions to reinforce connection to biomass and biofuels. Connect to biomass materials available for reactions (10 min). Task: Students design experiments using enzymes. Students will be given different, substrates, enzymes, lab equipment, and detection equipment. Students may “mess around” with the equipment to create a plan. They then share their plan with whiteboards (40 min). Assessment: Students create an investigative plan. |
Day 7: Enzyme Lab Execution
Debrief: Does everyone have their plan from yesterday? Any questions? Possibly assign roles within groups (5) Task: Students complete experiment that was designed and approved on Monday. Groups then share their results in a gallery walk and presentation. Students revise their experiment to test another variable (45 min). Assessment: Students create a revised investigative plan. |
Day 8: Enzyme Lab Guided Inquiry
Reiteration of Lab Completion: Students complete experiment that was designed and approved on Tuesday. Groups then share their results in a gallery walk and presentation. Students create list of rules of thumb for effective conversion of biomass to biofuels using enzymes (35 min). Assessment: Group list of rules of thumb (10 min). |
Day 9: Enzyme Lab Reporting
Debrief: Going over rules of thumb and connecting them to biology content standards. Lab Report: Students generate a group lab report (Google Doc, Prezi, PPT, etc) that describes their experiments and optimal conditions for their enzyme reactions. Assessment: Group Lab Report and Within Group Assessment of 21st Century Skills. |
Day 10: Expert or Alternatives
Debriefing: Going over results of within group assessment of 21st century skills. Possible Expert Intervention: Students make contact with the biofuels expert to answer questions they have about the role enzymes play in converting biomass to biofuels. Assessment: Letters to expert, notes from interview with expert, or some other summary of expert contact. Alternatives: Complete a weekly wraparound with the prompt, “How will you use what you learned this week? What will you remember?” Another day of enzyme reaction investigation. |
Day 11: Media Product Start
Culminating Investigative Question: How can biological methods be effectively used to convert biomass to biofuel to meet our energy needs? Prompt: A biochemist is seeking public support for their enzyme research. They need media materials to help their cause. They will develop a way to show others students your grade level how and why biological methods can be effectively used to convert biomass to biofuel to meet our energy needs. Task: Students will develop a way to present to an audience their thoughts and answers about the question and why they think it is important for enzymes to be used in the conversion of biomass to biofuels. Prompt: A biochemist is seeking public support for their enzyme research. They need media materials to help their cause. They will develop a way to show others students your grade level how and why biological methods can be effectively used to convert biomass to biofuel to meet our energy needs. Assessment: Observing how students worked in groups. Students write one way their group can improve tomorrow. |
Day 12: Media Product Work
Debriefing: Going over obstacles and reminding students how to improve from yesterday. Pose the question “What criteria should we use to evaluate our productions?” (10 min) Work Time: Working on media material production in groups.(40 min.) Assessment: Draft of media piece due tomorrow. |
Day 13: Media Product Feedback and Revisions
Debriefing: Any questions you have over biomass/biofuels for their media piece? Task: Students write what they want reviews to focus on. Gallery walk of draft of presentation media piece. Students then revise their presentations. Assessment: Tomorrow’s presentation |
Day 15: Post-test
Finish Final Presentations if needed. Post Test Extra Day: Depending on where more scaffolding may be needed, this day has been included as a day of reflection or an extension activity (possibly contact with another expert in the field of biomass and biofuels). This day may also have been used for another iteration of the enzyme lab. If everything is completed: Complete a weekly wraparound with the prompt, “How will you use what you learned this unit? What will you remember?” |