This lesson aims to introduce students to one of our earliest forms of energy – biomass, which has been used to heat and cook for longer than most energy sources. How you ask – WOOD you care to make a guess? Biomass is simply energy from organic matter that we can use as fuel. In this lesson, students will learn about the various types of biomass fuel, how we process them to create energy, and how we can use it to fuel our vehicles (ethanol and biodiesel) or generate electricity (waste-to-energy). The culminating activities show off the various ways organic materials can turn into useful energy for us.
Looking for more home energy activities? We’re pleased to work with The National Energy Education Development Project (NEED), to deliver these fun activities. Be sure to check out their library of resources, and their specialized collection of energy-themed distance/at-home learning activities. All activities are totally free for use at home or school, and accessible by visiting their website, www.NEED.org.
- Background reading: Elementary Energy Infobook, Biomass
- Printable Biomass Coloring Worksheet
- Background reading: Intermediate Energy Infobook, Biomass
- Interactive worksheet
- Biomass Bag is a great way to showcase the energy in organic matter that we use and see around us every day. This activity has students try their hand at fermentation using some yeast. Students should see their living material begin to decay and form a liquid (ethanol), and some gas (CO2) forming in their bag. A similar process is used to make fuel, or biofuel for our vehicles – this liquid fuel can be burned in our vehicle engines or even race cars. In landfills and biodigesters, bacteria act just like the yeast to break down the organic material or biomass, forming a gas (methane) we can use. We can then trap this gas and burn it to generate electricity! The gases and liquids produced from biomass are RENEWABLE. The energy in these living things can do work for us!
Join our friends from NEED as they show you how to start your own biomass bag in this fun video clip:
Additional support links:
- https://www.glbrc.org/outreach/educational-materials/fermentation-bag
- https://switchon.org/ (Free signup for all video clips)
- https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/
- https://www.eia.gov/kids/
Fall Lesson Plans:
- Lesson Plan 2: Hydropower
- Lesson Plan 3: Water Conservation
- Lesson Plan 4: Climate Change and Energy Conservation
- Lesson Plan 5: Heating and Cooling
Spring Lesson Plans:
- Lesson Plan 1: Energy Basics and Energy Sources
- Lesson Plan 2: Electricity and Electricity Generation
- Lesson Plan 3: Conservation at Home
- Lesson Plan 4: Wind and Natural Gas
- Lesson Plan 5: Solar Energy
- Lesson Plan 6: Understanding Your Energy Bill
- Lesson Plan 7: Measuring Your Electricity Consumption
- Lesson Plan 8: Lighting and Appliances