Bioscience Videos

Resources

Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP)
Genetics/Biotechnology classroom resources
How Stuff Works (10 science experiments)
North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Iowa State Office of Biotechnology
Biotech Institute
Biovoyage
Innovation Watch

http://www.biotech.wisc.edu/education
University of Wisconsin-Madison’s biotech department outreach web page.

http://www.science.wisc.edu
Detailed info and links to educational opportunities available on campus including Geology Museum, Physics Museum, the Arboretum and more.

Lectures on Wisconsin Public Television for general public:
Schedule
Watch recent lectures
Wednesday night at the lab

Stem Cell Resources:
Info about UW research and links to the UW stem cell outreach resources
All about stem cells from the University of Utah's education project
Information about the very first stem cell clinical trials
Information about clinical trials for heart cells

Articles and additional resources: A list of sources created especially for educators. Includes helpful websites and articles with materials for many different age groups.

Bioenergy 101 - Common Vocabulary
A list of words commonly heard while discussing bioenergy with definitions.

Why is it so difficult to create cellulosic ethanol?
A four page handout that discusses the difficulties in creating cellulosic ethanol. Appropriate for high school and college students.

Classroom Activities

Biofuels:

K-8 Fermentation Demonstration/Activity
This is a demonstration table or interactive activity that GLBRC has done at family-style outreach events such as Science Expeditions at UW-Madison. It appeals to a range of younger children, about ages 5-14 or grades K-8. Prep time and set-up are minimal, and students can carry around their portable experiment if desired. This activity can also be easily adapted for classroom use.

Global Energy Flows Activity
This activity focuses on global energy that is related to human activities. It steps through where this energy comes from (sources); how it used; how it flows from these sources to uses; and what the corresponding losses are. An emphasis is placed on student development of questions in regards to these energy flows. Further detail on global bioenergy is provided. The target audience is high school students and undergraduates. This document is currently under revision through Fall 2009, please check back for updates and changes.

Supporting material:

• Global Energy Flows: Abbreviated Version
• Global Energy Flows PowerPoint
• Energy Flows Data Set
• Biomass Energy Flows Data Set
• Energy Consumption by Source Raw Data
• IPCC Chapter 4: Energy Supply from IPCC

Fermentation Challenge: Making Ethanol from Cellulose
This high school-level lab demonstration and activity will introduce students to the process of fermenting cellulosic biomass into cellulosic ethanol, along with the challenges researchers face in this area. The demonstration uses a Vernier probe or balloons to measure fermentation rates of different feedstocks to begin the discussion of why some carbohydrates are easily fermented by yeast while others are not. Students can design and carry out their own labs to try to improve fermentation rates of various feedstocks.

Biofuels Sustainability: Assessing energy and carbon balance
This high school/introductory college-level activity considers the sustainability of different transportation fuels. Students are introduced to the concept of a life cycle assessment, focusing on energy and carbon cycling for corn and cellulosic ethanol and gasoline production systems.

Supporting material:

• Video: Life Cycle Assessment of Biofuel Energy
• Walk through the Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Activity
• Walk through the Life Cycle Assessment of Carbon Activity
• Carbon Sequestration in Soils (PDF)

Carbon Dioxide Production in Soil Microbial Communities
This high-school level lab and its supporting materials help students quantify how soil microbes such as bacteria and fungi are involved in carbon cycling, and to consider the impact of agricultural soil management on carbon cycling and climate change. After initial discussion and observations, students will design and carry out their own labs that allow them to explore the relationship between microbial respiration and soil variables such as temperature, habitat, soil type, and fertilizer application.

Supporting material:

• Soil Microbes PowerPoint
• Sample Data
• Carbon Sequestration in Soils (PDF)