Yeast and sugar go beyond the pantry and into a fuel experiment. Use these common baking ingredients to assist your class in creating ethanol, a natural fuel. Pupils observe the process and gather information to elaborate on the reaction, so they can relate their observations to present and future energy solutions.

 

Concepts

fossil fuels, biodiesel, carbon emissions, biofuels, conservation, global warming

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Conduct a survey of gas stations to see how many sell gasoline with ethanol
• Research the other forms of vehicle power, such as electric and solar, in addition to fuels mentioned in this activity, and make a poster or chart with advantages, disadvantages, and availability of each
• Search online to find an automobile fueled by alternative methods

Classroom Considerations

• Provide assistance to English learners as they perform online research for the activity

Pros

• Provides opportunities to expand on ideas from the original experiment
• Relates experiment with present-day environmental situations

Cons

• None