Kautschuk aus Löwenzahn in der curricularen Innovation

Dandelion is a widespread and well known but also rather underestimated plant. In current research projects, the Russian species of dandelion Taraxacum kok-saghyz is investigated. The plant contains high-quality rubber in its roots and also the carbohydrate inulin, which is not only a dietary fibre but can also be used as a substitute for fat and sugar. In the future, it is planned to use the isolated rubber from Taraxacum kok-saghyz for tyre production and in the car industry; the inulin is of special interest for the food industry.
Topicality, relevance and significance of these research and development projects also make the topic interesting for chemistry lessons in school. With this in mind, the topic is edited following the approach of curricular innovation research for chemistry classes.
For this purpose, experiments were developed to enable students to extract rubber and inulin independently and subsequently detect the products in experiments and by using modern methods of analysis. On that basis, teaching materials and a concept for chemistry classes were developed that meet the requirements of recently discussed challenges in chemistry didactics such as an education for sustainable development (ESD), relevance, societal dimension and nature of science (NOS).
The feasibility and practicability of the developed experiments and teaching materials were tested with students of grade 10 to 13 (“Oberstufe”). A survey to evaluate the actual interest of the participants in activities and contents of the projects was made. The results indicate that experimenting with rubber gives the students pleasure and arouses their actual interest.