The Carbon Cycle: Teacher Led Lesson Plan
Subject/Strand/Topic:
Grade(s) / Course(s):
Ontario Expectations:
Science – Sustainability of Ecosystems – Carbon Cycle
10 / SNC 2D/2P
BY1.01D/P
Key Concepts:
carbon cycle, sources, sinks, soil, atmosphere, land plants, surface/deep ocean, marine life
Link: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/earth/climate/carbon_cycle.html
Required Materials: Pre-assessment Quiz/Answer Key, Teacher Led Handout/Answer Key, Post-assessment
Quiz/Answer Key, Data Projector and Internet Connection
Introduction and Pre-Assessment Quiz ( ~10 min)
1. Introduce the learning object (carbon is a very important nutrient on our planet – it is the building block of life,
this activity will look at the cycling of carbon throughout the Earth and the role it has on our changing planet)
2. Ask students: What do you know about carbon on our planet? Where have you heard carbon talked about in
the news? (climate change, global warming, burning of fossil fuels); Tell students to keep their answers in mind
as they learn about the carbon cycle.
3. Distribute Pre-assessment quiz and allow 5 min to complete; collect
Student Activity Sheet Explanation
1. Distribute Activity sheet to students
2. Students will be completing questions from their Activity sheet throughout the learning object – the activity
sheet includes questions that are numbered and questions that are not numbered but in black boxes – these
boxed questions are the same questions found in the Activity, students will be predicting answers to these
questions prior to answering them in the learning object
Use of Learning Object with Activity Sheet (15-20 min)
1. The carbon cycle has various paths that can be taken – it does not matter which path is taken, or the order the
questions are answered in
2. Begin in the atmosphere and travel throughout the carbon cycle until you have cycled through all the sources of
carbon and answered all the questions (marked with an orange start in the learning object)
3. When coming up to an orange start, find the question on the Activity sheet and allow students time to predict
their answer, then answer the question as a class with the learning object – have students correct their
predictions
4. The numbered questions relate to each of the 6 sources – once you land on one of the sinks, a text box will
appear – read the text box aloud and allow students time to answer the numbered questions corresponding to
the correct source
Consolidation and Post-Assessment Quiz ( ~10 min)
1. Students should be familiar with the carbon cycle – ask students to identify how carbon relates to their initial
answers (climate change, global warming) – also ask students how human activity is contributing to the sources
of carbon identified in the activity
2. Distribute Post-assessment quiz and allow 5 min to complete; collect
3. Activity sheet may be taken up as a class or collected and marked
© 2007 University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) ~ Permission to Copy
Teacher-Created Resources: Teacher Led Lesson Plan
Page 1 of 1
The Carbon Cycle
Teacher-Led Pre-Assessment
Name: ____________________________
Birthday: __________________
Complete the questions below.
7
1. What form does carbon travel in throughout the atmosphere? [1 mark]
2. More carbon can dissolve in cold water than in warm water. [1 mark]
True OR False
3. Match the column on the left with the process it corresponds to on the right. [2 marks]
Release carbon dioxide
Photosynthesis
Take in carbon dioxide
Respiration
4. Name the 6 sources of carbon. [3 marks]
© 2007 University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) ~ Permission to Copy
Teacher-Created Resources: Teacher-Led Pre-Assessment
The Carbon Cycle
Teacher-Led Pre-Assessment
Name: ANSWER KEY
Complete the questions below.
7
1. What form does carbon travel in throughout the atmosphere? [1 mark]
Carbon dioxide, CO2
2. More carbon can dissolve in cold water than in warm water. [1 mark]
True OR False
3. Match the column on the left with the process it corresponds to on the right. [2 marks]
Release carbon dioxide
Photosynthesis
Take in carbon dioxide
Respiration
4. Name the 6 sources of carbon. [3 marks]
Soil, atmosphere, land plants, surface ocean, deep ocean, marine life
© 2007 University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) ~ Permission to Copy
Teacher-Created Resources: Teacher-Led Pre-Assessment
The Carbon Cycle
Name: _________________
Date: _________________
Teacher-Led Lesson Handout
22
LINK: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/earth/climate/carbon_cycle.html
Instructions: Answer the questions below as your teacher guides you through the Carbon Cycle activity.
