http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/biot09.sci.engin.systems.ethanol/
NOVA, WGBH Educational Foundation, Teachers' Domain
Video length: 5:33 minutes.
Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»Grade Level
Topics
Climate Literacy
This Video builds on the following concepts of Climate Literacy.
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Energy Literacy
This Video builds on the following concepts of Energy Literacy.
Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.
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Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy |
Technical Details
Teaching Tips
- A good video to include in any unit that addresses how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Educator could introduce cost/benefit analysis of ethanol as a fuel as well as social and economic challenges.
About the Content
- This video goes over the pros and cons of using ethanol as an alternative to gasoline.
- Discusses issues such as how converting corn into ethanol requires a lot of energy and reduces stocks of corn that might otherwise be used to feed people and livestock.
- Shows research efforts to use cellulosic biomass and microorganisms to accomplish the conversion from plant matter to fuel in a single step.
- Comments from expert scientist: The combination of the video with the Background Essay is helpful - i.e. the essay goes into a little more depth than the video, which aids in understanding the full reasoning behind using cellulosic biomass to make ethanol.