Fermentation in a Bag

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Fermentation in a Bag
http://www.glbrc.org/education-and-outreach/teachers-3

Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, U.S. Department of Energy

This is a hands-on inquiry activity using zip-lock plastic bags that allows students to observe the process of fermentation and the challenge of producing ethanol from cellulosic sources. Students are asked to predict outcomes and check their observations with their predictions. Teachers can easily adapt to materials and specific classroom issues.

Activity takes about three hours. Additional materials required.

Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»

See how this Short Demonstration/Experiment supports the Next Generation Science Standards»

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Middle School

Performance Expectations: 1

MS-LS2-3: Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 3

MS-LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms

MS-LS2.B1: Food webs are models that demonstrate how matter and energy is transferred between producers, consumers, and decomposers as the three groups interact within an ecosystem. Transfers of matter into and out of the physical environment occur at every level. Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead plant or animal matter back to the soil in terrestrial environments or to the water in aquatic environments. The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.

MS-PS3.D2: Cellular respiration in plants and animals involve chemical reactions with oxygen that release stored energy. In these processes, complex molecules containing carbon react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and other materials.

Cross Cutting Concepts: 5

Energy and Matter, Patterns, Cause and effect

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Energy and Matter, Patterns, Cause and effect

MS-C1.1: Macroscopic patterns are related to the nature of microscopic and atomic-level structure.

MS-C1.3: Patterns can be used to identify cause and effect relationships.

MS-C2.2: Cause and effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural or designed systems.

MS-C5.1: Matter is conserved because atoms are conserved in physical and chemical processes.

MS-C5.2: Within a natural or designed system, the transfer of energy drives the motion and/or cycling of matter.

Science and Engineering Practices: 7

Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Engaging in Argument from Evidence

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Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Engaging in Argument from Evidence

MS-P3.1: Plan an investigation individually and collaboratively, and in the design: identify independent and dependent variables and controls, what tools are needed to do the gathering, how measurements will be recorded, and how many data are needed to support a claim.

MS-P3.2: Conduct an investigation and/or evaluate and/or revise the experimental design to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence that meet the goals of the investigation

MS-P3.5: Collect data about the performance of a proposed object, tool, process or system under a range of conditions.

MS-P4.3: Distinguish between causal and correlational relationships in data.

MS-P4.4: Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for phenomena.

MS-P4.7: Analyze and interpret data to determine similarities and differences in findings.

MS-P7.3: Construct, use, and/or present an oral and written argument supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support or refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon or a solution to a problem.

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High School

Performance Expectations: 1

HS-LS2-3: Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for the cycling of matter and flow of energy in aerobic and anaerobic conditions

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 3

HS-LS1.C3: As matter and energy flow through different organizational levels of living systems, chemical elements are recombined in different ways to form different products.

HS-LS1.C4: As a result of these chemical reactions, energy is transferred from one system of interacting molecules to another. Cellular respiration is a chemical process in which the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and new compounds are formed that can transport energy to muscles. Cellular respiration also releases the energy needed to maintain body temperature despite ongoing energy transfer to the surrounding environment.

HS-LS2.B3: Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are important components of the carbon cycle, in which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, atmosphere, oceans, and geosphere through chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes.

Cross Cutting Concepts: 7

Patterns, Cause and effect, Energy and Matter

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Patterns, Cause and effect, Energy and Matter

HS-C1.3: Patterns of performance of designed systems can be analyzed and interpreted to reengineer and improve the system.

HS-C2.1: Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.

HS-C2.2: Cause and effect relationships can be suggested and predicted for complex natural and human designed systems by examining what is known about smaller scale mechanisms within the system.

HS-C2.3: Systems can be designed to cause a desired effect.

HS-C5.1: The total amount of energy and matter in closed systems is conserved.

HS-C5.2: Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system.

HS-C5.4: Energy drives the cycling of matter within and between systems.

