Key Concepts

• Biomass represents stored chemical energy initially from solar energy
• The energy in Biomass can support life
• The energy in Biomass can be used as a fuel source; e.g. burning
• The energy in Biomass can be converted to a variety of fuel types; e.g. solid or gas, or liquids

Teacher Resources & Lesson Ideas

Resources explaining biomass energy with diagram of photosynthesis products
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=biomass_home-basics-k.cfm

Biofuels as an alternative energy source
http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/biofuels/

Biomass Power – getting energy from Biomass – kid friendly website
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter10.html

Brief history of the use of biomass for energy
http://www.aesenergy.net/biomass-energy.html

Getting what you want from animal manure – a six-page PDF document on using manure as an energy source for heat and food. Has chart for anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms
http://www.abe.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/g/G87.pdf

Building a soda (soft drink) bottle bioreactor and bringing in mathematics to a real world situation. Soda bottle bioreactors are designed to be used as tools for composting research. They are small and inexpensive enough to enable students to design and carry out individualized research projects, comparing variables such as reactor design, moisture content, and nutrient ratios of mixtures to be composted. http://compost.css.cornell.edu/soda.html  

Getting what you want from animal manure – a six-page PDF document on using manure as an energy source for heat and food. Has chart for anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms
http://www.abe.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/g/G87.pdf

The Quest provides a variety of resources, student activities and projects as well as alternative assessment strategies. This is a five page PDF document with a video link.
http://www.kqed.org/quest/files/download/27/113a_fromwastetowatts.pdf

COW POWER – Suggested activities for this episode is on Page 4 Lesson Plan 2 of this PDF document. Activities 1 and 3 should be used with the other Down and Dirty Science episodes “From Animal Waste to Human Waist” & “Cooking with Compost”.
http://www-tc.pbs.org/newshour/thenews/materials/cowlp.pdf

Student Misconceptions

• One misconception that we are targeting in this episode is the thought that manure is an end product of digestion, and therefore has no significant residual stored energy, because the animals would have extracted the energy during digestion. In reality, manure as a waste product is often rich in stored chemical energy.
• It may be a misconception that decomposition of manure has to involve unpleasant odors.  In fact it is very possible to set up a biodigester that produces few odors and this is especially true for a well made compost pile.

Student Prior Knowledge

Carbohydrates, decomposers, natural gas, carbon dioxide, & drilling for natural gas reservoirs.

Assessment Strategies

Here are a number of strategies and activities you might use to help uncover student misconceptions, the level of student learning and areas students might need further instruction.

Note:  Down and Dirty Science episodes “Gas from Biomass: From Poop to Power” and “Cooking with Compost” complement each other:  One deals with anaerobic digestions of manure and the other deals with aerobic digestion of manure. It is recommended that students view both episodes. The pre- and post-assessment strategies suggested below are designed to be used after students view both episodes.

Pre-Assessment

Pre-Assessment and Embedded Assessment Activity

Give One, Get One Instructions

Give One, Get One is a strategy to help students look for details.  The tables are passed out to the students before the video is shown.  As the students watch the video, they need to fill in three boxes with information from the video.  At the conclusion of the video, the students get up from their seats and fill in the remaining boxes with information that has not yet been recorded on the table.  Each classmate may add only one fact to another classmate’s table, but may add facts to as many tables as they wish.  At the conclusion of the activity, the students should have a good collection of the facts found in the video.

Give One, Get One Worksheet

This pre-assessment and post-assessment strategy is used after students have viewed Down and Dirty Science episodes “Gas from Biomass: From Poop to Power” and “Cooking with Compost”.
Students use the Give One, Get One tables they completed for both Down and Dirty Science episodes and complete a Compare & Contrast Chart. Below there is a link to the Venn Diagram Chart students can use for this assessment.

Venn Diagram Chart

Post- Assessment:

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

Three Truths and a Lie
Teachers are encouraged to add more questions to this post-assessment strategy. Three Truths and a Lie is an adaptation of the typical multiple-choice questions, which ask the student ‘which answer is NOT correct’.

1. Which of the following statements is a LIE?
1. Natural gas is also called methane.
2. Methane is made from decomposed matter that’s been buried deep in the ground.
3. Methane is only formed in deep pockets in the ground.
4. Methane can form when bacteria break down manure in the absence of oxygen.
2. Which of the following statements is a LIE?
1. Energy from methane can be traced back to solar energy.
2. Energy from methane can be traced through the food web.
3. Decomposing plant material can produce methane.
4. To produce methane, manure must be present.
3. Which of the following statements is a LIE?
1. Fuel for bio-digesters is in short supply.
2. Large-scale digesters can produce enough methane to run a generator to produce electricity.
3. Bacteria are an important ingredient in the process of forming methane.
4. The presence of oxygen will prevent methane from forming.

ANSWERS:  1C, 2D, 3A

Origami Answer Sheet for Students

Post-Assessment Student Activity – Quest

The Questprovides a variety of resources, student activities and projects as well as alternative assessment strategies. This is a five page PDF document with a video link.
http://www.kqed.org/quest/files/download/27/113a_fromwastetowatts.pdf