Final Week's Thoughts

I have really enjoyed the labs we have done lately. The bioplastics lab is definitely one that I will use with my students this school year. There are so many things students can learn about following lab procedures, variables, and team work while completing the bioplastics lab. I would like to give them time to engineer a "better" bioplastic through experimentation, too. The trip to Lincoln Way Energy has been my favorite field trip so far. It is so exciting that we have an ethanol plant so close to us. I now have a better understanding of the process used to create ethanol. I have shared my new knowledge with many people and it seems that none of them were aware of the plant being so close or the process used. Everything I have used/done in the Academy has been something I can use in some way with my students. I feel more confident to use hotplates in my classroom this year with my students after actually participating in the labs myself. I am excited to use the document based case studies with my classes and also the posters. I think that they will enhance my students' critical thinking skills for sure!