Climate Science Lesson 4
per class
• Carbon Cycle (transparency master)
• Explore the Carbon Cycle (answer key)
• Michigan Land, Air, and Water
(answer key)
ly
Lesson Overview
Students examine the carbon cycle, and identify sources
and sinks within the environment. Students relate this
information to greenhouse gas emissions of carbon dioxide
in the context of greenhouse gas emissions in Michigan.
Students will answer these essential questions:
What is the Carbon Cycle? How do human actions
(in Michigan) affect the Carbon Cycle?
Pr
ev
per group
• Michigan Land, Air, and Water (poster)
On
Materials
From MEECS Climate Change Resource DVD
• Carbon Cycle
(QuickTime Movie – 2:22 minutes)
• Keeping Up with Carbon
(MP4Video – 5:30 minutes)
• The Carbon Cycle (PowerPoint)
w
Duration
One 40 minute period – Classroom setting
The Carbon Cycle:
Sources and Sinks ie
Subject/Target Grade
Science
Middle School and High School
per student
• Explore the Carbon Cycle (student activity)
• Michigan Land, Air, and Water
(student activity)
Fo
r
Michigan Grade Level Content
Expectations
Grade 6-7 Science:
• Describe the origins of pollution in the
atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere
(car exhaust, industrial emissions, acid rain
and natural sources) and how pollution
impacts habitats, climatic change, threatens
or endangers species. E.ES.07.42
(continued on next page)
Objectives
Students will be able to:
1. Trace movement of atoms through the carbon cycle.
2. Identify carbon sources and sinks.
3. Explain how human activities release carbon into
the atmosphere.
Advance Preparation
1. If using the PowerPoint for this lesson, review to check
formatting on your computer. It might be necessary
to change font or font size to appear correctly on
your computer. To use as a classroom presentation,
appropriate slide numbers are indicated in parentheses
under Procedures.
2. Set up videos from the MEECS Climate Change
Resource DVD.
3. Make copies of Explore the Carbon Cycle and
Michigan Land, Air and Water (student activity sheets).
Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support
Lesson 4 Climate Science
59
Lesson 4 Climate Science
4. Prepare Carbon Cycle transparency master
(or use PowerPoint slide).
Climate Literacy Principles
w
On
Carbon is exchanged, or “cycled” among Earth’s
oceans, atmosphere, ecosystem, and geosphere.
All living organisms are built of carbon compounds.
It is the fundamental building block of life and an
important component of many chemical processes.
It is present in the atmosphere primarily as carbon
dioxide (CO2), but also as other less abundant but
climatically significant gases, such as methane
(CH4).
Because life processes are fueled by carbon
compounds which are oxidized to CO2, the latter
is exhaled by all animals and plants. Conversely,
CO2 is assimilated by plants during photosynthesis
to build new carbon compounds. CO2 is produced
by the burning of fossil fuels, which derive from
the preserved products of ancient photosynthesis.
The atmosphere exchanges CO2 continuously with
the oceans. Regions or processes that predominately
produce CO2 are called sources of atmospheric CO2,
while those that absorb CO2 are called sinks.
Fo
r
Pr
ev
•#2. Climate is regulated by complex
interactions among components of the
earth system.
•#3. Life on earth depends on, is shaped
by, and affects climate.
•#4. Climate varies over space and time
through both natural and manmade
processes.
Background Information
ie
HS Earth Science:
• Explain how carbon exists in different
forms such as limestone (rock), carbon
dioxide (gas), carbonic acid (water), and
animals (life) within Earth systems and
how those forms can be beneficial or
harmful to humans. E2.3A
• Explain how carbon moves through the
Earth system (including the geosphere)
and how it may benefit (e.g., improve
soils for agriculture) or harm (e.g., act as a
pollutant) society. E2.3d
• Compare and contrast the heat-trapping
mechanisms of the major greenhouse
gases resulting from emissions (carbon
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide,
fluorocarbons) as well as their abundance
and heat- trapping capacity. E5.4g
ly
Michigan Grade Level Content
Expectations (continued)
60 Climate Science
Lesson 4
Most of Earth’s carbon—about 65,500 billion
metric tons—is stored in rocks. The rest is in the
ocean, atmosphere, plants, soil, and fossil fuels.
Forests, oceans, and soil are the main carbon sinks
on Earth. Carbon flows between each reservoir in
the exchange called the carbon cycle, which has
slow and fast components. Through a series of
chemical reactions and tectonic activity, carbon
takes 100-200 million years to move between rocks,
soil, ocean, and atmosphere in the slow carbon
cycle. On average, 1013 to 1014 grams (10–100
million metric tons) of carbon move through the
slow carbon cycle every year. In comparison, the
fast carbon cycle moves 1016 to 1017 grams of carbon
per year. Plants and phytoplankton are the main
components of the fast carbon cycle.
Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support
Lesson 4
Climate Science
ly
Note: The nitrogen cycle and the halocarbon cycle (linked with the ozone
cycle) are also natural parts of the complex human influence on the environment.
On
Human actions cause emissions of carbon to the
atmosphere, at about 1015 grams of carbon per year.
The atmosphere now contains more carbon than at
any time in at least two million years, due to carbon
moved from deep in the earth into the atmosphere.
So far, land plants and the ocean have taken up
about 55 percent of the extra carbon human actions
have put into the atmosphere while about 45 percent
has stayed in the atmosphere. Eventually, the land
and oceans will take up most of the extra carbon
dioxide, but as much as 20 percent may remain in
the atmosphere for many thousands of years.
w
solar energy releasing heat through the process
of respiration. Plant life that decays or is burned
also releases carbon dioxide, water vapor and
energy. This is a natural and integral part of the
earth’s environmental system.
Procedure
ie
Pr
ev
Note: The Keeping Up with Carbon
video (found on the Climate Change Resource DVD) reviews previous lessons and is a good introduction to this lesson.
It can also be used at the end of this lesson
as a review.
1. Dynamics of the carbon cycle.
Where does carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
come from and where it does it go?
The general formula for photosynthesis is:
Fo
r
6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight = C6H12O6 + 6O2 (photosynthesis)
C6H12O6 + 6O2 = 6CO2 + 6H2O + Heat (respiration or burning)
Plants absorb CO2 and water, and through the
process of photosynthesis produce large carbon
molecules (sugar, wood, plants). Animals,
including humans, eat plants and use the stored
Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support
Show the NASA video Carbon Cycle on the
MEECS Climate Change Resource DVD.
Discuss the main points:
• Carbon is exchanged between the oceans,
solid earth, biosphere and atmosphere through various natural processes. (Slide 2)
–– What two processes between the biosphere and the atmosphere cause the largest exchanges?
(photosynthesis and decomposition)
• For thousands of years, the processes that added and subtracted carbon dioxide from the atmosphere were in balance. (Slide 3)
–– Are they in balance now? (no)
–– What does the video give as
the reason for the imbalance?
(dependence on fossil fuels)
–– How does this cause the imbalance?
(When we burn fossil fuels for heat,
transportation, and electricity, large
quantities of carbon that would
otherwise remain stored in the solid
earth are released into the atmosphere
in the form of carbon dioxide)
Lesson 4 Climate Science
61
Lesson 4 Climate Science
2. Explore the carbon cycle.
3. The Carbon Cycle in Michigan.
The atmosphere exchanges CO2 continuously
with the oceans. Regions or processes that
predominately produce CO2 are called sources
of atmospheric CO2, while those that absorb CO2
are called sinks. (Slide 4)
Show students the Carbon Cycle transparency
master. (Slide 5) Have students point out
the carbon dioxide sources (where carbon is
released) and sinks (where carbon is absorbed
or stored).
Use the Explore the Carbon Cycle student
activity to categorize the sources and sinks for
carbon dioxide. Students should be encouraged to
explain their reasons for choosing source or sink.
ie
w
On
ly
Give students a laminated copy of Michigan’s
Land, Air, and Water poster. (Slide 6) In small
groups students circle as many land-use sources
of greenhouse gases as they can find pictured on
the poster. Chart these with type of greenhouse
gas (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide,
other), and the process that produces the gas
(respiration, burning, etc.) on the Michigan’s
Land, Air, and Water student activity sheet.
Assessment Options
Pr
ev
1.The Explore the Carbon Cycle and Michigan’s
Land, Air, and Water student activities can be
used as assessment.
2. Have students play the interactive online Carbon
Cycle game at http://www.windows2universe.
org/earth/climate/carbon_cycle.html and answer
the questions. The game board highlights the
carbon reservoirs or carbon pools (atmosphere,
plants, soils, shallow ocean, deep ocean, and
marine life). They can follow up with a narrative
of their carbon cycle journey.
Fo
r
Adaptations/Extensions/
Enhancements
1. Carbon Connections is a three-unit, online
curriculum for grades 9-12 that was designed
to improve understanding of the carbon cycle
and the science of Earth’s climate. Each of the
three units includes five lessons. Each lesson
includes focus questions, hands-on activities,
virtual field trips, and interactive models. The
concepts covered in the lessons span all science
disciplines. Retrieved March 18, 2013 from
http://carbonconnections.bscs.org/
62 Climate Science
Lesson 4
2. Nature’s Recycling! Part B in the MEECS
Ecosystem and Biodiversity Lesson investigates
the role of plants in the carbon cycle.
