UCSD-TV: Molecules for the Media

Study Guide | Explore This Topic | Meet the Scientist
Links & Resources | Teacher Resources | Overview

Teachers and Resources

Energy laboratory activity
The purpose of this activity is to help students identify different forms of energy and understand how different forms of energy can be converted into one another. It will also give students exposure to the scientific method, specifically how hypotheses are generated and tested.

Click here to download the activity

Related materials
Communicating and Learning about Global Climate Change
Project 2061 Teaching Guide

California State Standards

4. Energy enters the Earth system primarily as solar radiation and eventually escapes as heat.

Students know

b. Students know the fate of incoming solar radiation in terms of reflection, absorption, and photosynthesis.

7. Each element on Earth moves among reservoirs, which exist in the solid earth, in oceans, in the atmosphere, and within and among organisms as part of biogeochemical cycles.

Students know

b. Students know the movement of matter among reservoirs is driven by Earth’s internal and external sources of energy.

d. Students know the relative residence times and flow characteristics of carbon in and out of its different reservoirs.

California State Standards for High School Biology

Cell Biology

1. The fundamental life processes of plants and animals depend on a variety of chemical reactions that occur in specialized areas of the organism’s cells.

Students know

California State Standards for High School Chemistry

10. The bonding characteristics of carbon allow the formation of many different organic molecules of varied sizes, shapes, and chemical properties and provide the biochemical basis of life.

Students know

d. Students know the system for naming the ten simplest linear hydrocarbons and isomers that contain single bonds, simple hydrocarbons with double and triple bonds, and simple molecules that contain a benzene ring.

1. Investigation and Experimentation

Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other four strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations.

b. Identify and communicate sources of unavoidable experimental error.

c. Identify possible reasons for inconsistent results, such as sources of error or uncontrolled conditions.

f. Distinguish between hypothesis and theory as scientific terms.

National Research Council Standards

Grades 9 through 12

Science as Inquiry Content Standard A

UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY

Scientists conduct investigations for a wide variety of reasons. For example, they may wish to discover new aspects of the natural world, explain recently observed phenomena, or test the conclusions of prior investigations or the predictions of current theories.

Physical Science Content Standard B

STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF MATTER

Atoms interact with one another by transferring or sharing electrons that are furthest from the nucleus. These outer electrons govern the chemical properties of the element.
Carbon atoms can bond to one another in chains, rings, and branching networks to form a variety of structures, including synthetic polymers, oils, and the large molecules essential to life.

CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Chemical reactions occur all around us, for example in health care, cooking, cosmetics, and automobiles. Complex chemical reactions involving carbon-based molecules take place constantly in every cell in our bodies.
Chemical reactions may release or consume energy. Some reactions such as the burning of fossil fuels release large amounts of energy by losing heat and by emitting light. Light can initiate many chemical reactions such as photosynthesis and the evolution of urban smog.

Life Science Content Standard C

THE CELL

Plant cells contain chloroplasts, the site of photosynthesis. Plants and many microorganisms use solar energy to combine molecules of carbon dioxide and water into complex, energy rich organic compounds and release oxygen to the environment. This process of photosynthesis provides a vital connection between the sun and the energy needs of living systems.

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Content Standard F

NATURAL RESOURCES

Human populations use resources in the environment in order to maintain and improve their existence. Natural resources have been and will continue to be used to maintain human populations.
The earth does not have infinite resources; increasing human consumption places severe stress on the natural processes that renew some resources, and it depletes those resources that cannot be renewed.
Humans use many natural systems as resources. Natural systems have the capacity to reuse waste, but that capacity is limited. Natural systems can change to an extent that exceeds the limits of organisms to adapt naturally or humans to adapt technologically.

