Exploration- Carbon Cycle

Date: Student Exploration: Carbon Cycle Vocabulary: atmosphere, biomass, biosphere, carbon reservoir, carbon sink, fossil fuel, geosphere, greenhouse gas, hydrosphere, lithosphere, photosynthesis Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.) In the process of photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere and water (H 2 O) from the soil. Using the energy of sunlight, plants build molecules of glucose (C 6 H 12 O 6 ) and oxygen (O 2 ). 1. How do plants on Earth affect the amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere? The plants take in the carbon that is in the air to start the process of photosynthesis which helps us because as they take in the carob it reduces how much is in the air which is good for us. 2. Animals eat plants and produce carbon dioxide and water. How do animals affect the amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere? As there are more animals the carbon will increase. Gizmo Warm-up The Carbon Cycle Gizmo™ allows you to follow the many paths an atom of carbon can take through Earth’s systems. To begin, notice the black carbon atom in the Atmospheric CO 2 area, highlighted in yellow. The glowing blue areas represent possible locations the carbon atom could go next. 1. From Earth’s atmosphere, where can the carbon atom go next? To the land plants. 2. Click on Land plants and read the description. How did the carbon atom get from the atmosphere to a plant? The carbon atom gets there by the process of photosynthesis. 3. Select Land animals. How did the carbon atom get from land plants into the animal? The animals eat the plants or the other animals which have ate the plants for energy. Only a small amount of plant carbon is consumed.4. Select Atmospheric CO 2 . How did the carbon atom get from land animals back to the atmosphere? The animal release the carbon back into the air by the process of cellular respiration. Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:  Click Reset. Carbon pathways Introduction: Earth can be divided into four systems. The atmosphere is the air above Earth’s surface. The hydrosphere is composed of all of Earth’s water. The geosphere is the rocky, non-living part of Earth. The biosphere consists of all living things, including people. Some scientists use the term “anthroposphere” to describe everything made or modified by humans. Question: How does carbon move between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere? 1. Explore : Use the Gizmo to create a path for carbon that begins and ends in the atmosphere. Fill in the steps in the path below. Then, label each location with the system it represents. Finally, summarize very briefly how the carbon atom got to that location. Carbon path. System How it got there Atmospheric CO 2. Atmosphere Land plants Biosphere Atmospheric co2 comes from volcanoes, burning fossils fuels, and other sources. Land plants Biosphere Plants go through photosynthesis. Land animals Biosphere Animals eat plants to gain energy. Soil Geosphere Animals die and remains decay into the soil. Sediments Geosphere Soil washed into steams and build up under water masses. Atmospheric CO 2 comes from volcanoes, burning fossil fuels, and other sources.Lithosphere Geosphere Sediments get compressed into sedimentary rocks that are rich in carbon Volcano Geosphere Rocks melt underground and release CO2 which is mixed into magma. Atmospheri c CO2 Atmosphere Volcano erupts putting CO2 back into the Atmosphere. 2. Create : Click Reset. Use the Gizmo to create a path in which the carbon atom goes from the atmosphere to the hydrosphere, biosphere and geosphere. Describe each transition briefly. Atmosphere Hydrosphere Biosphere Geosphere Atmospheric CO 2 Oceanic CO2 Marine Plants. algae Sediments Plants and Algae go through photosynthesis. Plants and Algae sink to the bottom of the ocean building up large amounts of carbon. Volcanoes, burning fossil fuels, and other sources. Cold temperatures from the ocean dissolves CO2 and stores it into deep waters. (Activity A continued on next page)Activity A (continued from previous page) 3. Explore : Use the Gizmo to create three more carbon paths, each starting and ending in the atmosphere. Label each location with A for atmosphere, B for biosphere, G for geosphere, or H for hydrosphere. (You can also use P for anthroposphere if you like, or just include it in the biosphere.) Path 1: Path 2: Path 3: 4. Explain : Based on the Gizmo, explain how the following transitions might take place: A. Describe at least two ways that carbon can get from a land plant to the atmosphere. B. Describe at least two ways that carbon can get from the atmosphere to the hydrosphere. C. Can you find two ways that carbon can get from the ocean to the lithosphere? (The lithosphere is the rigid layer of the Earth, including the crust and part of the mantle.)D. Describe at least two ways that c