Unit Components

School District: Groton
Unit of Study Title: Ethanol and Society
Grade Level: 9-12
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Key Words: ethanol, ethanol production, distillation, azeotrope, alcohol, fermentation

Unit Designer Name: Kristen Gonsoir (KG015)
Unit Designer E-mail: Kristen.Gonsoir@k12.sd.us

Topic Areas: Science

Brief Summary of Unit:
This lesson will integrate handheld devices into a unit about ethanol and the production of ethanol. Students will use the handheld device to take notes as they tour a local ethanol plant. After the tour students will conduct simple and fractional distillation in the science laboratory and graph their results using their handheld device. During the study of ethanol and its production, students will also learn about the advantages and disadvantages of ethanol production. Students will prepare arguments for and against ethanol production from corn using the Internet for research and their handheld device and keyboards for note taking. Students will complete a written lab test about distillation. The final project will be the production of ethanol time-line created in the calendar function of the handheld device. This unit of study will be done with Chemistry II, which is a weighted course for juniors and seniors. This unit could also lead to a unit on water quality since one community concern has been the water discharge from the ethanol plant. Students will use the handheld device in this unit to explore water quality including the water discharged from the ethanol plant.

Technology: Handheld Computer

Desired Results

What enduring understandings are desired? Students will understand that...
1. Students will understand that energy production is limited and is required to obey the law of conservation of energy.
2. Students will understand that chemistry plays a significant role in the development and manufacturing of products.

What essential questions will guide this unit and focus teaching and learning?
1. What advantages and disadvantages are there to using corn in the production of ethanol?
2. How can chemistry aid in the most efficient manufacturing of ethanol?

Link to Standards #1
Content Area: Science
Source: SD Science Content Standards 9-12
Goal (SD Content Standards):
5- Science, Technology, Environment, and Society

Indicator:
Analyze relationships/interactions among science, technology, environment and society

Benchmark(s):
a. analyze the interaction between technological research and societal development b. analyze the relationship between human activity and the environment c. analyze the interactions of technology and the environment

Standards: (South Dakota Grade level standards are preceded with an *)
Students will know and be able to do…1. describe immediate and long-term consequences of potential solutions for technological-related issues. (example: natural catastrophes, interactions of populations, resources and environment, health and disease)2. evaluate factors that serve as potential constraints on technological design and use. (example: ethics ecology, manufacturing processes, operation, maintenance, replacement, disposal and liability.3. Understand technological design. (example: identify appropriate problems for technological design, design a solution or product, implement a proposed design, evaluate technological designs or products, communicate the process of technological design)4. Predict and evaluate how the characteristics of materials influence product design.

Link to Standards #2
Content Area: Technology
Source: Groton School District Technology Standards adopted from ISTE National Education Technology Standards Project
Goal (SD Content Standards):
Technology communications tools

Indicator:
Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity. Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.

Benchmark(s):
Students will be able to use technology tools and resources for managing and communicating personal/professional information. Students will be able to routinely and efficiently use online information resources to meet needs for collaboration, research, publication, communication, and productivity. Students will be able to investigate and apply expert systems, intelligent agents, and simulations in real-world situations. Students will be able to collaborate with peers, experts, and others to contribute to a content-related knowledge base by using technology to compile, synthesize, produce, and disseminate information, models, and other creative works.

Standards: (South Dakota Grade level standards are preceded with an *)
Students will know and be able to do…1. use technology tools and resources for managing and communicating personal/professional information (e.g., finances, schedules, addresses, purchases, correspondence)2. routinely and efficiently use online information resources to meet needs for collaboration, research, publication, communication, and productivity.3. select and apply technology tools for research, information analysis, problem solving, and decision making in content learning.4. investigate and apply expert systems, intelligent agents, and simulations in real-world situations.

