Living organisms and cells contain energy buried in their atomic structure, namely the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The material containing this energy, known as biomass, is often sourced from plant matter but can also come from animal matter including waste. Biomass is important on a global scale because it can be used to create biofuel, offering an alternative power source to fossil fuels which, by comparison, are a finite source.
Science fair projects play a crucial role in a fifth grader's understanding and application of science. The experience is designed to give students an active learning experience in which he can apply the process of acquiring knowledge and understanding the natural world. Projects that focus on biomass energy share these objectives and are growing in popularity, in tandem with the prevalence of biomass energy and research in the industry. Ultimately, biomass energy science fair projects serve to prepare and inspire the next generation of scientists who tackle the energy challenge of the future.
Like all science projects, biomass projects combine learning and skills from a range of 5th grade subjects. All projects involve use of plant matter, either as a form of waste, such as a banana peel, or through growing new plants. Using studied techniques such as measuring and learned techniques, like creating briquette fuel, students study, compare and analyze the feasibility and limitations of using biomass as a source of energy. Students are encouraged to use familiar materials including bananas, peanuts, grass and domestic plants.
The science fair is the culminating event for a biomass energy project, and the time by which students must be ready to present his or her project. Ideally, this includes demonstrations of the experiments that were conducted during the experiment, and the scientific method students used to discover results. Having the materials used in the experiment as part of the display, or even conducting a mini experiment based on the project, is ideal because it gives viewers full appreciation of what the project entails. In the absence of these, video, pictures and other visual aids suffice.