1. What is the difference between a carbon source and a carbon sink? [2 marks]
Atmosphere
2. What form does carbon travel in when in the atmosphere? [1 mark]
3. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 30% in the past 150 years. What has
caused this increase and what is the increase causing? [2 marks]
Q: What percent of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide?
0.04%
0.4%
4%
40%
© 2007 University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) ~ Permission to Copy
Teacher-Created Resources: Teacher-Led Lesson Handout
Page 1 of 3
The Carbon Cycle
Teacher-Led Lesson Handout
Name: _________________
Date: _________________
Land Plants
4. What role do land plants play in the carbon cycle? [2 marks]
Q: If atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to increase, plants will take in more carbon dioxide and
grow faster.
True OR False
Soil
5. What is the relationship between plants and the soil in terms of carbon? [1 mark]
6. What percentage of the Earth’s carbon do soils store? [1 mark]
Q: Soils emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
True OR False
Surface Ocean
7. The surface ocean takes in more carbon dioxide than land. What are they 3 ways carbon dioxide reaches
surface ocean? [3 marks]
•
•
•
8. Cold water absorbs more carbon dioxide than warm water. Explain why this is a concern keeping in mind
that carbon dioxide levels are increasing. [3 marks] Hint: What do increasing levels of carbon dioxide
cause?
© 2007 University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) ~ Permission to Copy
Teacher-Created Resources: Teacher-Led Lesson Handout
Page 2 of 3
The Carbon Cycle
Name: _________________
Date: _________________
Teacher-Led Lesson Handout
Q: More carbon can dissolve in cold water than in warm water.
True OR False
Deep Ocean
9. How does carbon reach the deep ocean? [1 mark]
Q: The deep ocean accounts for more than ___ of the Earth's carbon.
5%
16%
50%
65%
Q: Carbon can't get from the deep ocean to soils on the land. There is a different type of carbon on land.
True OR False
Marine Life
10. How does carbon reach large marine life? [1 mark]
Q: Phytoplankton are tiny plants and algae that float in the ocean and take up carbon dioxide as they grow.
True OR False
11. What are the six carbon sources? [3 marks]
12. Look at the image of the carbon cycle on the first page of this Activity sheet. Can carbon from marine
become carbon in the atmosphere? Explain. [2 marks]
© 2007 University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) ~ Permission to Copy
Teacher-Created Resources: Teacher-Led Lesson Handout
Page 3 of 3
The Carbon Cycle
Name: Teacher Answer Key
Teacher-Led Lesson Handout Answer Key
22
LINK: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/earth/climate/carbon_cycle.html
Instructions: Answer the questions below as your teacher guides you through the Carbon Cycle activity.
1. What is the difference between a carbon source and a carbon sink? [2 marks]
A carbon source is an originating point of carbon production, a carbon sink is a carbon reservoir where
carbon is accumulating.
Atmosphere
2. What form does carbon travel in when in the atmosphere? [1 mark]
Carbon travels in the form of carbon dioxide, CO2
3. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 30% in the past 150 years. What has
caused this increase and what is the increase causing? [2 marks]
The burning of fossil fuels has caused the increase in carbon dioxide and it is causing warmer
temperatures.
Q: What percent of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide?
0.04%
0.4%
4%
40%
© 2007 University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) ~ Permission to Copy
Teacher-Created Resources: Teacher-Led Lesson Handout Answer Key
Page 1 of 3
The Carbon Cycle
Name: Teacher Answer Key
Teacher-Led Lesson Handout Answer Key
Land Plants
4. What role do land plants play in the carbon cycle? [2 marks]
Plants use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, they also release carbon dioxide through respiration.
