Understanding the Carbon Cycle Concepts

Miss Katherine introduces lesson 3.2 on matter and energy in ecosystems, focusing on a game involving carbon tracking. Students are encouraged to use paper and tokens to create a game board. The lesson revisits an investigation question about carbon changes in closed ecosystems, comparing the carbon cycle to the water cycle. Human impact on the carbon cycle is discussed, emphasizing Earth's status as a closed system. Students are prompted to reflect on the investigation question as a warm-up exercise.

What additional materials are suggested for today's lesson?

• A large sheet of paper and 30 small tokens

• A textbook and pen

• A calculator and notebook

• A computer and internet access

What is not needed for today's lesson according to the teacher?

• A large sheet of paper

• Access to Amplify online

• Game tokens

• A calculator

What can be used as game tokens if you don't have the suggested items?

• Only dice

• Any small objects like dice or Monopoly houses

• Only Monopoly houses

• Only strips of paper

What is the main investigation question for today's lesson?

• How do plants produce energy?

• What happens to carbon in a closed ecosystem if it changes in one part?

• What is the role of sunlight in ecosystems?

• How does water cycle in an ecosystem?

How is the carbon cycle similar to the water cycle?

• Both occur only in the atmosphere

• Both are unrelated to human activities

• Both involve the movement and cycling of substances in an ecosystem

• Both involve the movement of gases only

What human activity has changed the natural carbon cycle?

• Using solar panels

• Burning fossil fuels

• Planting trees

• Recycling

What is the significance of the carbon cycle in ecosystems?

• It is a recent phenomenon

• It helps in the movement of carbon between abiotic and biotic parts

• It only occurs in water bodies

• It is unrelated to ecosystems

Why is Earth considered a closed system?

• Because it is the only planet with life

• Because it is flat

• Because matter does not leave or enter from space

• Because it has no atmosphere

What happens to carbon in a closed system if it increases in one area?

• It turns into water

• It remains the same

• It decreases in another area

• It disappears

What is the role of the biodome in the lesson?

• It is used to grow plants

• It is a source of energy

• It is a closed system like Earth

• It is an open system