Notes for Teachers s2

Key Stage 4 - Haber problems

Notes for teachers

At a glance

This lesson has been designed to extend the more able following initial work on the Haber-Bosch process. It begins by viewing the video, which outlines why we need the process, problems associated with it and ways in which researchers at the University of Oxford are working on alternatives.

Students are then placed in role as scientists researching into alternative ways of increasing crop production. They research into how the Haber-Bosch process and the use of the artificial fertilisers have an impact on our environment and why their use is not considered sustainable. They use this information to write a persuasive presentation which they could use to raise funds via a crowd-funding website.

Learning Outcomes

· Students are able to research into problems associated with the Haber-Bosch process and write a presentation using persuasive language.

Possible Lesson Activities

1. Starter activity

· Show the video 'Give peas a chance' to the class.

· Show the section 2:17-4:05 again. This is the focus of this lesson. The problems associated with the Haber-Bosch process are discussed and the work being carried out at the University of Oxford into alternative ways to increase crop growth is introduced.

· Ask students why the Haber-Bosch process is not considered sustainable and record a few of their points on the board, which will help them focus their research.

2. Group activity: Research

· Place the students in roles as scientists researching into these alternatives. Explain that they need money for their research, which they will try and get through crowd-funding. At this point you may wish to show students an example of a crowd-funding website such as http://www.petridish.org/ so they are familiar with the concept.

· Give each student a copy of the pupil worksheet and ask them to work in pairs. They need to read through the information.

· Students then use the internet to research into problems with the Haber-Bosch process. For easy access, place the 'starting points for research' hyperlinks from the end of this document onto a shared area.

· If internet access is not available, students can use textbooks and print out webpages from the suggested links. One student will look at the process itself and the other will research into the use of artificial fertilisers. They should concentrate on issues with sustainability e.g. use of non-renewable resources and pollution.

· After researching, ask pairs to come together again to share what they found out.

3. Individual activity: Writing a persuasive presentation

· Students write a two minute presentation which they could use on the crowd-funding website.

· They should use persuasive writing. Some ways of doing this that you could share with the class are:

- Speak in a friendly way but be forceful in your opinions

- Explain the science in a way that is easy to understand

- Use repetition and rhetorical questions

- Use personal pronouns - us, we, you

- Quote reliable sources (these can be gathered during research)

- Use shock tactics, stories and emotive images

· Students can record their presentations or read them out to each other in their pairs. Ask students to peer assess each other's work by making one positive comment on both the science included and how persuasive it was and one thing they can improve on.

4. Plenary

· Invite students to add to the notes made at the start of the lesson - did they find out any extra information about the problems associated with the Haber-Bosch process?

· Discuss as a class how each of these problems can be reduced by researching into alternatives such as the work discussed in the video.

Starting points for research

Reactants in the Haber process

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_aqa_pre_2011/chemreac/energychangesrev3.shtml

Energy consumption in the Haber process

https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog030/node/358

Eutrophication

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/edexcel/problems_in_environment/pollutionrev4.shtml

Blue baby syndrome (Methaemoglobinaemia)

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/methaemoglob/en/

Nitrous oxide

http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/n2o.html