	Study Guide \| Explore This Topic \| Meet the Scientist Links & Resources \| Teacher Resources \| Overview Teachers and Resources Energy laboratory activity The purpose of this activity is to help students identify different forms of energy and understand how different forms of energy can be converted into one another. It will also give students exposure to the scientific method, specifically how hypotheses are generated and tested. Click here to download the activity Related materials Communicating and Learning about Global Climate Change Project 2061 Teaching Guide California State Standards 4. Energy enters the Earth system primarily as solar radiation and eventually escapes as heat. a. Students know the relative amount of incoming solar energy compared with Earth’s internal energy and the energy used by society. b. Students know the fate of incoming solar radiation in terms of reflection, absorption, and photosynthesis. 7. Each element on Earth moves among reservoirs, which exist in the solid earth, in oceans, in the atmosphere, and within and among organisms as part of biogeochemical cycles. a. Students know the carbon cycle of photosynthesis and respiration. b. Students know the movement of matter among reservoirs is driven by Earth’s internal and external sources of energy. d. Students know the relative residence times and flow characteristics of carbon in and out of its different reservoirs. California State Standards for High School Biology Cell Biology 1. The fundamental life processes of plants and animals depend on a variety of chemical reactions that occur in specialized areas of the organism’s cells. f. Students know usable energy is captured from sunlight by chloroplasts and is stored through the synthesis of sugar from carbon dioxide. California State Standards for High School Chemistry 10. The bonding characteristics of carbon allow the formation of many different organic molecules of varied sizes, shapes, and chemical properties and provide the biochemical basis of life. b. Students know the bonding characteristics of carbon that result in the formation of a large variety of structures ranging from simple hydrocarbons to complex polymers and biological molecules. d. Students know the system for naming the ten simplest linear hydrocarbons and isomers that contain single bonds, simple hydrocarbons with double and triple bonds, and simple molecules that contain a benzene ring. 1. Investigation and Experimentation Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other four strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. a. Select and use appropriate tools and technology (such as computer-linked probes, spreadsheets, and graphing calculators) to perform tests, collect data, analyze relationships, and display data. b. Identify and communicate sources of unavoidable experimental error. c. Identify possible reasons for inconsistent results, such as sources of error or uncontrolled conditions. f. Distinguish between hypothesis and theory as scientific terms. National Research Council Standards Grades 9 through 12 *Science as Inquiry Content Standard A* *UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY* Scientists conduct investigations for a wide variety of reasons. For example, they may wish to discover new aspects of the natural world, explain recently observed phenomena, or test the conclusions of prior investigations or the predictions of current theories. *Physical Science Content Standard B* *STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF MATTER* Atoms interact with one another by transferring or sharing electrons that are furthest from the nucleus. These outer electrons govern the chemical properties of the element. Carbon atoms can bond to one another in chains, rings, and branching networks to form a variety of structures, including synthetic polymers, oils, and the large molecules essential to life. *CHEMICAL REACTIONS* Chemical reactions occur all around us, for example in health care, cooking, cosmetics, and automobiles. Complex chemical reactions involving carbon-based molecules take place constantly in every cell in our bodies. Chemical reactions may release or consume energy. Some reactions such as the burning of fossil fuels release large amounts of energy by losing heat and by emitting light. Light can initiate many chemical reactions such as photosynthesis and the evolution of urban smog. *Life Science Content Standard C* *THE CELL* Plant cells contain chloroplasts, the site of photosynthesis. Plants and many microorganisms use solar energy to combine molecules of carbon dioxide and water into complex, energy rich organic compounds and release oxygen to the environment. This process of photosynthesis provides a vital connection between the sun and the energy needs of living systems. *Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Content Standard F* *NATURAL RESOURCES* Human populations use resources in the environment in order to maintain and improve their existence. Natural resources have been and will continue to be used to maintain human populations. The earth does not have infinite resources; increasing human consumption places severe stress on the natural processes that renew some resources, and it depletes those resources that cannot be renewed. Humans use many natural systems as resources. Natural systems have the capacity to reuse waste, but that capacity is limited. Natural systems can change to an extent that exceeds the limits of organisms to adapt naturally or humans to adapt technologically. ©2010 Regents of the University of California. Terms and Conditions of Use.		Watch Now (English) (57 minutes) Spanish Version For specific clips, scroll ahead to certain segments in the video. For example, if the segment is (6m:27s—14m:06s), then the clip begins at 6 minutes and 27 seconds and ends at 14 minutes and 6 seconds. Introduction (1m:55s—6m:23s) Renewable Fuel from Biomass Waste (6m:27s—14m:06s) High Energy BioGas/Diesel (14m:31s—24m:14s) Algae Biofuel (24m:39s—33m:36s) Enzyme Discovery and Evolution for Commercial Biofuels Applications (34m:00s—43m:02s)