Evidence of Understanding

Performance Task Vignette(s):
1. Students will tour a local ethanol plant and take notes on their handheld device.Goal- Students will learn how an ethanol plant operates, and they will also learn how to take notes using their handheld device.Role- Students will be note-takers, investigators, and listeners as they tour a local ethanol plant while the teacher will coordinate the tour. Using their handheld devices equipped with a built in camera students will be able to take pictures as they tour the ethanol plant.Audience- The community, along with the students and teacher, will be part of this activity as the students tour a local business.Situation- Students will take notes on their handheld devices as they are taken on a guided tour of the ethanol plant. Students will also ask questions throughout the tour.Product- Students will save their notes to use in the ethanol time-line project and they will print their notes for their teacher.Standards -(Science 2.) evaluate factors that serve as potential constraints on technological design and use. (example: ethics, ecology, manufacturing processes, operation, maintenance, replacement, disposal, and liability) (Science 3.) understand technological design. (example: identify appropriate problems for technological design, design a solution or product, implement a proposed design, evaluate technological designs or products, communicate the process of technological design) (Science 4.) predict and evaluate how the characteristics of materials influence product design. (Science 5.) analyze the benefits, limitations, cost, and consequences involved in using, conserving, or recycling resources. 2. Students will construct arguments showing two advantages and two disadvantages of using corn for ethanol.Goal- Students will identify advantages and disadvantages of using corn for ethanol. They will also be able to show that the process of using corn for ethanol must follow the laws of conservation of energy.Role- The student acts as an investigator gathering information about the efficiency of ethanol production from corn.Audience- The student, peers, and the teacher are the audience.Situation- The student will research ethanol production using the Internet and information collected during the tour of the ethanol plant and present advantages and disadvantages to using corn for ethanol.Performance- Students will conduct a mock debate about the use of corn for ethanol production.Standards- (Science 1.) describe immediate and long-term consequences of potential solutions for technological-related issues. (example: natural catastrophes, interactions of populations, resources and environment, health and disease)(Science 2.) evaluate factors that serve as potential constraints on technological design and use. (example: ethics ecology, manufacturing processes, operation, maintenance, replacement, disposal and liability.(Technology 2.) routinely and efficiently use online information resources to meet needs for collaboration, research, publication, communication, and productivity.(Technology 3.) select and apply technology tools for research, information analysis, problem solving, and decision making in content learning.1. Students will conduct a distillation lab and compare the small-scale laboratory distillation to the distillation carried out in an ethanol plant.Goal- Students will be able to compare and contrast simple and fractional distillation and carry out a simple or fractional distillation in a laboratory setting.Role- Students carry out the lab procedure in small groups of two or three, and they record their results for the lab individually on the handheld device.Audience- The students and the teacher are the audience.Situation- Students will carry out a simple and fractional distillation and then compare the efficiency of the two processes. Students will graph their results on their handheld devices.Product- Students will print the graphs created on their handheld devices.Standards-(Science 2.) Evaluate factors that serve as potential constraints on technological design and use.(Science 3.) Understand technological design.(Technology 3.) Select and apply technology tools for research, information analysis, problem solving, and decision making in content learning. 4. Students will create a time-line using the calendar function on the handheld device tracing the life of a kernel of corn as it goes from the field into a gas tank as ethanol. Goal- Students will understand how ethanol is produced and be able to use the handheld device calendar functionRole- The student will be the creator of this document, and the teacher will be the facilitator.Audience- The student’s peers and teacher are the audience.Situation- Following the tour of a local ethanol plant and the lab unit on distillation, students will document the life of a kernel of corn as it goes from the field to the gas tank or to the table. Product -Students will create a time-line using the calendar function on the handheld device to trace how a kernel of corn becomes ethanol that is used as an addition to gasoline or as a food product.Standards- (Science 3.)- Understand technological design. (Technology 1.)- Use technology tools and resources for managing and communicating personal/professional information (e.g., finances, schedules, addresses, purchases, correspondence). (Technology 2.) Routinely and efficiently use online information resources to meet needs for collaboration, research, publication, communication, and productivity. (Technology 3.) Select and apply technology tools for research, information analysis, problem solving, and decision making in content learning.(Technology 4.) Investigate and apply expert systems, intelligent agents, and simulations in real-world situations.

Other Evidence: Quizzes, Tests, Academic Prompts and Work Samples:
1. Students will beam their ethanol tour notes to the teacher.
2. Students will complete a lab report and questions about distillation. Students will use wireless technology to print the graph completed on the handheld devices using the spreadsheet function and Imagimath.
3. Students will take a lab test over distillation and related vocabulary.

Unprompted Evidence:
1. Students will discuss vocabulary and processes related to distillation.
2. Students will be given instructions in the use and operation of the handheld device.
3. Before going on the tour of an ethanol plant students will research ethanol production and generate questions they will ask during the tour.
4. Students will hold an informal debate about the advantages and disadvantages of using corn for ethanol.

Self Assessment / Peer Assessment:
Students will use a student-generated rubric to evaluate their own PALM ethanol time-line and a time-line of a peer. Students will self-assess their distillation assembly with the lab book as a guide. Students will conduct peer evaluations of their laboratory distillation setup before beginning the distillation process. The instructor will give the final evaluation of the distillation setup before the students may begin distillation.

