Subject: Chemical
and Physical Science
Grade Level: 8th
Grade
Class Dates: One
class period
Overview: Biofuels are an important part of today’s culture. There are many environmental, economic, and social benefits to using biofuel as an alternative to petroleum-based fuel.
Objectives: Using a scavenger hunt worksheet, students will research
information about alternative fuel sources, the creation of biofuels, and the
relationship between plants and biofuels, as well as identify the economic, environmental,
and social benefits of using biofuels. Other lessons include a study of
photosynthesis, as well as the chemical and physical properties of vegetable
oil.
This lesson was created by the Rural Science Education Program, a partnership between Oregon State University and rural K-12 schools. The material
Lab Safety Guidelines:
1. Use caution: No horseplay, practical jokes, or pranks are
allowed in the science classroom.
2. Follow all instructions carefully, and ask your teacher
if you do not understand something.
3. Do not touch any equipment until instructed to do so.
4. Do not eat, drink, chew gum, or taste anything in the
science classroom.
5. Wash your hands with soap and water before entering and
leaving class.
6. Wear safety goggles when instructed.
7. Keep work area neat and clean. Remove all unnecessary
materials.
8. Clean work area and equipment when you're finished with
the experiment. Dispose of all waste properly.
9. Tell your teacher about any accident immediately.
10. Most chemicals used in the science room are dangerous.
Do not touch or smell any chemicals unless told to do so.
11. Students are not allowed to enter any storage closet at
any time.
12. Do not remove any supplies from the science classroom
without your teacher’s permission.
13. Use care when handling glassware. Never pick up broken
or hot glassware with your bare hands.
14. Use extreme caution when using matches, burners, or hot
plates. Only light burners when told to do so by your teacher, and do not put
anything into a flame unless specifically instructed to do so. Do not leave lit
burners unattended.
15. Dress properly: Long hair must be tied back, and no
dangling sleeves or jewelry is allowed. Wear closed-toe and heeled shoes. Wear
lab aprons as instructed.
16. Memorize the location of all safety equipment and
emergency exits.
Adapted from middleschoolscience.com.
Common Core Standards:
Middle
LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms§ Plants, algae (including phytoplankton), and many microorganisms use the energy from light to make sugars (food) from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water through the process of photosynthesis, which also releases oxygen. These sugars can be used immediately or stored for growth or later use. (MS-LS1-6) § Within individual organisms, food moves through a series of chemical reactions in which it is broken down and rearranged to form new molecules, to support growth, or to release energy. (MS-LS1-7)
PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life§ The chemical reaction by which plants produce complex food molecules (sugars) requires an energy input (i.e., from sunlight) to occur. In this reaction, carbon dioxide and water combine to form carbon-based organic molecules and release oxygen. (secondary to MS-LS1-6)§ 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. (secondary to MS-LS1-7)
MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
MS-LS2-3. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
MS-PS1-5. Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.
PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter§ Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in various ways. Atoms form molecules that range in size from two to thousands of atoms. (MS-PS1-1)§ Each pure substance has characteristic physical and chemical properties (for any bulk quantity under given conditions) that can be used to identify it. (MS-PS1-2),(MS-PS1-3)§ Gases and liquids are made of molecules or inert atoms that are moving about relative to each other. (MS-PS1-4)§ In a liquid, the molecules are constantly in contact with others; in a gas, they are widely spaced except when they happen to collide. In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and may vibrate in position but do not change relative locations. (MS-PS1-4)§ Solids may be formed from molecules, or they may be extended structures with repeating subunits (e.g., crystals). (MS-PS1-1)§ The changes of state that occur with variations in temperature or pressure can be described and predicted using these models of matter. (MS-PS1-4)
PS1.B: Chemical Reactions§ Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants. (MS-PS1-2),(MS-PS1-3),(MS-PS1-5)§ The total number of each type of atom is conserved, and thus the mass does not change. (MS-PS1-5)§ Some chemical reactions release energy, others store energy. (MS-PS1-6)
4th Grade
4-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.
4-ESS3-2. Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
ESS3.A: Natural Resources § Energy and fuels that humans use are derived from natural sources, and their use affects the environment in multiple ways. Some resources are renewable over time, and others are not.
5th Grade
5-PS1-4. Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances.
PS1.B: Chemical Reactions§ When two or more different substances are mixed, a new substance with different properties may be formed. (5-PS1-4)§ No matter what reaction or change in properties occurs, the total weight of the substances does not change.
5-LS1-1. Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water.
LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms§ Plants acquire their material for growth chiefly from air and water.
