Carbon Cycle Gizmo
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? They absorb it.
2. Animals eat plants and produce carbon dioxide and water. How do animals affect
the amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere? They produce it.
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? Ocean, exposed rocks, and land plants.
2. Click on Land plants and read the description. How did the carbon atom get from the
atmosphere to a plant? Through photosynthesis.
3. Select Land animals. How did the carbon atom get from land plants into the animal?
Land animals eat plants since most carbon is stored in wood a small amount is eaten.
4. Select Atmospheric CO2. How did the carbon atom get from land animals back to the
atmosphere?
Through cellular respiration they produce energy and carbon dioxide and water
is released.
, Carbon Cycle Gizmo
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.
Question: How does carbon move between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and
geosphere?
1. Explore: Use the Gizmo to follow the path for carbon that begins and ends in the
atmosphere. Fill in the system in the path below. 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.
carbon dioxide dissolves into rainwater
Exposed Rock Geosphere forming a weak acid. It causes to rock
to dissolve
broken minerals in rock release
Oceanic CO2 Hydrosphere bicarbonate ions and are carried to
the ocean by streams and rivers
marine animals use oceanic CO2 as a
Shells and Coral Biosphere source for calcium carbonate shells
and skeletons.
the shells dissolve releasing the carbon
Oceanic CO2 Hydrosphere
dioxide back into the ocean.
when the water evaporates the carbon
Atmospheric CO2 Atmosphere
dioxide goes back into the air
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 CO2 Oceanic CO2 Marine Sediments
Plants/Algae
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? They absorb it.
2. Animals eat plants and produce carbon dioxide and water. How do animals affect
the amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere? They produce it.
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? Ocean, exposed rocks, and land plants.
2. Click on Land plants and read the description. How did the carbon atom get from the
atmosphere to a plant? Through photosynthesis.
3. Select Land animals. How did the carbon atom get from land plants into the animal?
Land animals eat plants since most carbon is stored in wood a small amount is eaten.
4. Select Atmospheric CO2. How did the carbon atom get from land animals back to the
atmosphere?
Through cellular respiration they produce energy and carbon dioxide and water
is released.
, Carbon Cycle Gizmo
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.
Question: How does carbon move between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and
geosphere?
1. Explore: Use the Gizmo to follow the path for carbon that begins and ends in the
atmosphere. Fill in the system in the path below. 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.
carbon dioxide dissolves into rainwater
Exposed Rock Geosphere forming a weak acid. It causes to rock
to dissolve
broken minerals in rock release
Oceanic CO2 Hydrosphere bicarbonate ions and are carried to
the ocean by streams and rivers
marine animals use oceanic CO2 as a
Shells and Coral Biosphere source for calcium carbonate shells
and skeletons.
the shells dissolve releasing the carbon
Oceanic CO2 Hydrosphere
dioxide back into the ocean.
when the water evaporates the carbon
Atmospheric CO2 Atmosphere
dioxide goes back into the air
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 CO2 Oceanic CO2 Marine Sediments
Plants/Algae
