This infographic creates an overarching phenomena for this unit and the independent phenomena in the lessons.

Next Generation Science Standards (Table Standards) * Note there is a spacer of 15 px after this table.

This lesson presents the question “What waste do we produce?” to students. Students will begin a storyboard that they will work on through the unit in their interactive notebooks. Students prepare digester bottles and reflect on what waste we produce as well as read about anaerobic digestion.

This lesson presents the question “What is a digester?” to students. Students learn about chemical reactions and learn through observations of “elephant toothpaste” lab. As an optional extension, students can explore a Plastic Cow Digester (students put blender waste from the cafeteria into the Plastic Cow anaerobic digester) or Bacteria on a Petri Dish.

This lesson presents the question “What is the Carbon cycle?” to students. Students develop a storyboard about their understandings around the Carbon cycle then collect leaves and learn their role in photosynthesis and the Carbon cycle. Finally, students watch a video and discuss the role of plants and Carbon in cities.

This lesson presents the question “What is Carbon?” to students as they observe a display of charcoal, wood, and food scraps and discuss similarities and differences. Students will also learn about Carbon on the Periodic Table and its properties as an element.

This lesson presents the question “How is our wastewater cleaned?” to students as they make sense of a storyboard on the water cycle and wastewater treatment.

This lesson presents the question “How does Carbon dioxide affect our water?” to students. Students explore acids and bases through activities including an Exhale Lab and pH Cabbage lab as well as the role of Carbon dioxide on ocean acidification.

This lesson presents the question “Are we changing our air/atmosphere?” to students as they storyboard the role of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Students explore an air “scale” and return to anaerobic digestion exploration.

This lesson presents the question “What is the Greenhouse Effect?” to students as they explore a hands-on greenhouse gas lab and discuss the impacts of greenhouse gases.

This lesson presents the question “What are the costs of our current use of power and waste?” to students. Students will ignite the captured methane in their bottles and explore renewable methane and biofuel applications.

This lesson presents the question “What can we do to fix this?” to students. Students synthesize solutions as they learn about renewable Hydrogen and its role in the future of energy through exploring electrolysis, application of renewable natural gas, careers in natural gas, and carbon capture.

Infographic: At the top are the inputs in 4 boxes. The left box “Manure (e.g. dairy, swine, beef, poultry) with an image farm animals from back to front – a red cow, a black and white spotted Holstein dairy cow, a pink pig, and a brown chicken. In the second box, Wastewater Biosolids (e.g. municipal sewage sludge) with a graphic of two brown lumps. In the third box, Food Waste (e.g. household, restaurant, cafeteria, grocery, food production) with an image of food scraps in a pile green leaves in three shades of green, an apple core, egg shells, and a banana peel. In the right most box, Other Organics (e.g., energy crops, fats, oils, grease, crop residue, winery/brewery waste) with an image of a mug of beer with foam on top, a cluster of stalk plants, like hemp, and a yellow jug with black lid like cooking oil comes in. These boxes have arrows pointing down and toward the center of the graphic with a black box of white text that reads “Feedstocks can be digested singularly or in a combination (co-digestion) below that is a bubble with two black pucks with domed tops with the label Anaerobic Digestion. Two arrow lead down from this bubble one to the left and one to the right. On the left the arrow leads to “Biogas” which is represented by two blue flames. Joined to the Biogas bubble are five squares. Bioproduct Feedstock (e.g. bioplastics) with an image of a white plastic chair and two different sized plastic bottles in white and blue. Below that is a box labeled Electricity with a yellow lightening bolt graphic. To the right is a box with two red flames labeled Heat. The next box is Vehicle Fuel with a graphic of a waste management collection truck. In the final box is Renewable Natural Gas with a graphic that shows white pipes connected to large white cylinders. The arrow from the Anaerobic Digestion that leads to the right is another domed puck in black with a gray area to the front with a brown pile in front of it labeled Digestate. It also has five boxes connected to it. The leftmost box is labeled Organic Fertilizer and has a dark brown pile next to a grey bag. To the right is a box labeled Animal Bedding it has an image of two dairy cows (Holsteins) laying in brown bedding. The next box has a graphic of a pile of lumber-like material and is labeled Other Products (e.g. building materials). The 4th box is Crop Irrigation and has a graphic of an aerial field sprinkler as seen from the end. The final box is Horticulture Products (e.g. soil amendments, peat moss replacement, plant pots) it shows a brown pile with a 4 square brown plant starter pot.