Name: 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 (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?
Plants take in carbon and then give out oxygen
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 into 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?
The carbon atom would get from the plant to the animal because the animal eat plants for
energy.
2018
, 4. Select Atmospheric CO2. 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:
Carbon pathways • Click Reset.
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 CO2 Atmosphere Atmospheric CO2 comes from volcanoes,
burning fossil fuels, and other sources.
Land plants biosphere Plants go through photosynthesis
biosphere Animals eat plants to gain energy
Land animals
geosphere Animals die and remains decay into the soil
soil
Soil washed into the streams and build up
sediments geosphere
under water masses
Sediments get compressed into
lithosphere geosphere
sedimentary rocks that are rich in carbon
Rocks melt underground and releases Co2
volcano geosphere
which is mixed into magma
Volcano erupts putting Co2 back into the
Atmospheric co2 atmosphere
atmosphere
2018
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?
Plants take in carbon and then give out oxygen
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 into 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?
The carbon atom would get from the plant to the animal because the animal eat plants for
energy.
2018
, 4. Select Atmospheric CO2. 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:
Carbon pathways • Click Reset.
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 CO2 Atmosphere Atmospheric CO2 comes from volcanoes,
burning fossil fuels, and other sources.
Land plants biosphere Plants go through photosynthesis
biosphere Animals eat plants to gain energy
Land animals
geosphere Animals die and remains decay into the soil
soil
Soil washed into the streams and build up
sediments geosphere
under water masses
Sediments get compressed into
lithosphere geosphere
sedimentary rocks that are rich in carbon
Rocks melt underground and releases Co2
volcano geosphere
which is mixed into magma
Volcano erupts putting Co2 back into the
Atmospheric co2 atmosphere
atmosphere
2018
