Creating a sustainable future
Newton Rooms: Thurso, Inverness, Dingwall, Fort William
Level: S1 and S2
Duration: 5 hours
Description: In this module the pupils will learn and experience how wood, which is in abundance in the Highlands, can be used as a raw material for making biofuels.
Activity 1: Building the molecules. The pupils will build a monosaccharide, which will be used to compose a polysaccharide. We will discuss the role enzymes play in the decomposition of molecules.
Activity 2: From wood to sugar. The pupils set up an enzyme reaction to understand the use of an enzyme in an industrial setting, digesting Cellulose into its constituent parts, glucose. They then perform a Benedict's test to evaluate the amount of glucose released by the enzyme and compare this to glucose in known foods.
Activity 3: From sugar to alcohol. The pupils will produce ethanol from a fermentation reaction. Data loggers are used to track the concentration of ethanol and carbon dioxide as a sugar-yeast solution ferment.
Activity 4: Sustainable biofuels. The pupils will be consultants for the building of a fuel factory in their region. They will debate the benefits and downsides of fossil fuels and different sources for biofuels and choose the type of factory. The activity is summarised with the whole class.
Activity 5: Ethanol as a fuel. The SEO will demonstrate using ethanol as a fuel to create combustion and move a rocket.