Environmental Science

Role

You are part of a team of scientific entrepreneurs that have just opened a new laboratory specializing in microbiology and genetic engineering. These processes may be critical to meeting the energy needs of the global community in the coming years. Fossil fuels will not last forever, and these fuels are a major contributor to global climate change. These are two critical reasons that energy companies need to look to alternative sources that are cost efficient and can be produced on a very large scale. A large, international company is considering investing in biofuels. They are not sure it has the ability to meet their needs in terms of slowly replacing fossil fuels. They have contracted with your laboratory to determine the feasibility of biofuels based upon the use of cyanobacteria and algae. Your recommendation for or against this investment will either lead the company to prosperity or bankruptcy. No pressure!

Audience

The audience will be the leadership team for the large, international energy company. They are very concerned about the decision they are about to make. As part of the company's strategic plan, the company needs to produce 30% of its energy through alternative energy sources no later than 2022. Your recommendation will be critical to achieving this goal. If you do not believe biofuels if a viable investment they will need to consider other forms of alternative energy such as solar and wind.

Situation

As energy companies look to replace fossil fuels, alternative energy sources are being considered. These sources will need to create a great deal of energy to meet man's energy needs and fully replace fossil fuels. The belief is that these fuels can help slowly reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The sun's energy is seen as a very valuable resource and one that many alternative energy advocates suggest can replace fossil fuels. This energy does have great value, but the harvesting of this energy is not solely based upon solar panels. Cyanobacteria and algae are two photosynthetic microorganisms that utilize the sun's energy and carbon dioxide (CO2) to live through the production of chemical energy. New entrepreneurial companies are using this process to produce ethanol and diesel fuel. This sounds simple but is incredibly challenging to produce fuel at a scale that makes it worthwhile. To make the process economically viable, the entrepreneurs had to address many challenges. Your task is to consider these challenges and the solutions currently offered. Based upon your findings, should the large, international energy company that hired your laboratory pursue such ideas to help provide longterm solutions to energy production without the reliance on fossil fuels? To help you in your research you may want to review the following industry leaders websites to gain more information.

Below are the three products you can choose to create. There is a description of each task and the rubric above it. In order to develop your product you will need to do some research to inform your design. Read through the articles and watch videos to learn more about Carbon Fibers and how they are used in manufacturing and feel free to look for additional resources to support your learning.

Video: Economic, Environmental, & Social Effect of Biofuels

Video: We Can Power the Future with Algae

Video: Algae Power

Article 1: Energy 101: Algae to Fuel

Article 2: Turning Algae into Fuel

Article 3: Turning Algae into Environmental Friendly Energy

Article 4: Why are We Not Drowning in Algae

Article 5: Bioreactor Redesign Improves Quality

To help you in your research you may want to review the following industry leaders websites to gain more information.

Joule Unlimited

Solix Biosystems

Proterro

Brainstorm Ideas

It's time to think about product development. You will begin with ideation, which is the start of the creative process. During the ideation phase, you will brainstorm with your group about all the potential ways you could approach this product. Remember, the more creative and innovative your ideas are at this stage, the better! Your group will need to check and make sure that each of your initial ideas are meeting the requirements related to the goal, audience and product description. What are the directions or criteria that need to be followed? Who is your audience and what will they need from this product?

Analyze & Decide

As you discuss the possibilities during your brainstorming, you will narrow the ideas down to those that seem like they would best solve the problem or address the challenge. Once you have narrowed down to two or three ideas, grab some paper and a pencil and make an outline or sketch a plan for each one. What will the product need to include? How will you best use the information that you found in your research to create it? What would the product look like based upon each idea?

After outlining your product ideas. Discuss with your group and decide on ONE that you would like to move forward with. When you have selected one idea, you will move on to the creation phase, keeping in mind that you may go through several rounds of creation and revision before you are ready to present.

Create & Revise

It is possible that while you are creating the first version of your product, you will develop more questions that need to be answered before you can continue. If so, you may need to do additional research. Reflect on how any new information affects your product and make revisions as needed.

Your group should also be looking at the rubric during the creation phase. Here, you can practice thinking critically and collaborating with your peers to understand what needs to be included in your product. Then, you should reflect on whether or not your initial work meets those criteria. If you realize that it does not, you may need to go back and make additional revisions.

As you work through the process of creating and revising your product, communication with your teacher and classmates will be very valuable. Asking for help and discussing your product with others can help you clarify whether or not your product meets the goal of the task and is appropriate for the audience.

Remember, creating this product is a fun opportunity to apply what you have learned about important topics in a more creative and independent way.

Congratulations - You finished! Now take some time to reflect on the process. Look at the questions below to guide your reflection.

What classroom content did you use to create your products and solve the issue/challenge?

What skills did you use (21st century skills) to work through the task and finish the project?

What problems did you encounter while you were working on this task? How did you solve them?

What did you learn were your greatest strengths? Your biggest areas for improvement?

What part of your work are you most proud of? What would you do differently next time? Why?