A Biodiesel WebQuest
Introduction
As you may have heard, Bill Gates and his wife have a charitable foundation that gives grant money to institutions and organizations that are trying to solve some of the major problems in our world today. They are very interested in innovative education, and recently have become interested in alternative fuels. They have contacted your school about a grant opportunity. The foundation is willing to donate small parcels of land to your school (25 acres each) for groups of students to form experiments in growing plants for biodiesel production. The group that is able to produce the most biodiesel per acre given their location and weather will be guaranteed a job with the Gates Foundation after college. After talking it over with your lab partners, you decide to undertake this challenge.
Task
You have been given 25 acres outside of your town, Of the 25 acres, 5 acres is arable crop land that has produced well in the past. However, the remaining 20 acres are marginal–10 acres are currently being used for pasture (it is very sandy and tends to be dry because it drains so well), and the remainder is scrub with an unknown agricultural record.
Your task is to decide on a plan. What plants will you grow in part or all of your plot of land that will produce the most biodiesel per acre possible? Remember to take into account which plants grow well in your area given your local weather patterns, which plants grow best in the type of soil that you have, and how long it takes for your crops to reach maturity. Figure your total yearly output in kilograms of oil (for the total 25 acres) over the course of 10 years. Be prepared to defend your choice of plants.
Resources
To get you started, your teacher has given you a list of worldwide oil producing crops. You also know from another project that the Florida Agricultural Centers as well as regional universities have documents and information about successful crops for Florida.
Evaluation
You will be graded on the completeness of the plan your group presents to the class. Be prepared to defend your answer and explain how you came up with your decision as well as your biodiesel production numbers.
