Northeast Bioenergy and Bioproducts Institute at University of Maryland Eastern Shore: Enhancing

Bioenergy Literacy for Educators in STEAM

This project is supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grant no. 2011-67009-30055 from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Madhumi Mitra, Ph.D. , University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Maryland, USA

Abhijit Nagchaudhuri, Ph.D., University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Maryland, USA

Corinne Rutzke, Ph.D., Cornell University, New York, USA

ABOUT THE PROGRAMSTEAM—Science, Technology,

Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics

• NBB—Northeast Bioenergy and Bioproducts Programs—changed to NBBEP-National Bioenergy and Bioproducts Educational Programs (2012)-multidisciplinary program

• Partnership among Cornell University (lead university), University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Delaware State University, Ohio Bioproducts Innovation Center (OSU), Boyce Thompson Institute , and Pace University Energy and Climate Center

• Programs: Train –The-Trainer Program (6 weeks); One-Week Workshop (at all sites), and Summer Research Internships

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• Better appreciation for bioenergy and bio-based products and their implications on climate change/environment, foreign policies, rural, regional, and national economies. “Broad education to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context” (one of the ABET outcomes).

Objective: To provide a systems perspective in bioenergy and bioproducts to STEAM educators and researchers• Curricula refinement in grades 8-16 in the schools and university incorporating more

bioenergy and bioproducts materials in the curricula and STEAM courses.Objective: To provide curricular materials and tools for educators in Bioenergy and Bioproducts• Motivate and inspire students to pursue careers in the STEAM disciplines with

appreciation of sustainable issues.Objective: To implement the curricular materials in classrooms• Strengthening collaborations with existing partners as well as school systems for future

projects (both research and education) on bioenergy and bio-based projects, and global climate change.

Objective: To leverage other ongoing activities and training and also initiate and expand multidisciplinary collaborations

• Consistent with UMES land grant mission• Recycles waste into a useful commodity• Does not compete with land for growing food• Reduces dependence on foreign oil• Environmentally friendly/Carbon Neutral• Useful byproducts• Supports BBEP goals

MTT-Master Teacher Trainers

• Two professors—one in Agriculture and the other in Chemistry

• Three High School Teachers—Agriculture, Biology, and Technology

• Research Technician—Chemistry• Two Graduate Teaching Assistants-one in Biology and the

other one in Environmental Sciences• Two undergraduate rising seniors (who participated in

research throughout the year)- one in General Engineering and the other in Electrical Engineering Technology

One-Week Institute Requirements

Daily Attendance

Pre and Post Workshop Content Survey

Daily Readings

Classroom Integration Plan

Workshop Evaluation and Feedback

Classroom Follow Up

Final Integration Survey

http://www.iteaconnect.org/Publications/AAAS/TTT%20Clean%20Fuels.pdf

STANDARDS-BASED CURRICULUM(Standards for Technological Literacy)

Technology teachers are part of the global solution for educating a greater public about energy inputs, processes, and outputs as indicated in Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology (STL) (ITEA,2000/2002/2007): • Standard 5 – the effects of technology on the environment, • Standard 15 – agricultural and related biotechnologies, • Standard 16 – energy and power technologies, and • Standard 18 – transportation technologies. Therefore, technology teachers need reliable and basic information about renewable energy technologiesto incorporate into their classroom instruction in order tobetter fulfill STL.

Teaching Students about Clean Fuels and Transportation Technologies – Joe Busby & P.P. Carpenter

The Technology Teacher • April 2009

NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS

• Science as Inquiry-abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry; understandings about scientific inquiry

• Physical Science-chemical reactions• Life Science-matter, energy, organization

in living systems• Science in Personal and Social

Perspectives-natural resources; environmental quality

OTHER NATIONAL STANDARDS

The National Council for Agricultural Education (NCAE) has school-based agricultural education (SBAE) cluster standards for grades 9-12—Environmental Service Systems, Plant Systems

National Council for Teachers in Mathematics (NCTM)—Measurement Standard, Data Analysis and Probability Standards, Process Standards

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDSRelevance of STEM to everyday life

• The National Research Council; The National Science Teachers Association; The American Association for the Advancement of Science; and Achieve-Framework for K-12 Science Education ( will be released for adoption for spring 2013)

• The students must be engaged at the nexus of three dimensions: 1) Practices: “inquiry” in science and the range of cognitive, social, and physical practices that it requires; key set of engineering practices that engineers use as they design and build models and systems; 2) Cross cutting Concepts—have applications across all domains of science; interrelations from all disciplines of science; 3) Disciplinary Core Ideas—4 domains: the physical sciences; the life sciences; the earth and space sciences; engineering, technology, and applications of science.

