The Indiana Soybean Alliance is offering high school teachers free Soy Biodiesel Chemistry Kits. The kits were developed by Purdue University researchers in partnership with education professionals with funding from ISA and the Indiana soybean checkoff organization. Indiana science teachers can receive the kit free as part of ISA’s program.

The kit was first released in 2005 and is now updated with two new lessons along with the most current information about soy biodiesel including how to produce biodiesel and the benefits of its use.

“The kit is an engaging way for high school science classes to apply the basic skills and principles of chemistry,” said Don Wyss, chairman of ISA’s biofuels committee and a farmer from Ossian, Ind. “It is also a great way to introduce soy biodiesel — and renewable fuels in general — to students through hands-on experiments that take complex scientific processes and break them down into easy to understand lessons.”

The free kit includes six lesson plans and hands-on experiments along with the necessary equipment for 10 groups of two students to perform each of the kit’s hands-on exercises and experiments. Lesson topics include the diesel engine and the development of biodiesel, the physical and chemical properties of soybean oil and esters, thin-layer chromatography, determining biodiesel concentrations in diesel, and more.

“The lessons offered in the kit are aligned with the National Science Education Standards, and we think that is an important component to encourage teachers to incorporate these lessons into their classrooms,” added Wyss.

Indiana teachers can receive their free kit by completing the online order form here.