NAUTILUS EDUCATION | BETA PRODUCT
Matter and its interactions (HS-PS1-1) Use the peri- odic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.
From molecules to organisms: structure and pro- cesses (HS-LS1-6) Construct and revise an explana- tion based on evidence for how carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with other elements to form amino acids and/or other large carbon-based molecules.
Ecosystems: Interactions, energy and dynamics (HS- LS-3) Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for the cycling of matter and flow of energy in aerobic and anaerobic conditions.
Teacher’s Notes: Frack ’er Up VOCAB WORDS
Ethanol: also found in beer and wine, it is a kind of biofuel that is sometimes added to gasoline for use in automobiles. Ethanol can be made from corn, potatoes, or green plants. Its chemical formula is CH;CH20H.
Biofuel: a fuel made from plants or other organisms, in recent time.
Biomass: material from recently living organisms. Organic compound: a molecule containing carbon.
Hydrocarbon: Made of just hydrogen and carbon, these are the simplest kind of organic compound.
Octane: a highly flammable hydrocarbon, and compo- nent of gasoline. Its chemical formula is CsHis.
Catalyst: a component of a chemical reaction that helps facilitate the reaction, but is not used up.
READING COMPREHENSION
1. “Plant biomass absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows.” What is the name of the process by which plants do this? Look up and write down the chemical reaction.
A polymer is a chain of molecules. Identify a kind of polymer in the story, and the monomer that composes it.
Plants need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. What are some of the sources for this carbon dioxide?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
Why is it advantageous for companies to be green?
Would you pay more for gas—or any other prod- uct, say a shirt—from a “green” company? What if some of that company’s practices were just as
questionable as those of “dark” companies?
How would the world change if gasoline could be made cheaply from natural gas? Should we consider this technology to be progress given that natural gas has it’s own environmental consequences.
ACTIVITIES
1.
Have students construct a timeline of fuel. Ask them to include dates mentioned from the story, and to research and add other relevant informa- tion: like the moment in history when organisms die, the lite cycle of a tree that contributed the author’s container of Primus fuel.
Draw a map or annotated illustration of all the plac- es carbon goes in this article. Use outside research to complete a full picture of the carbon cycle.
Write a 30-second ad convincing car drivers to pay a premium for green gasoline like Primus’. Include “fine print”— side effects, or caveats—as you see necessary.
ADDITIONAL MULTIMEDIA
1.
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Algae (The Guardian)
An interactive slide show that illustrates how biofuels are made out of algae:
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