DeCaro 2006

Carbon Cycle

Investigative Science

DeCaro 2006

Carbon Facts

• The concentration of carbon in living matter (18%) is almost 100 times greater than its concentration in the earth (0.19%).

• Living things extract carbon from their nonliving environment

• For life to continue, this carbon must be recycled!

DeCaro 2006

Where does Carbon exist?

• Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere

• Carbonate rocks (i.e. limestone and coral)

• Deposits of coal, petroleum & natural gas (from once living things)

• Dead organic matter (i.e. humus in soil)

• Oceans

DeCaro 2006

How does Carbon enter our world?

• Through action of autotrophs – Photoautotroph=

plants and algae that use energy of light to convert carbon dioxide to organic matter

– Chemoautotroph= bacteria that uses energy derived by oxidation of molecules

DeCaro 2006

Carbon returns to the atmosphere and water

• Respiration (CO2)

• Burning of fossil fuels

• Decay

DeCaro 2006

DeCaro 2006

Problems with too much Carbon!

• Carbon dioxide is transparent to light but rather opaque to heat rays. Therefore, CO2 in the atmosphere retards the radiation of heat from the earth back into space — the "greenhouse effect".

DeCaro 2006

Ultimate effect: Global warming

• Glaciers and ice sheets receding

• Woody shrubs are now growing in Alaska which were once barren

• Species of birds and butterflies moving north and breeding earlier in Spring.

DeCaro 2006

Extra Credit - Carbon Cycle Box of Knowledge

• Using the tissue box create a “box of knowledge” of the Carbon Cycle.

• Needs to include labels (process and steps)

• Needs to include arrows

• Must have information & pictures on all 6 sides.

DeCaro 2006

Other variants of the box of knowledge

• Create a box of knowledge of one of the effects of too much Carbon emission. (i.e greenhouse effect or global warming)

• Needs to have explanations and information

• Needs to have pictures

• Needs to have information & pictures on all six sides.

DeCaro 2006

Rubrics – Due Dec. 10/11

• Carbon Cycle knowledge box– tissue box 10 pts– Pictures 10 pts– Project

• Labels5pts

• Organization 5pts• Effort 10

pts– Wow 10– Good 8– Ave. 6– Try harder 4– No effort 2

– Total 40pts

• Effects of Carbon knowledge box– tissue box 10 pts– Pictures 10

pts– Project

• Information 5 pts• Organization 5 pts• Effort

10 pts– Wow 10– Good 8– Ave 6– Try harder 4– No effort 2

– Total 40 pts