Here you will find our Fellow-developed lesson plans that relate to the three categories of protocols we’ve developed: biomass/biodiversity, landscape level, and soils. Each lesson plan takes one or more of those protocols, provides background for teachers and students, and relates the protocol to Michigan grade-level content standards. Introducing the Plots Bioenergy: An Introduction – the what, how, and why of bioenergy Lesson Plan Presentation Slides What makes it all go? Can biofuels do the job? Lesson Plan Part I Lesson Plan Part II Lesson Plan Part III – elementary Presentation Slides Energy Exercise – elementary Energy Exercise – high school BEST Plot Plant Biomass Data – Feb 2012 Michigan Map Fuel Conversion Worksheet  Fun with fermentation: How cellulose becomes ethanol Lesson Plan Presentation Slides Plant Biodiversity Protocols Biodiversity: It’s all connected! – exploring biodiversity and organisms’ interactions with their environments How […]

Here you will find resources for teachers and students conducting BEST Plots research. Guides and Protocol Resources Common Weed Seedlings ID Guide Michigan Invasive Plant Guide Soil and Water Relationships Article Bibliography Books Popular Press Articles Michigan Press Articles Policy Statements Ecological Society of America Reports Science News Scientific Articles Educational Resource Websites

Here you will find our soil characterization and soil chemistry protocols as well as materials to support your use of those protocols. Randomization Procedure All Soil Protocols and Data Sheets

Here you will find the small-scale and large-scale landscape level protocols and materials to support your use of those protocols. Randomization Procedure Large and Small Scale Methods Large and Small Scale Data Sheets Large Scale Materials Land use category key Land use category examples KBS practice map Grid Paper Maps of all blocks in districts Presentation Slides to introduce protocol

Here you will find our plant biomass and plant and insect biodiversity protocols as well as materials that support your use of those materials. Randomization Procedure Early Weeds Protocol Common Weed Seedlings Guide Photos of plants planted in BEST plots Photos of ‘volunteer’ plants found in BEST plots Spreadsheet of ‘volunteer’ plants found at each BEST plot site (2012) Plant Biomass Protocol and Worksheet Plant Biodiversity Protocol and Worksheet Invertebrate Biodiversity Protocol and Worksheet Invertebrate Guide

Here you’ll find the Table of Contents, an Introduction to the BEST Plots Research Network and binders, and a timeline for the completion of protocols. Table of Contents Introduction to the BEST Plots and binders List of potential questions that can be asked using the BEST Plots Timeline for completion of protocols Academic Standards addressed by using the BEST Plots Treatment locations Plot treatment layouts and numbers

In the fall of 2010, students and science teachers working with graduate students at KBS planted the seeds for the “BEST” BioEnergy SusTainability Schoolyard Research Network. The network includes > 300 research plots at 22 schools across 15 districts in six counties in southwest Michigan. The research plots mimic long-term, collaborative research at the KBS Long Term Ecological Research site and Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. KBS faculty, staff, and graduate students are collaborating with teachers on experimental design, research protocols, and curriculum development for the research network. Students planted switchgrass and native prairie seeds on their research plots. Both are crops that researchers at KBS are studying for their potential value as bioenergy crops. Over the next five years, students will make observations and take measurements about the biodiversity, productivity, and soil quality on these plots to answer the […]