Learning Experiences and Instruction

Learning Activities:
Students will know WHERE the unit is headed and WHY:How will you help students know where they are headed and why?At the beginning of this unit students will be given an outline that explains the various aspects of this unit including the use of the handheld devices. Students will also be required to sign an acceptable use policy for the handheld devices. Students will be given analytical grading rubrics for the projects before they begin the project. Some of the assignments will be guided with a checklist.Students will be HOOKED through engaging and provocative entry points:How will you hook students through engaging and thought provoking experiences?Two factors will help “hook” students in this unit: a tour of an actual ethanol plant and the use of the handheld devices. Students will see a real life application of chemistry right in their own community. Touring a local ethanol plant will help motivate students in the study of distillation. Students have a genuine interest in this process because it is part of their own community. Students will also become engaged in this unit through the use of the handheld devices. Many studies have shown the effectiveness of the use of handheld devices in education. Students will have an exciting means of taking notes while touring the ethanol plant. Students will be able to enter and graph information right in the laboratory as they complete their distillation. Through the use of the infrared printing ability of the handheld device, students will be able to print their graphs and notes.Students will EXPLORE and be ENABLED/EQUIPPED for final performances: How will you equip students to explore the issues and experience the ideas? What events, real or simulated, can students experience to make the ideas and issues real? What learning activities will help students to explore the big ideas? What instruction is needed to equip students for the final performance?Students will be well equipped to take notes as we tour the ethanol plant using a handheld device. Prior to the tour students will be instructed in note taking using the handheld devices and will have practice assignments in entering notes on the handheld devices. Prior to the tour students will also research ethanol production using the Internet. This research will give students background information to allow them to ask thought provoking questions during the tour. Students will also be told of the ethanol time-line assignment so they can record necessary information as they tour the ethanol plant.Students will REFLECT and RETHINK:How will you cause students to reflect and rethink to dig deeper into the core ideas? How will you guide students in rehearsing, revising, and refining their work?Students will reflect on ethanol production as some of the disadvantages are discussed during a classroom debate. The tour will highlight the advantages of using ethanol. Students will be required to beam their notes about the advantages and disadvantages of using ethanol to the teacher, and the teacher will add comments and beam the notes back to the students. This interaction will give the students an opportunity to rethink some of their ideas. Before printing their distillation lab graphs students will be able to beam their graph to their peers to help refine and revise their results. Students will EXHIBIT and EVALUATE:How will students exhibit their understanding about their final performances and products? How will you guide them in self-evaluation to identify strengths and weaknesses in their work and set in future goals?Students will show their understanding of the distillation process through a written and laboratory test. Students will be given a rubric to help guide them as they prepare their time-line in the production of ethanol from corn. Students will be able to self-evaluate their project using this rubric. Students will be able to print their lab report and graph for display. In the discussion of the disadvantages of ethanol production two issues should emerge: potential water pollution and air pollution. These two issues will lead into further units of study where students will use their handheld devices and Imagiworks probes and sensors to explore air pollution and water quality. Unit activities will be TAILORED to meet student needs, interests, and learning styles:How will work be tailored to meet individual student needs, interests, and learning stylesThe use of the handheld devices will help customize this unit for each student. Students may enter notes using a variety of means such as graffiti, the on-screen keyboard, or an external keyboard. Students will generate their own arguments for and against ethanol production. The use of handheld devices as an educational tool helps meet individual student needs, interests, and learning styles. Students will also be allowed to form their own opinions about ethanol production as advantages and disadvantages of ethanol production are discussed.Instruction and learning activities will be ORGANIZED to be engaging and effective:How will the instruction and learning activities be organized for maximal engagement and effectiveness?Students will be given a clear time-line of this unit. Periodic checks as to the students’ progress can be done through the beaming their work to the teacher’s handheld device. Each student will have their own assigned handheld device and keyboard to use throughout this unit. A multiple slot charger will be available for easy charging of many handheld devices at once. The use of the SD deploy card will allow the teacher to program each student handheld device as this unit is started.

Learning Sequence:
Learning Sequence: Summarize or provide a list of the sequence of teaching and learning activities.
1. Students will research ethanol production on the Internet.2. Students will learn basic operations of the handheld devices and of specific software applications.3. Students will tour a local ethanol plant.4. Students will engage in a discussion about distillation and the process of distillation.5. Students will engage in a debate about the advantages and disadvantages of using corn for ethanol.6. Students will carry out a simple and fractional distillation lab separating acetone and water and then compare the efficiency of both distillations.7. Students will complete laboratory reports about the distillation labs, including graphs generated in sheets to go and Imagimath on the handheld device.8. Students will complete a time-line of a kernel of corn as it becomes ethanol.

Resources, Credits, and Additional Comments

Web Based Resources:
1. http://www.palm.com/us/
2. http://www.sdcorn.org/Attachments/SDEtOHBrochure.pdf
3. http://www.broin.com/Press_Room.asp?detail=2&pressid=13
4. http://cnets.iste.org/currstands/cstands-netss.html
5. www.ccvsoftware.com
6. http://www.michigan.gov/mda/1,1607,7-125-1566-38569--,00.html

Publications and Print Resources:
1. Baum, Stuart. Introduction to Organic and Biological Chemsitry. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 1987.
2. Baum, Stuart. Laboratory Exercises in Organic and Biological Chemistry. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 1987.
3. Boxer, Robert. Essentials of Organic Chemistry. Chicago: Wm. C. Brown Publishers. 1997.
4. Lehman, John. Operational Organic Chemistry. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc. 1981.

Credits:
Chuck Boese of CCV Software provided information and prices about the Handheld device, accessories, and software.

Unit Designer Comments:
Students must be given adequate instruction and practice in use of the handheld devices before the ethanol plant tour. Before students are allowed to check out the handheld devices, they must sign a user agreement. All handheld devices need to be equipped with documents to go software. If an ethanol plant is not available to tour a virtual tour of an ethanol plant could be created using the Internet. This unit leads to further units on water quality and air quality as students discuss these two issues associated with ethanol production. These units also utilize applications with the handheld device.

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