by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) For scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians, Germany offers a broad range of opportunities when it comes to higher education and professional development.
The University of Rhode Island’s (URI) German International Engineering Program (GIEP), together with the Goethe-Institut Boston and the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) hosted their very first New England German STEM Immersion Day** on November 3, 2018 for over 50 participants. Offering fun and hands-on workshops for high school students, they were encouraged to discover the opportunities behind a globally-minded education.
Capturing CO2
As part of my studies in the GIEP I hosted an hour-long workshop titled: “Capturing CO2” for a group of 6 students who varied greatly in their German skills, ranging from native speakers to students in their second year learning the language.
In this workshop, I led an experiment with students to observe the effects of CO2 gas made by reacting yeast and corn syrup to produce ethyl-alcohol in a plastic bottle modeled off of a previous experiment conducted by Richland Community College.
Lessons I Learned
In preparation for the workshop I had noticed that the total volume of the corn syrup mixed with yeast and hot water should not exceed a fourth of the total bottle volume since the mixture expands over time leading to leakage issues towards the top of the bottle. This was a big issue in getting the balloon to fill since the bottle would fill up with CO2 but the balloon would not expand unless pressure was applied to the bottom of the bottle.
Further research into proper weight percentages of corn syrup, water and yeast should be done in order to calculate the amount of time it will take to produce the appropriate amount of CO2 to fill up the balloon without exceeding the height of the bottle and allotted time of the workshop. Proper balloon size should also be considered to mitigate the effects of leakage although the green cap provided (see photo) helped contain the mixture but restricted the flow rate of gas into the balloon.
Because of the time allotted, I started with the experiment very quickly; without giving the students a chance to become acquainted with each other or myself regarding our thoughts about the subject matter and my credentials.
After the participants had filled their bottles with the reactants and were waiting for their balloons to fill with CO2, I proceeded to hand them a crossword puzzle (see attached) to encourage them to learn vocabulary about sustainability and the role biofuels play in an sustainable energy transition; including words for greenhouse gases, carbon cycle and agriculture. Then, I proceeded to write the words they needed on the board and did my best to explain and give them hints to what they meant. I noticed some were not engaged with the activity and others did not understand what I was saying at all.
Participants of the workshop mentioned in feedback that the crossword activity could have been improved by giving them a more informative background on the material and they had not enjoyed it since they did not understand it. On the other hand, although some of the balloons had exploded and some students didn’t appreciate the smell of yeast, participants mentioned that they thought the experiment was fun and they were not aware of the relationship between CO2 and climate change.
Moving forward, it was discussed that having the students speak more German alongside the activity would have been more engaging to spark curiosity in the activity and an openness to speaking German out of context.
Download crossword puzzle Download Crossword Puzzle Answers
**German STEM Immersion Day – New England' is part of the Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/19 – Year of German-American Friendship. This initiative is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by the Goethe-Institut, and supported by the Federation of German Industries (BDI).
* Michael Eggleston is an aspiring science and technology policy analyst soon to be graduating from the University of Rhode Island’s German International Engineering Program with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Chemical Engineering, Bachelor of Arts in German and a Minor in International Development. He is currently serving as the program’s ambassador and will be responsible for updating Advanced Biofuels USA’s white paper on renewable fuels for the diesel engine.
updated 11/7/2018 to correct list of sponsors.
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