The Global Carbon Cycle Lab
Lesson Plans
Grades8, 9, 10, 11, 12Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Earth and Space Sciences
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Provided by TERC
What it is
- This interactive three-part lab about the carbon cycle introduces students to the living systems and non-living reservoirs that cycle carbon, the time scales of each cycle, and the feedback loops that occur between systems.
- Students will learn about photosynthesis, cellular respiration, decomposition, major carbon reservoirs, and how they are all connected to each other.
- Each section takes approximately 50-100 minutes to complete and the lab is called "Carbon on the Move" on the student site.
Teaching tips
Positives
- There is a lab overview section, which identifies all of the materials you'll need to gather and provides a quick scope and sequence of the unit.
- Key questions and learning objectives are outlined, extensions are suggested, and the self-assessments are helpful for students as they complete the lab sections.
- Students will get out of their seats and move around for two of the sections.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students will need access to computers and the Internet for some parts of this lab.
- Some activities require some preparation and materials.
- This is Lab #2 of the "Climate and the Carbon Cycle" labs.
Differentiation
- The first part of the lab can connect with science classes covering food webs, cells, energy, photosynthesis, digestion, respiration, decomposition, or ecosystems.
- The second part can connect to global cycles, the greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases, reflectivity, albedo, and geologic processes.
- The third part can connect to systems-thinking, feedback loops, and the effects of changes to biogeochemical cycles.
- Some concrete thinkers may need more time to wrap their head around the concept of positive and negative feedback loops. Have them think about positive and negative as they would for numbers, instead of positive and negative being "good" or "bad."
From the scientist review
Students will get insights on the processes that drive carbon from one system to another and how carbon compounds are transformed and transported in the Geosphere and Biosphere. The resource is recommended for teaching.
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