This article describes a project that includes a two-week series of researching, essay writing, and speaking lessons exploring the broader implications of using ethanol as a fuel. The author, a chemistry teacher, describes how she uses a senate hearing discussion of ethanol fuel subsidies as the forum for a role-play. The four components of the Ethanol Project are described. These components are preliminary research, assignment and development of the actual roles, senate hearing, and student discussion and response. In the project, the students create a character, write a scientific essay from the perspective of that character, present their character's position in front of the mock senate hearing, and write their own personal position essay using the senate hearing characters as reference sources. It is noted that the Ethanol Project can be used at any level in a high school but seems most appropriate for juniors or seniors,who can better apply the fundamentals of writing and public speaking to the creative and analytical components of the lesson.