2.5 Geography of Ethanol Production
This is a National FFA “Renewable Fuels” lesson (Unit 2, Lesson 5: Geography of Ethanol Production) that teaches students where U.S. ethanol production plants are located and the factors companies evaluate when deciding where to build ethanol facilities. Through interactive activities—mapping plant locations, a dream-business exercise, a “Little Professor” note-taking activity, and a web quest—students learn that most plants cluster in the corn belt/Midwest and explore the many considerations involved in facility placement.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
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- Identify where many U.S. ethanol production plants are located.
- Describe three factors that determine where ethanol facilities are built.
- Time required
- Instruction time for this lesson: 90 minutes.
- Materials
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- Writing surface
- Projector
- Colored pencils/crayons/markers
- Large butcher paper- one piece for each group of four
- AS.A- one per student
- AS.B- one per class
- AS.C – one per student
- TM.A
- TM.B
- Computers/Internet Access (if available)
- Precepts
- A. Action — A5. Communicate effectively with others. J. Mental Growth — J2. Think creatively.
- Resources
- www.ne-ethanol.org/industry/evalreq.pdf; www.ethanolrfa.org; www.50states.com
Downloads & Links
Aligned Standards
National Standards
- NL-ENG.K-12.4Communication Skills
- NSS-G.K-12.6Uses of Geography.