Carbon Cycle in a Bottle
What you need:
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 2 Liter Bottle
 Scissors or Exacto knife
 Permanent Marker
 Small pebbles
 Sand
Activated charcoal (available in most pet stores in the aquarium aisle)
Lima beans or popcorn kernels (if starting from seed)
Small plant (Choose 1 or 2):
o Mosses
o Baby’s Tears
o African Violet
o Creeping Fig
Insects (no more than 1 or 2)
o Painted Lady Caterpillars—order culture from science supply—would have to be
removed after metamorphosing into butterfly
o Crickets
o Beetles or roaches (can be ordered from science supply)
Procedure:
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Students will gather supplies for their Carbon Cycle in a bottle terrarium.
Measure less than halfway down the bottle and draw a line around the bottle.
Cut along the line you made to remove the top.
Place small pebbles/rocks in the bottom of your bottle (enough to cover the bottle)
Place a think layer of charcoal next.
Place a 1” layer of soil.
Place your plants on soil, then add more soil to hold plant in place. (perhaps another 2”)
Lightly water your terrarium. You want your soil moist but not soaked.
Place the top half of your bottle on your terrarium. If your insect is small enough place
through cap in bottle and close up.
10. Observe carefully for the first few days to make sure there is not too much water in your
terrarium (look for condensation) if there is, then open your terrarium for a day to let
the excess water evaporate (move your insect to a different container in the mean time!
11. Don’t leave your Carbon Cycle in a Bottle near a sunny window as it will get too hot (a
mini greenhouse effect!)
Data Collection
1. Record Daily observations:
 note the amount of rain (completely foggy, water dripping down the sides, little
condensation, etc…)
 Observe movement of your animal—how active it seems compared to when you first
acquired it.
 Observe the health of your plants—green leaves
 Look for mold on the surface of the soil
2. Identify Carbon in your Carbon Cycle in a Bottle:
a. What are the sources of carbon in your bottle.
b. What form is it in?
c. How is it cycled?
3. Draw a diagram of your Carbon Cycle in a Bottle, include all major ingredients and diagram the
carbon as it is cycled through your bottle.