Curated OER
Group 14, The Carbon Group
Six slides summarize the details about group 14 in the periodic table, otherwise known as the carbon group. Young chemists will see facts about carbon itself, and then some general uses of related metalloids. This is a short and basic...
Curated OER
Protecting your home from carbon monoxide
Students create and distribute flyers, mailings, posters in public areas to help make people aware of how to protect yourself from carbon monoxide. Students research what carbon monoxide is and what can be done to protect those in the...
Wild BC
The Greenhouse Effect: The Role of CO2
Though this is meant to be second in a two-part activity, the two are not dependent on each other. Pupils play the roles of visible light rays, light or dark surfaces, and carbon dioxide molecules. They interact and react according to...
Curated OER
Avoiding Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Burning Fossil Fuels
Chemistry and earth science meet in a lesson on carbon dioxide emissions. After reading about atmospheric problems caused by using fossil fuels, science stars balance equations for the burning of different alkanes. They compute the...
Curated OER
Carbon Monoxide and Population Density
Tenth graders investigate the carbon monoxide level at a fixed latitude. They determine if there is a relationship to population density. They download data sets and generate a graph. They determine a link between human activity and...
Curated OER
CO2 and You
Young scholars study the scientific evidence about carbon dioxide emissions. They learn to calculate the amount of energy used by different appliances. They complete a worksheet which analyzes the amount of energy that their home uses.
Curated OER
"Fossil" of a Carbonized Plant
Students use leaves to make model of a carbonized plant and classify leaves by shape and margin type.
Curated OER
Plant Growth and Carbon Dioxide
Young scientists show how carbon dioxide in the air affects plant growth. This math and science lesson provides a good platform for learners to combine scientific knowledge with mathematical representation of data. A simple, yet...
National Wildlife Federation
Why All the Wiggling on the Way Up? CO2 in the Atmosphere
The climate change debate, in the political arena, is currently a hot topic! Learners explore carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere and what this means for the future in the 11th installment of 12. Through an analysis of carbon dioxide...
Carnegie Mellon University
Ocean Acidification
After brainstorming what they know about ocean acidification, youngsters place eggs in acid to determine the effects on calcium-containing organisms, and add carbon dioxide to solutions with sea shell material to discover the impact on pH.
It's About Time
How Do Carbon Dioxide Concentrations in the Atmosphere Affect Global Climate?
Does carbon dioxide really affect temperatures across the world? This fifth installment in a six-part series investigates the relationship between carbon dioxide and global temperatures. Graphs created from genuine data help young...
Rainforest Alliance
Investments in Forest Carbon
One hundred metric tons of CO2 can accumulate in one acre of forest over time—that's a lot of carbon! In the activity, groups of middle school learners determine what makes forests important. They then solidify the concept by using a...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Are Global CO2 Levels Changing?
According to the Mauna Loa observatory, carbon dioxide levels increased by 3 ppm in our atmosphere between 2015–2016. Individuals analyze carbon dioxide data from around the world and then share this with a home group in activity three...
National Park Service
What Can We Do?
Motivate young conservationists to stand up and make a change. After learning about the efforts in Cascade Nation Park to reduce carbon emissions in order to preserve the wilderness, learners work in groups creating action plans for...
NOAA
Why Should I Care?: Show How Increased Carbon Dioxide Makes the Ocean More Acidic
How does a change in pH affect the ocean ecosystem? Scholars explore the idea by making an acid-base indicator in part seven of the 10-installment Discover Your Changing World series. First, they explore impacts of carbon dioxide in...
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.
Serendip
Food Webs, Energy Flow, Carbon Cycle, and Trophic Pyramids
The reintroduction of a species to an area doesn't always go as expected. Scholars learn about the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park with a video, reading, and discussion questions. They complete a hands-on activity...
Serendip
Food, the Carbon Cycle and Global Warming
As the world population increases, demands on the carbon cycle also increase. A well-designed lesson first explores the greenhouse effect and its impact on global warming. Further sections have pupils study the effect of greenhouse gases...
NASA
Making Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide
Some like it hot! Scholars observe both exothermic and endothermic reactions as part of the carbon dioxide oxygen cycle. First, scientists demonstrate (or watch) a chemical reaction to create pure oxygen using fire for confirmation....
California Academy of Science
Carbon Cycle Poster
Humans can have a big impact on the environment, specifically the influence they have on the carbon cycle. First, the class will define and discuss each of the earths four major spheres, the biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and...
Curated OER
Carbon Cycle Capers
Learners examine the carbon dioxide cycle in the atmosphere. In this element lesson, students discuss the relationship between carbon dioxide on Earth and the plants that store it. Learners play a game to ensure their understanding.
UAF Geophysical Institute
Carbon Footprint
Your young environmentalists can calculate their carbon footprint and discuss ways to reduce it with a worksheet about climate change. After reading a handout about what impact one's carbon footprint can have on the environment, kids...
Curated OER
Carbon 14 Dating
Evaluating and analyzing exponential functions will help your archaeologists find the amount of Carbon 14 remaining in a plant in this real-life task centered on carbon dating. Learners will also be introduced to the concept of half-life.
Purdue University
Designing a Device Utilizing a Balloon Filled with Carbon Dioxide
Don't waste all that carbon dioxide. Scholars first produce carbon dioxide by mixing baking soda and vinegar. They measure the masses of the reactants and products to verify the law of conservation of mass. As a culminating activity,...