Baylor College
Fossil Fuels and the Carbon Cycle
Humans are quickly depleting Earth's fossil fuels and locating them is becoming increasingly difficult! Layered muffins are used for models as young geologists take core samples in order to determine the presence of oil. Consider first...
Chicago Botanic Garden
The Carbon Cycle
There is 30 percent more carbon in the atmosphere today than there was 150 years ago. The first lesson in the four-part series teaches classes about the carbon cycle. Over two to three days, classes make a model of the cycle, add missing...
National Wildlife Federation
The Amazing Adventures of Carbon: How Carbon Cycles through the Earth
Here's a stat for your pupils: 18 percent of the human body is carbon! Part 10 in the series of 12 takes pairs on an adventure through the carbon cycle. After a class reading about carbon, pairs read and choose their own adventure...
National Wildlife Federation
It's A Bird...It's A Plane...It's...CARBON!
An interesting lesson takes pupils on a trip through the carbon cycle. A reading passage allows scholars to take notes and make choices about what happens to the carbon on its journey. This third lesson in a series of 21 discusses...
University of Washington
The Carbon Cycle
When it comes to the carbon cycle, the sky really is the limit. The lesson begins with observing a closed ecosystem in a bottle. Then, scholars discuss and answer questions on the carbon dioxide and oxygen cycles.
Curated OER
Ecology 5 - Carbon and Oxygen Cycles
High schoolers construct their own diagrams outlining the pathway of carbon and oxygen in our atmosphere. They listen to a lecture on the carbon cycle while drawing an example of the carbon cycle on the board. Students comprehend that...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Natural and Human Causes
Part three in the series of seven has pupils discussing the different greenhouses gases, learning about the carbon cycle, and then watching a short video about the carbon cycle. Based on their knowledge, individuals complete a greenhouse...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Greenhouse Gas Emissions — Natural and Human Causes
What impact do humans have on greenhouse gas emissions? What are the natural causes of these gasses? Thanks to the carbon cycle, carbon dioxide eats away at the earth's atmosphere with the intensified help of humans. Young scientists...
Rainforest Alliance
Trees and Carbon
You'll find everything but the kitchen sink here ... or just a carbon sink. In the activity, pairs or groups of middle school learners go outside and measure a tree's circumference and height to estimate its carbon storage potential and...
Curated OER
Ecological Cycles Part 1
Knowing about the hydrologic cycle is the first step to understanding the carbon cycle. Upper graders discuss the earth's water content, polar ice caps, and the concept of the ecological cycle as it applies to carbon, nitrogen, and other...
Curated OER
The Biological Carbon Cycle
Students learn about the biological carbon cycle. In this carbon cycle lesson plan, students access the web site and mouse over the diagrams to follow the carbon cycle. They read about what happens to humans and plants during this cycle.
Science Matters
Photosynthesis-Cellular Respiration Cycle
The balance of nature can be a wondrous thing! With the 19th activity of the 21-part series on systems, learners explore the cycle of photosynthesis and cellular respiration using a lab-based activity. Groups set up different test tubes...
Curated OER
Regents High School Examination: Living Environment 2009
Emerging ecologists need a full understanding of life, from the inner workings of a cell to the complex relationships among organisms. This examination is meant to assess high schoolers after an entire year course on the living...
Curated OER
The Effects of Photosynthesis on Plant Growth
High schoolers are able to draw a diagram of the light reactions and briefly describe what is occurring throughout the process. They are able to explain where each reactant/product in the photosynthesis equation comes from/goes during...
University City High School
Metabolism Lesson Plan
Not a lesson in the traditional sense, this is a collection of resources with which you can craft a lesson on metabolic processes. It includes an outline of topics, some brief discussion, and a large array of animations, images, and...
Curated OER
Tree Cycles
Fourth graders investigate the life cycle of a tree by researching the Internet. For this plant life lesson, 4th graders observe The Life of a Tree website and discuss the life of a tree from sprout to death. Students create a cross...
Curated OER
Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide Cycle
Fifth graders observe a diagram of the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle to know that when they breathe out, they exhale carbon dioxide as do animals. They observe an aquarium containing both plants and fish and discuss the cycle. They then...
Curated OER
The Nutrient Cycles
Students investigate the circle of sea life by creating nitrogen compound models. In this oceanography instructional activity, students discuss sea creatures and where their waste goes. Students identify nitrogen cycles in the ocean by...
Curated OER
Carbon and Oxygen Cycles
Students construct their own diagrams outlining the pathway of carbon and oxygen in the atmosphere. Students explain their diagrams outlining the pathway and teacher checks for accuracy and completion.
Curated OER
Biochemical Cycles: Recycling Carbon and Nitrogen
Students construct flow diagrams of the carbon and nitrogen cycle processes. They identify sequences in each cycle that are affected by human impact and present their research to the class.
Teach Engineering
How a Hybrid Works
Work with your class to connect series and parallel circuits to hybrid cars. The lesson introduces basic circuit diagrams before having scholars apply the understanding of the difference between parallel and series circuits to hybrid cars.
Curated OER
The Effects of Photosynthesis on Plant Growth
Students examine the process of photosynthesis; its products and reactants, and the sequence of the process. They diagram the light reactions, record observations of plants, and discuss how difficult it is to measure plant growth as it...
Curated OER
Go With the Energy Flow
Students explore energy and nutrient flow. For this science lesson, students diagram the flow of energy through food chains and food webs. Students discuss the importance of energy flow in Earth's ecosystems.
Curated OER
Ecosystems Beneath the Surface
Sixth graders create a KWL chart about microorganisms. In this biology activity, 6th graders create and label a diagram on a microbial mat. They investigate the processes involved in the carbon, oxygen and sulfur cycles.