Gizmo Student Exploration Carbon Cycle

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 (CO2) from the atmosphere and
water (H2O) from the soil. Using the energy of sunlight, plants build molecules of glucose
(C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2).

1. How do plants on Earth affect the amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere?
Since they consume carbon during photosynthesis, they consume carbon.

2. Animals eat plants and produce carbon dioxide and water. How do animals affect the

amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere? They release carbon in the atmosphere.


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
CO2 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? The Ocean


2. Click on Land plants and read the description. How did the carbon atom get from the

atmosphere to a plant? From exposed rocks and the atmosphere


3. Select Land animals. How did the carbon atom get from land plants into the animal?

Land animals consume the plants to get carbon.


4. Select Atmospheric CO2. How did the carbon atom get from land animals back to the

atmosphere? Through the process of cellular respiration that occurs in animals.




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