3. Have students explore the potential of carbon
sequestration in Michigan. Carbon sequestration
is the term used to describe a broad class of
technologies for capturing and permanently
sequestering, or storing, CO2. The Midwest
Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership
website includes a variety of fact sheets and
briefings on the topic with Michigan-specific
information. Retrieved January 17, 2013,
from http://216.109.210.162/Default.aspx.
Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support
Lesson 4
Climate Science
5. Do lessons from the Carbon Cycling Unit from the
Michigan State Environmental Literacy Project
at http://edr1.educ.msu.edu/EnvironmentalLit/
publicsite/html/cc_tm_0910.html.
ly
6. Create a Carbon Cycle game using suggestions
from the Additional Resources for this lesson.
On
4. Take the students on a carbon hike outdoors
around the schoolyard. They can look for
where carbon is found (living things, gasoline
in vehicles, plastic, rocks, soil, etc.) and how
carbon moves through the system (respiration,
photosynthesis, combustion,
carbon sequestration).
References
w
Hass, L., Hamel, M., Sabo, A., & Tall, C. (2008). Wisconsin climate change activity guide:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/teacher/Climateguide/PDF/WisCCGuideALL.pdf retrieved January 17, 2013.
ie
IPCC, 2007: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the
Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M.
Manning (eds.)].
Pr
ev
Michigan High School Science Content Expectations Companion Document.
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/ESClarification1_211293_7.pdf
NASA. Carbon Cycle. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/CarbonCycle/page2.php.
NOAA. Carbon Cycle Science. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/research/themes/carbon/.
Additional Resources
Fo
r
Carbon Cycle Game
Through an online game, students learn how carbon cycles through Earth system. Retrieved January 17,
2013, from http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/climate/carbon_cycle.html.
GLOBE Carbon Cycle
Developed by the University of New Hampshire, the GLOBE Carbon Cycle activities are divided into 5
categories. A general introduction to the carbon cycle and the four major methods that scientists use to
study the carbon cycle (field measurements, modeling, experiments, and remote sensing). Activities have
been designed so they can be performed separately or can be easily integrated to provide students with
a comprehensive view of the local and global carbon cycle as well as an opportunity to ask their own
questions and develop research projects. There is a useful background reading document for students at
this site. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://globecarboncycle.unh.edu/CarbonCycleActivities.shtml.
Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support
Lesson 4 Climate Science
63
Lesson 4 Climate Science
MichCarb
Housed at Western Michigan University, MichCarb is a center for research and education related
to Geological Carbon Sequestration in Michigan. The center is funded by the Department of Energy.
Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://www.wmich.edu/corekids/CarbonDioxideSequestration.html.
On
ly
Michigan Greenhouse Gas Inventory
The report presents an assessment of the State’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and anthropogenic sinks
(carbon storage) from 1990 to 2025. The inventory and projections cover the six types of gases included in
the US Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Retrieved February 27, 2012, from
www.miclimatechange.us/ewebeditpro/items/O46F20484.pdf.
w
Michigan State Environmental Literacy Project
As part of the Michigan State University Environmental Literacy Project, there are online units that can
supplement this lesson. The Energy and Global Warming unit focuses on four significant aspects of human
lifestyles: 1) transportation, 2) electricity, 3) housing, and 4) foods, goods, and services. The Carbon Cycling
unit focuses in particular on helping students to see patterns in those processes that influence the relative
amounts of atmospheric CO2 and organic carbon molecules in the carbon cycle. Retrieved February 27,
2012, from http://edr1.educ.msu.edu/EnvironmentalLit/publicsite/html/tm_cc_0910.html.
Pr
ev
ie
NOAA Global Monitoring Education and Outreach
NOAA/ESRL’s Global Monitoring Division conducts sustained observations and research related
to source and sink strengths, trends and global distributions of atmospheric constituents that are capable
of forcing change in the climate of Earth through modification of the atmospheric radiative environment.
Their Education and Outreach site has a breadth of teacher resources such as material for student readings
and lesson plans. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/outreach/index.html.
NPR Climate Connections
Animated videos at this site entitled Global Warming: It’s all about Carbon might be appealing for some
groups but preview them first. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from
http://www.npr.org/2007/05/01/9943298/episode-1-its-all-about-carbon.
Fo
r
The Carbon Cycle Game
Based on a Project WET activity, students simulate a molecule of carbon’s movement throughout
various locations within the carbon cycle. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://www.goerie.com/nie/
lessonplans/010411.pdf and http://coseenow.net/blog/2011/04/the-carbon-cycle-game/.
The Carbon Cycle Pursuit Game
All of the game pieces are online for the Carbon Cycle Pursuit Game developed by the University
Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). Retrieved January 17, 2013, from
http://www.eol.ucar.edu/apol/activities/activity4.pdf.
Trees and Carbon
One of The Environmental Science Activities for the 21st Century (ESA21) Project at Kennesaw State
University looks at how much carbon is stored in a forest and how much would be released if the forest is
burned or cut down and allowed to decay. It also looks at the process of photosynthesis. Retrieved January
17, 2013, from http://esa21.kennesaw.edu/activities/trees-carbon/trees-carbon.pdf.
