Nebraska Specific Classroom Resources
Renewable Fuels Month (held in May)
May is typically the kick-off to the summer driving season and has historically been a time Nebraska’s renewable fuels industries have come together to highlight the importance of clean-burning biofuel options. This is sponsored by Fueled by Nebraska (a collaboration of the Nebraska Ethanol Board, the Nebraska Corn Board, and Renewable Fuels Nebraska) and the Nebraska Soybean Board. Learn more here.
*Educators, during Renewable Fuels Month, share your classroom’s experience learning about biofuels for a chance to win $500 for your classroom.
Fuel the Cure (held in October)
Fuel the Cure educates Nebraskans about healthier fuel options for everyone. It brings together fuel retailers, ethanol producers, and the community to raise money for cancer research. In doing so, we’ve learned more about the link to cancer and aromatic exposure from chemicals in gasoline.
Nebraska Agriculture in the Classroom
Nebraska Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) is a statewide program that helps K-12 students and teachers develop an awareness and understanding that agriculture is their source of life’s necessities. AITC has a long history of creating resources tied to state education standards to assist teachers in connecting their students to their source of food, fiber, and fuel – agriculture!
Agriculture in the Classroom® is supported by the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization. In Nebraska, the Agriculture in the Classroom program is managed by the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, whose mission is to engage youth, educators, and the general public to promote an understanding of the vital importance of agriculture in the lives of all Nebraskans. Here are some of highlights of what they offer to educators for free!
- The Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix allows educators to search for specific topics. They have four lesson plans including ethanol.
- Bring agriculture alive in the classroom with these Make & Take activities. Check out the Baseball Charm and Cornhusker Necklace for ideas on teaching about ethanol.
- The Ag Pen Pal Program connects farmers and ranchers with classrooms to help students understand where their food, fiber, and fuel comes from.
- Kindergarten – fifth grade classrooms are invited to participate in lessons with an education specialist to learn more about Nebraska agriculture!
- Touring a farm, visiting an ethanol plant, checking out a race track? These are ALL great ways to learn about ethanol and how it supports Nebraska. K-8 grade teachers can apply to receive up to $700 in transportation funding through the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation.
- Discover a grade-specific pathway full of resources, lesson plans, and in-person opportunities available to your classroom at no cost here. Teacher toolkits for grades K-5.
Little Steps, Cleaner Air Curriculum
The Nebraska Ethanol Board is also a participating member and supporter of Little Steps, Cleaner Air – an initiative in Greater Omaha that educates the community about small steps they can make to improve air quality. They worked with local educators to develop curriculum focused on air quality and their website is full of great information to use in your classroom. They also have an opportunity for everyone to Take the Pledge to commit to championing cleaner air.
Click here for other states air pollution clean air educational resources
Ethanol Organizations in Nebraska
Renewable Fuels Nebraska
Renewable Fuels Nebraska (RFN) is the trade organization for Nebraska’s ethanol industry. They serve as an industry resource encouraging public policy that ensures the growth and expansion of the Nebraska’s renewable fuels industry. RFN is a great resource to learn about laws and proposed legislation impacting the ethanol industry.
Nebraska Corn Board
More than 30% of the field corn grown in Nebraska is used in ethanol production. So, Nebraska Corn Board is a huge supporter of the ethanol industry. You can find helpful information on their website or YouTube, including the video below that explores multiple gas pumps to show you how to choose higher ethanol blends.
National Ethanol Classroom Resources
Our national ethanol organizations (Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, and American Coalition for Ethanol) have made available lesson plans, activities, and videos on their websites to use in your classrooms.
American Coalition for Ethanol has collected content from industry experts, including a video library, hands on learning, lesson plans, career exploration, and more. Find it here.
Growth Energy, in partnership with the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE), has developed a one-of-a-kind biofuels curriculum aimed at educating high school students to the world of biofuels. The curriculum is the first industry-supported biofuels curriculum that provides students a guided in-classroom experience and will offer ag educators the tools needed to provide students with an array of technical skills and historical knowledge in biofuels. Learn more at Classroom Resources.
In 2018, Renewable Fuels Association developed “Ethanol in the Classroom,” which is a great resource for teachers educating on ethanol. Check out the interactive learning activities at Ethanol in the Classroom.
Let’s Clear the Air Campaign
There are so many benefits to using ethanol blends. Help spread the word with your coworkers and community members by getting involved with the Let’s Clear the Air campaign by Urban Air Initiative. Click here to learn more about this free educational resource.
Nourish the Future
Middle school and high school teachers are part of a national leadership community, working to advance their expertise in the classroom and increase their influence as teacher leaders and mentors across the country—all while exploring solutions to real-world problems and the connection between science and future careers.
Shout out to Nebraska educator’s, AnnaLisa Estrela and Kristi Bundy, of Ashland Greenwood Public School in Gretna, for your roles in the 2021 Nourish the Future community.
Just a Minute (or So) About Renewable Fuels
In January 2021, Advanced Biofuels USA launched a series of short educational videos centered around renewable fuels. Learn about topics like the wide range of things that can be used to make renewable fuels; making chemicals, including fuels, from waste CO2; retrofitting an old car to use E85 (85% renewable fuel); the historical, everyday and future uses of renewable fuels; and, the latest in the series, diving deeper into the benefits of renewable fuels.
Just a Minute (or So) About Renewable Fuels videos
In addition to the YouTube videos, a page in the Advanced Biofuels USA online library includes links to additional resources and reference materials. Many more episodes are planned. Suggestions for topics are welcome at info@AdvancedBiofuelsUSA.org. Started by people working in the world of renewable fuels and chemicals, the series is now created and managed by student volunteers.