Carbon Cycle Lesson Plans
Week 4 Feb. 24-27
MS-LS2-3 Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and the flow of energy among
living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
Monday (24)
Learning Target: I can describe the three biological processes of the carbon
cycle.
Vocabulary: Reservoir, process
To begin the lesson, students will spend five minutes working on their models of the
biological carbon cycle in their journals. If students don’t have all the steps complete
or correct, they will have time at the end of class to make additions to their drawings.
In the rest of this lesson, students will take a carbon journey through a forest carbon cycle. Students will
explore the importance of biosphere processes in moving carbon through a forest ecosystem. As
students play the Forest Carbon Cycle game developed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research, students will take on the role of carbon atoms traveling through the various carbon reservoirs
of a forest. The stations that students see posted around the classroom represent reservoirs of carbon
typically found in a forest ecosystem. For example, if students are at the "ATMOSPHERE" station, then
you are a carbon compound currently stored in the atmosphere reservoir. Carbon can stay in these
reservoirs sometimes for short periods of time and in some cases, for much longer periods of time.
Step 1: You will be given a carbon passport record and assigned a carbon reservoir to start at.
The passport will be the record of your journey - the carbon reservoirs you traveled through and
the processes by which you traveled (examples - photosynthesis, respiration, combustion,
ingestion, decomposition etc.)
Step 2: Once at a station, you will draw a ticket. The ticket will tell you where you will be going
next and how you will get there [in brackets]. Record the carbon reservoir you are going to next
and the responsible process [in parentheses] on your passport record and then follow the ticket's
instructions on what to do next.
Step 3: When you finish recording the information on your carbon passport record, you can
move on to your next carbon reservoir unless the ticket gives you different directions. For
example, the ticket may tell you to count to 100 and then choose a different ticket.
Step 4: When finished, find a partner and compare your carbon cycles. How were they the same?
How were they different?
Give Assessment from Thursday at the end of class to see if students have learned the biological
processes in the carbon cycle.
Formative Assessment: Revise/edit carbon cycle
Special Needs Strategy: For those students who have a reader as an accommodation will
complete the game with another student or with an instructional aide. The student or aide will
read the tickets to the student and will travel with them from station to station. Students who
were proficient on the pre-test will work with the rest of the class and complete the Forest Cycle
Game Activity.
Tuesday (25)
Learning Target: I can explain the role of plants in the carbon cycle.
Students will take a clicker quiz over the biological carbon cycle. Students will then review the
questions from the quiz and the correct answers as well as copy a formative assessment chart in
their composition books in which to record their results. With the remainder of class, students
will focus on the role of plants in the carbon cycle. Students will watch a short video clip on the
Giant Sequoia from National Geographic. The clip is located on my webpage; to watch the clip
simply click on the link. http://www.rowan.kyschools.us/olc/page.aspx?id=24937&s=994 If time
remains, students will respond to the Giant Sequoia Probe. Students will fill out the reasoning
section on their probe for their journal, but will also place a letter to represent their answer
choice on a sticky note. The possible answers will be placed around the room. Students will then
place their sticky notes under the answer they selected on the probe. The sticky notes will create
a bar graph that will show class thinking about the problem.
Formative Assessment: Clicker Quiz, Giant Sequoia Probe
Special Needs Strategies: The quiz will be read orally
Students scoring proficient on the Pre-Test will work on an independent study project involving student
choice and the following website: http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/
Media/Technology: Clicker Quiz Smart, Giant Sequoia Video
Wednesday (26)
Learning Target: I can explain the role of plants in the carbon cycle.
Students will begin class by reviewing the Giant Sequoia Probe and the class results of the probe from
the previous class. Students will then be given the SAPS: Photosynthesis Survival Guide Student Sheet
One. Students will readdress the Giant Sequoia Probe overlying question: Where Does the Wood Come
from (when trees grow)? After students respond to the focus question and then to a series of related
questions, small groups of students will be asked to choose a card (or will be assigned a card) that
corresponds to the cartoon bubble question answers in the SAPS probe. Student groups will read over a
series of guiding questions. Groups must discuss the questions and summarize their thinking in order to
share with the class. Allow groups of students to share their thinking with the class. Ask the rest of the
class if they agree or disagree with the group thoughts. At the end of class, have students readdress the
Giant Sequoia Probe (once again using the sticky notes). Collect data. Show the Teacher Ed Video:
Where Do Trees Come From?
http://www.rowan.kyschools.us/olc/page.aspx?id=24937&s=994
Allow students to make changes to the Giant Sequoia Probe in their science journals.
Formative Assessment: Where Does the Wood Come From When Trees Grow Probe, Giant Sequoia
Probe
Media/Technology: SAPS Powerpoint, Teacher Ed Video, Possibly the video, Lessons From Thin Air.
Special Needs Strategies: Small group work
Gifted Strategies: Students scoring proficient on the Pre-Test will work on an independent study project
involving student choice and the following website: http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/
Thursday (27)
Learning Target: I can describe a plant’s role in the carbon cycle.
Students will begin class by completing a bell work exercise that reviews the biological short cycle.
After discussing the bell work, students will receive a handout (SAPS Activity Two: The Story of
Photosynthesis) in which they will read and respond to a few questions about photosynthesis.
Discuss the questions. Next, students will complete the interactive: Illuminating Photosynthesis
(use iPads with Photon if available), otherwise go through the interactive on the SMART Board.
Students will summarize (in their journals) the meaning of the photosynthesis poem (Interactive 3)
once they have gone through all three interactives. To close the lesson, students will take a short
clicker quiz that will check student understanding about the role of plants in the carbon cycle.
Formative Assessment: Bell Work over Short Cycle, Summary of Interactive, formative quiz over
“Where Does Wood Come From”.
Special Needs Strategies – Writer’s Frame for Illuminating Photosynthesis
Media/Technology: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/photosynthesis.html
Gifted Strategies: Gifted Strategies: Students scoring proficient on the Pre-Test will work on an
independent study project involving student choice and the following website:
http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/
Friday (28)
LT 2 I can identify reservoirs (sinks) and can explain processes that are part of the “delayed”
carbon cycle.
Students will complete a short bell work to review the “short cycle” in the carbon cycle. Review
short cycle vocabulary after discussing bell work (vocab. cards). Complete delayed cycle video notes
from previous handout, “Carbon Cycle Video Notes”. Introduce delayed cycle vocabulary. Give
glossary page for short and delayed cycle. To close out class, students will complete an assessment
in their journal of the following:
Create a model that illustrates how carbon moves and is transformed through the delayed cycle.
Label the processes and reservoirs (sinks) involved.
Formative Assessment: Bell work over the short cycle and the role of plants in the carbon cycle.
Vocab. Cards, Model of delayed cycle
Special Needs Strategy: Small group for vocabulary review
Media/Technology – “Carbon Cycle Video” (located on my webpage under the same name).