California Career and Technical Education Standards

• HSMT.A.A4.5 Understand the appropriate responses to a laboratory accident.
• HSMT.A.A6.3 Understand the necessity for accurate documentation and recordkeeping in biotech...
• HSMT.FS.5.3 Use critical thinking skills to make informed decisions and solve problems.
• HSMT.FS.5.4 Examine multiple options for completing work tasks by applying appropriate probl...

California Academic Content Standards (Reinforced)

• ELA.9-10.R.CAGT.2.6 Demonstrate use of sophisticated learning tools by following technical direction...2

• History of Biotechnology - Hooks / Set

  Cut out the different events in the history of biotechnology from the resource given. Put them in a bowl and as the students come in, tell them to pick out one piece of paper from the bowl. When everybody has gotten one, let them stand up and tape their papers chronologically on a long butcher paper that is put up on a wall. They have to talk to one another to make sure that they are putting them up correctly from the earliest to the latest event based on the date given on each paper. When all the papers are taped, ask them to do a gallery walk to see the sequence of events. You may give them post-its to write on about interesting or surprising things that they saw on the timeline. They could stick their post-its next to the event that they have a comment on or just general comments. Afterwards, tell them to sit down and have a big group  discussion on those comments. Focus the discussion on beer brewing as one of the earliest events in biotechnology.

  • Biotech History [ Download ] This document shows chronologically the major events in biotechnology. Word Doc.
  • Biotech History [ Go to Site ]
• Fermentation and Root Beer Making Discussion - Lecture

  Since they cannot brew beer in the classroom, the next best thing is to make root beer. Discuss with them fermentation and the general procedure of root beer making. Emphasize the role of yeast and sugar in the whole process. You can ask them, too, how root beer making is part of biotechnology by going back to the definition of biotechnology which is "the use of microorganisms to perform certain industrial processes".  Discuss the role of fermentation in root beer making. After explaining step-by-step the instructions in making root beer, review with them them the lab safety rules. You may tell them the day before to bring their own materials and just provide the root beer concentrate or you could provide everything. Instead of the 2 liter bottle that was used in the procedure that you showed to them, just tell them to bring 500 mL water bottle per group. They have to reduce the amounts of all the other ingredients by a quarter since you are scaling down the procedure.They can also opt to change the amount of some ingredients and see what happens. The root beer concentrate is usually found at Raley's. Let them write the materials and procedure in their lab notebook.

  • Fermentation Discussion [ Go to Site ] This is an article that defines what fermentation is and discusses the role of yeast and sugar in the fermentation process.
  • How to Make Root Beer At Home [ Go to Site ] This activity gives a simplified procedure on how to make root beer.
• Root Beer Making - The lab - Lab / Shop

  Tell them to make sure that everything is clean, even their lab table, since they are working with food. Tell the lab groups to drink or throw away around 100 mL of the water in their bottle to give room for the sugar, root beer concentrate and yeast that they will put in the bottle. They also have to make sure that there is enough space in the bottle because of the carbon dioxide that will form as soon as fermentation starts. When they are done, tell them to write describe the solution that they just made in terms of color, smell or even taste, if they want to.
• Post-Lab - Closure

  Let them clean up afterwards.Tell them that they will bring their bottles with them because they will have to release the gas every so often. Otherwise, their bottles may explode. They will bring their bottles to class the next day. If the root beer is ready the next day, put it in the refrigerator. They may sample their root beer the next day, if they want to.