Biofuels

At Girlstart, we encourage our students to create solutions to pressing scientific problems. This week, girls discussed the dwindling amounts of Earth’s nonrenewable resources and learned about biofuels, before creating their own! Girls discussed the pros and cons of using nonrenewable and renewable resources. Each group offered examples of renewable energy, such as hydroelectricity, solar, and wind energy. After refreshing their memories by reviewing important vocabulary, girls were ready to create their own biofuels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each group was given three bottles of warm water which were marked “yeast + water”, “yeast + corn syrup + water”, and “yeast + bran + water”. Students worked together to carefully add the ingredients, then covered the bottle openings with balloons. Girls wrote down a hypothesis for each bottle, stating what they believed would happen to the balloons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After waiting a few minutes and shaking things up, the girls had their results! The bottles with yeast, corn syrup, and water had balloons with lots of air, while the bottle with yeast, bran, and water had a little less air, and the bottle with yeast and water had little to no air at all. Students had a lively discussion about their reasonings for the difference in balloon sizes. Girls were amazed at the results of the chemical reactions they created, and linked it back to the conversation about nonrenewable and renewable resources.

This activity allowed the girls to be biofuel engineers for a day, comparing the fuel production of different plants. With a few items that can be found in most kitchens, Girlstart is equipping girls to create innovative solutions for the future!