Name:
Date:
Format responses in blue bold font.
Student Exploration: Carbon Cycle
Vocabulary (refer to vocab file located on the Gizmo site for
definitions):
Atmosphere: the gases that surround a planet
Biomass: the total mass of a group of living things.
Biosphere: living things on a planet.
Carbon reservoir: a part of Earth that stores carbon
Carbon sink: a carbon reservoir that absorbs carbon from the atmosphere and
stores it for a long period of time
fossil fuel: a fuel formed over thousands or millions of years from the remains of
living organisms
Geosphere: the rocky, non-living parts of a planet.
Greenhouse gas: a gas in Earth’s atmosphere that absorbs and then re-radiates
heat.
Hydrosphere: – the water on a planet.
Lithosphere: the rigid upper layer of the
Earth
Photosynthesis: – a process in which plants use energy from light to change
carbon dioxide and water into glucose (sugar) and oxygen
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? The plants take in carbon from the air for photosynthesis. It
decreases the amounts of carbon levels in the air.
2. Animals eat plants and produce carbon dioxide and water. How do
animals affect the amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere?
Animals affect the amount of carbon on the Earth because they release carbon
into the air, increasing the levels.
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 carbon atom can go to the plants next.
2. Click on Land plants and read the description. How did the carbon atom
get from the atmosphere to a plant?
The carbon atom got from the atmosphere to a plant from photosynthesis.
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 from the animal eating
the plant.
4. Select Atmospheric CO2. How did the carbon atom get from land animals
back to the atmosphere?
The animals release the carbon back into the air by the process of cellular
respiration.
Activity A:
Get the Gizmo ready:
Carbon Click Reset.
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 Atmospher Atmospheric CO2 comes from
CO2 e volcanoes, burning fossil fuels, and
other sources.
CO2 dissolves in the cold water of the
ocean, and the colder the
Oceanic CO2 Hydrospher temperature, the more it dissolves.
e Large amounts of dissolved CO2
remain in the bottom of the ocean
Date:
Format responses in blue bold font.
Student Exploration: Carbon Cycle
Vocabulary (refer to vocab file located on the Gizmo site for
definitions):
Atmosphere: the gases that surround a planet
Biomass: the total mass of a group of living things.
Biosphere: living things on a planet.
Carbon reservoir: a part of Earth that stores carbon
Carbon sink: a carbon reservoir that absorbs carbon from the atmosphere and
stores it for a long period of time
fossil fuel: a fuel formed over thousands or millions of years from the remains of
living organisms
Geosphere: the rocky, non-living parts of a planet.
Greenhouse gas: a gas in Earth’s atmosphere that absorbs and then re-radiates
heat.
Hydrosphere: – the water on a planet.
Lithosphere: the rigid upper layer of the
Earth
Photosynthesis: – a process in which plants use energy from light to change
carbon dioxide and water into glucose (sugar) and oxygen
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? The plants take in carbon from the air for photosynthesis. It
decreases the amounts of carbon levels in the air.
2. Animals eat plants and produce carbon dioxide and water. How do
animals affect the amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere?
Animals affect the amount of carbon on the Earth because they release carbon
into the air, increasing the levels.
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 carbon atom can go to the plants next.
2. Click on Land plants and read the description. How did the carbon atom
get from the atmosphere to a plant?
The carbon atom got from the atmosphere to a plant from photosynthesis.
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 from the animal eating
the plant.
4. Select Atmospheric CO2. How did the carbon atom get from land animals
back to the atmosphere?
The animals release the carbon back into the air by the process of cellular
respiration.
Activity A:
Get the Gizmo ready:
Carbon Click Reset.
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 Atmospher Atmospheric CO2 comes from
CO2 e volcanoes, burning fossil fuels, and
other sources.
CO2 dissolves in the cold water of the
ocean, and the colder the
Oceanic CO2 Hydrospher temperature, the more it dissolves.
e Large amounts of dissolved CO2
remain in the bottom of the ocean