64 Climate Science
Lesson 4
Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support
STUD
E
Y
Name _____________________________________________________
ACTIVI
T
NT
Explore the Carbon Cycle
ly
Directions: Label each of the following as a SOURCE (releasing CO2) or a SINK (absorbing CO2).
Source or Sink
On
Process
Animal Respiration
Ocean Acidification
Pr
ev
Plant photosynthesis
ie
Microbe Respiration
w
Phytoplankton Growth
Sediment Deposition
(oceans, lakes )
Plant respiration
Rock Formation
Fo
r
Volcanic Eruption
Fossil Fuel Formation
Shell Formation
Fuel Combustion
Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support Lesson 4
Climate Science
65
Explore the Carbon Cycle
Process
Source or Sink
Animal Respiration
Source
Phytoplankton Growth
Sink
Microbe Respiration
Source
Ocean Acidification
Sink
Discussion
On
(they release CO2
as they exhale)
(CO2 and water -> sugars
and starches)
w
(sugars and starches
become CO2 and water)
ie
Plant photosynthesis
Pr
ev
Sink
(CO2 dissolves and makes
water more acid)
(CO2 and water -> sugars
and starches)
Sediment Deposition
(oceans, lakes )
Sink
(organic matter gets
trapped in sediment)
Plant respiration
Source
(sugars and starches
become CO2 and water)
Rock Formation
Sink
(CO2 becomes
part of limestone)
Volcanic Eruption
Source
(CO2 is released
from melted rock)
Fossil Fuel Formation
Sink
(dead plants and animals
become coal and oil)
Shell Formation
Sink
(CO2 becomes part
of shellfish or coral)
Fuel Combustion
Source
(CO2 is released as wood
or fossil fuel burns)
Fo
r
66 ly
Directions: Label each of the following as a SOURCE (releasing CO2) or a SINK (absorbing CO2).
Climate Science Lesson 4 Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support
Lesson 4
Climate Science
w
ie
Pr
ev
Source: NOAA, http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/outreach/carbon_toolkit/images/carbon_cycle.jpg
Fo
r
Carbon Cycle
ly
On
TRANS
TER
AS
Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support RENCY M
PA
67
STUD
E
Y
ACTIVI
T
NT
Name _____________________________________________________
Michigan’s Land, Air, and Water
On
ly
Use the Michigan Land, Air and Water poster to find and circle these sources of greenhouse
gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide). Indicate the main process involved
in the production, storage or use of the gas such as photosynthesis, respiration,
combustion (i.e., for energy production and fires) decomposition, digestion, industrial
processes, agricultural processes. Add any additional examples you see.
Land Uses
Type of Greenhouse Gas
Animals
Pr
ev
Automobile, Train, Trucks,
Motor Home, Freighter,
Boats, Construction
Equipment, Tractors, Planes
ie
Bacteria,
Decomposers, Soil
w
Cows
Process(es) Involved
Landfills,
Wastewater Treatment
Factory
Power Plant
Fo
r
Homes, Offices, Buildings,
Malls (heating)
Agricultural Practices,
Animal Feedlot
Mining, logging
Campfires, Other burning
68 Climate Science Lesson 4 Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support
Michigan’s Land, Air, and Water
On
ly
Use the Michigan Land, Air and Water poster to find and circle these sources of greenhouse
gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide). Indicate the main process involved
in the production, storage or use of the gas such as photosynthesis, respiration,
combustion (i.e., for energy production and fires) decomposition, digestion, industrial
processes, agricultural processes. Add any additional examples you see.
Type of Greenhouse Gas
Process(es) Involved
Animals
Carbon dioxide
Respiration
Cows
Methane, carbon dioxide
Bacteria,
Decomposers, Soil
Carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide, methane
Automobile, Train, Trucks,
Motor Home, Freighter,
Boats, Construction
Equipment, Tractors, Planes
Carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide
Landfills,
Wastewater Treatment
Carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide, methane
Decomposition
Factory
Carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide, halocarbons
Industrial processes,
Combustion
Power Plant
Carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide, methane
Combustion,
Industrial process
Homes, Offices, Buildings,
Malls (heating)
Carbon dioxide
Combustion
Carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide, methane
Decomposition,
Agricultural processes
Carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide
Carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide
Industrial process,
Combustion
Fo
r
Pr
ev
ie
w
Land Uses
Agricultural Practices,
Animal Feedlot
Mining, logging
Campfires, Other burning
Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support Lesson 4
Digestion, respiration
Decomposition
Combustion
Combustion
Climate Science
69
ly
On
w
ie
Pr
ev
Fo
r
70 Climate Science Lesson 4 Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support