Q: If atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to increase, plants will take in more carbon dioxide and
grow faster.
True OR False
Soil
5. What is the relationship between plants and the soil in terms of carbon? [1 mark]
Plants decompose when they die and their carbon content becomes part of the soil
6. What percentage of the Earth’s carbon do soils store? [1 mark]
Soils store 3% of the Earth’s carbon.
Q: Soils emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
True OR False
Surface Ocean
7. The surface ocean takes in more carbon dioxide than land. What are they 3 ways carbon dioxide reaches
surface ocean? [3 marks]
•
Diffusion from the atmosphere
•
Decomposing marine life
•
Circulating water from the deep ocean
8. Cold water absorbs more carbon dioxide than warm water. Explain why this is a concern keeping in mind
that carbon dioxide levels are increasing. [3 marks] Hint: What do increasing levels of carbon dioxide
cause?
The increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere is causing warmer temperatures. Warmer
temperatures will cause warm surface waters which will allow less carbon dioxide to be taken in. This
leaves more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which will warm surface waters further and continue the
cycle.
© 2007 University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) ~ Permission to Copy
Teacher-Created Resources: Teacher-Led Lesson Handout Answer Key
Page 2 of 3
The Carbon Cycle
Name: Teacher Answer Key
Teacher-Led Lesson Handout Answer Key
Q: More carbon can dissolve in cold water than in warm water.
True OR False
Deep Ocean
9. How does carbon reach the deep ocean? [1 mark]
Carbon reaches the deep ocean by circulating with surface waters.
Q: The deep ocean accounts for more than ___ of the Earth's carbon.
5%
16%
50%
65%
Q: Carbon can't get from the deep ocean to soils on the land. There is a different type of carbon on land.
True OR False
Marine Life
10. How does carbon reach large marine life? [1 mark]
Carbon reaches large marine life by first being consumed by phytoplankton for photosynthesis. Food webs
allow carbon to travel from small marine life to large marine life.
Q: Phytoplankton are tiny plants and algae that float in the ocean and take up carbon dioxide as they grow.
True OR False
11. What are the six carbon sources? [3 marks]
Soil, atmosphere, land plants, surface ocean, deep ocean, marine life
12. Look at the image of the carbon cycle on the first page of this Activity sheet. Can carbon from marine
become carbon in the atmosphere? Explain. [2 marks]
Yes, carbon from any source in the carbon cycle can become any other source in the cycle, the only
difference is in the path taken by the carbon.
© 2007 University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) ~ Permission to Copy
Teacher-Created Resources: Teacher-Led Lesson Handout Answer Key
Page 3 of 3
The Carbon Cycle
Teacher-Led Post-Assessment
Name: ____________________________
Birthday: __________________
Complete the questions below.
7
1. What form does carbon travel in throughout the atmosphere? [1 mark]
2. More carbon can dissolve in cold water than in warm water. [1 mark]
True OR False
3. Match the column on the left with the process it corresponds to on the right. [2 marks]
Release carbon dioxide
Photosynthesis
Take in carbon dioxide
Respiration
4. Name the 6 sources of carbon. [3 marks]
© 2007 University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) ~ Permission to Copy
Teacher-Created Resources: Teacher-Led Post-Assessment
The Carbon Cycle
Teacher-Led Post-Assessment
Name: ANSWER KEY
Complete the questions below.
7
1. What form does carbon travel in throughout the atmosphere? [1 mark]
Carbon dioxide, CO2
2. More carbon can dissolve in cold water than in warm water. [1 mark]
True OR False
3. Match the column on the left with the process it corresponds to on the right. [2 marks]
Release carbon dioxide
Photosynthesis
Take in carbon dioxide
Respiration
4. Name the 6 sources of carbon. [3 marks]
Soil, atmosphere, land plants, surface ocean, deep ocean, marine life
© 2007 University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) ~ Permission to Copy
Teacher-Created Resources: Teacher-Led Post-Assessment