Science and Engineering Practices: 5

Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Engaging in Argument from Evidence

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Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Engaging in Argument from Evidence

HS-P3.1: Plan an investigation or test a design individually and collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence as part of building and revising models, supporting explanations for phenomena, or testing solutions to problems. Consider possible confounding variables or effects and evaluate the investigation’s design to ensure variables are controlled.

HS-P3.5: Make directional hypotheses that specify what happens to a dependent variable when an independent variable is manipulated.

HS-P7.1: Compare and evaluate competing arguments or design solutions in light of currently accepted explanations, new evidence, limitations (e.g., trade-offs), constraints, and ethical issues

HS-P7.3: Respectfully provide and/or receive critiques on scientific arguments by probing reasoning and evidence, challenging ideas and conclusions, responding thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, and determining additional information required to resolve contradictions.

HS-P7.5: Make and defend a claim based on evidence about the natural world or the effectiveness of a design solution that reflects scientific knowledge and student-generated evidence.

Grade Level

Middle (6-8)
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High School (9-12)
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College Lower (13-14)
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Informal
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Topics

Other Alternatives
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Energy Literacy

This Short Demonstration/Experiment builds on the following concepts of Energy Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines

1. Questioning, Analysis and Interpretation Skills:B) Designing investigations
Other materials addressing:
B) Designing investigations.

1. Questioning, Analysis and Interpretation Skills:C) Collecting information
Other materials addressing:
C) Collecting information.

2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.1 The Earth as a Physical System:B) Changes in matter
Other materials addressing:
B) Changes in matter.

2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.1 The Earth as a Physical System:C) Energy
Other materials addressing:
C) Energy.

2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.2 The Living Environment:D) Flow of matter and energy
Other materials addressing:
D) Flow of matter and energy.

Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

Consider an engagement piece and wrap-up piece that clearly connects the activity to energy and various fuel sources.
Would fit nicely into activities investigating respiration and making connections between respiration and larger energy topics.
If no ethanol probe, just ask kids to open bag and "waft" odors from the bag. They should be able to pick up an alcohol smell.
Educators are encouraged to use re-usable containers instead of a plastic bag to minimize plastic waste.

About the Content

Students combine yeast and warm water with a feedstock in a “snack” size resealable zipper bag and observe as the yeast “eats” the feedstock such as sugar, cornmeal, or sawdust, and produces carbon dioxide and ethanol. Younger students can observe fermentation in a single bag, while older students can create multiple set-ups to compare how yeast reacts with different feedstocks.
Comments from expert scientist: This activity introduces students to fermentation of different feedstocks in a fun and inexpensive way. The goals of the study are clearly defined, the methods are simple yet relevant and well laid out, and the data analysis the students are to perform depends on how in depth the instructor would like to go with the experiment. This activity is very well thought out and obviously made by people with both scientific expertise and teaching experience. Instructors get to choose how detailed they would like to go within this activity because it has three opportunities: basic experiment, master experiment, and a science fair extension.

About the Pedagogy

Explicit instructions for teachers are included. Support materials are included that enrich and support the experiment (data sheets, labels, posters etc.) Excellent student handouts.
Very simple and illustrative hands-on activity. Easily adapted to suit specific needs of the the classroom.
Science content-based power points and videos are included on the Great Lakes Bioenergy site.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

Visually well-designed teacher's materials and support materials.

Related URLs These related sites were noted by our reviewers but have not been reviewed by CLEAN

https://www.glbrc.org/outreach/classroom-materials

Entered the Collection: July 2014 Last Reviewed: July 2014

Jump to this Short Demonstration/Experiment »

Middle School (see details)

Middle School

Performance Expectations: 1

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 3

Cross Cutting Concepts: 5

Science and Engineering Practices: 7

High School (see details)

High School

Performance Expectations: 1

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 3

Cross Cutting Concepts: 7

Science and Engineering Practices: 5

Grade Level

Topics

Energy Literacy

Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines

Teaching Tips

About the Content

About the Pedagogy

Technical Details/Ease of Use

Related URLs These related sites were noted by our reviewers but have not been reviewed by CLEAN

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