RACE TO THE PUMPS GAME

Enthusiastic participants at the Manokin River Park in Princess Anne, MD

Race to the Pumps Game

LAB ACTIVITIES-GRASSES TO SUGAR

ON-CAMPUS FIELD TRIP

Biodiesel facility at UMES Algal Photobioreactor

UMES Solar Farm

ON-CAMPUS FIELD TRIP

MTT Participants at the UMES field site Switchgrass field site

OFF-CAMPUS FIELD TRIP—Greenlight Biofuels, Princess Anne, MD

Waste to fuel cycle

MAKING A SIMPLE ALGAL PHOTOBIOREACTOR

LAB ACTIVITIES-CONVERSION OF VIRGIN OIL TO BIODIESEL

Biodiesel Lab Participant at the Biodiesel lab

BIODIESEL FACILITY AT UMES

Waste vegetable oil heated, filtered to remove water and food particles prior to feeding into Biopro.

Oil was fed into Biopro, along with Methanol, Sulfuric Acid, & Sodium Hydroxide ( Esterification &

Transesterification)

Processing stages in the Biopro190

After 24 hours, glycerin by-product drained off and used to make soap

BIOPRODUCTS LAB--GLYCERIN SOAP MAKING

Dr. Mitra instructing the participants about the glycerin soap making process

MTT participants in the process of making soaps from the glycerin derived as a by-product from the conversion of used cooking oil to biodiesel at UMES

GLYCERIN SOAP MAKING

Using the immersion blender to mix glycerin, lye, lauric acid, coconut oil. Soap making—the final stage

OTHER BIOPRODUCTS LAB

Shrink Wrap Soyfoam

Traditional vs. Soy cleaners

MTT PRESENTATIONS

Educator/Researcher Status Subject Area (STEAM) Which specific activity from the institute was incorporated in classroom or research?

How/Where was the activity implemented?

1 High School Teacher Biology Glycerin Soap Making Kit 9-12 science classrooms2 High School Teacher Agriculture Grasses to Sugar 11-12 agriculture ed

classroom3 High School Teacher Technology PBR 11-12 technology

classrooms4 Research Technician Biology/Chemistry PBR Special Workshop on

Bioenergy for undergraduate students

5 Graduate Teaching Assistant

Biology/Agriculture Biodiesel kit Principles of Biology I lab

6 Graduate Teaching Assistant

Environmental Sciences PBR Marine Botany laboratory course

7 Undergraduate Researcher

General Engineering Biodiesel kit Continuing research in biodiesel and presenting at regional conferences

8 Undergraduate Researcher

Electrical Engineering Technology

Glycerin Soap Making Kit Continuing research in extracting essentials oils from organic herbs and making environmentally-friendly soaps with glycerin and extracted oils.

9 Agriculture Professor Agriculture-Plant and Crop Sciences

Grasses to Sugar; Soap Making Kit

Plant Science laboratory courses

10 Chemistry Professor Physical Chemistry Biodiesel kit Principles of Chemistry II laboratory

OUTCOMES/RESULTS

OUTCOMES/RESULTS

• Positive outcomes in classrooms---student learning; surveys conducted by individual educators; improved scores in the post-tests; enhancing awareness of environmentally-friendly practices such as reducing waste, promoting recycling, and advancing the “green initiative” on campus as well as on the lower Eastern Shore

• Students have better understanding of bioenergy and bioproducts and also the interconnectedness of the disciplines;

• Better appreciation of the STEAM disciplines and increased interest in pursuing STEAM careers.

CONCLUSIONS

• The activities in the project are consistent with the recommendations of the National Academies (Science and Engineering) with regard to transformational changes to agricultural, science, and engineering education for the new century and provide a foundation for continued education endeavors.

• Some of the activities (algae photobioreactor, biodiesel from cooking oil, environmentally-friendly soap making, and grasses to sugar) from the institute are permanently incorporated in agriculture, food, and resource sciences; marine and environmental sciences; engineering curricula; and other STEAM courses.

• Attracting students interested in pursuing their STEAM degrees with a focus on sustainability issues. Currently there are more than 50 students (from the STEAM areas) involved with experiential learning in bioenergy and bioproducts.

• The classroom tools, lab kits, and workbooks are self-sustaining for the educators not just in their classrooms but to other teachers through sharing of resources.

• The knowledge in the training sessions is transferable to other regions of the country—NATIONAL BIOENERGY AND BIOPRODUCTS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

• This project is supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Competitive Grant no. 2011-67009-30055 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

• Graduate research and teaching assistant in the Marine Estuarine and Environmental Sciences: Henry Xavier

• Undergraduate research assistants in Engineering: James Amajene, Uche Ezechi, and David Ari

• Greenlight Biofuels for the field trip

"The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste

we shall have for destruction."-Rachel Carson

THANK YOU!