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Student Exploration: Carbon Cycle
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and prompts in the orange
boxes.
Vocabulary: atmosphere, biomass, biosphere, carbon reservoir, carbon sink, fossil fuel, geosphere, greenhouse gas,
hydrosphere, lithosphere, photosynthesis
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
In the process of photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and water (H2O) from the soil.
Using the energy of sunlight, plants build molecules of glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2).
1. How do plants on Earth affect the amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere?
Plants take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and process it into oxygen
2. Animals eat plants and produce carbon dioxide and water. How do animals affect the amount of carbon in Earth’s
atmosphere?
Animals eat plants that have carbon so the carbon is transferred and released through respiration.
Gizmo Warm-up
The Carbon Cycle Gizmo allows you to follow the many paths an atom of carbon
can take through Earth’s systems. To begin, notice the black carbon atom in the
Atmospheric CO2 area, highlighted in yellow. The glowing blue areas represent
possible locations the carbon atom could go next.
1. From Earth’s atmosphere, where can the carbon atom go next?
Oceanic Co2, land plants, & exposed rock.
2. Click on Land plants and read the description. How did the carbon atom get from the atmosphere to a plant?
plants use energy from the sun for photosynthesis. Most of the
oxygen is released.
3. Select Land animals. How did the carbon atom get from land plants into the animal?
Land animals consume plants for energy. Small amounts of
carbon are consumed.
4. Select Atmospheric CO2. How did the carbon atom get from land animals back to the atmosphere?
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
This study source was downloaded by 100000832361371 from CourseHero.com on 01-30-2022 11:55:28 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/123036565/Carbon-Cycle-Gizmo-Studentpdf/
, Material from the rotting animals are decomposed and
released into the atmosphere.
Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
Carbon pathways ● Click Reset.
Introduction: Earth can be divided into four systems. The atmosphere is the air above Earth’s surface. The hydrosphere
is composed of all of Earth’s water. The geosphere is the rocky, non-living part of Earth. The biosphere consists of all
living things, including people. Some scientists use the term “anthroposphere” to describe everything made or modified
by humans.
Question: How does carbon move between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere?
1. Explore: Use the Gizmo to create a path for carbon that begins and ends in the atmosphere. Fill in the steps in the
path below. Then, label each location with the system it represents. Finally, summarize very briefly how the carbon
atom got to that location.
Carbon path System How it got there
Atmosphere Atmospheric CO2 comes from volcanoes,
Atmospheric CO2 burning fossil fuels, and other sources.
ocean carbon dioxide dissolves in surface water
oceanic
marine plants/ algae ocean algae and plants remove co2 and make
glucose and oxygen
marine animals ocean consume plants and algae for energy
land dead marine animals are piled up onto
sediments the ocean floor and are compressed into
sediments
land an enormous amount of earth's carbon
lithosphere is stored in limestone
volcano land co2 is dissolved in magma below
volcanoes
Atmospheric
This study source was downloaded by 100000832361371 from CourseHero.com on 01-30-2022 11:55:28 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/123036565/Carbon-Cycle-Gizmo-Studentpdf/
Student Exploration: Carbon Cycle
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and prompts in the orange
boxes.
Vocabulary: atmosphere, biomass, biosphere, carbon reservoir, carbon sink, fossil fuel, geosphere, greenhouse gas,
hydrosphere, lithosphere, photosynthesis
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
In the process of photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and water (H2O) from the soil.
Using the energy of sunlight, plants build molecules of glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2).
1. How do plants on Earth affect the amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere?
Plants take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and process it into oxygen
2. Animals eat plants and produce carbon dioxide and water. How do animals affect the amount of carbon in Earth’s
atmosphere?
Animals eat plants that have carbon so the carbon is transferred and released through respiration.
Gizmo Warm-up
The Carbon Cycle Gizmo allows you to follow the many paths an atom of carbon
can take through Earth’s systems. To begin, notice the black carbon atom in the
Atmospheric CO2 area, highlighted in yellow. The glowing blue areas represent
possible locations the carbon atom could go next.
1. From Earth’s atmosphere, where can the carbon atom go next?
Oceanic Co2, land plants, & exposed rock.
2. Click on Land plants and read the description. How did the carbon atom get from the atmosphere to a plant?
plants use energy from the sun for photosynthesis. Most of the
oxygen is released.
3. Select Land animals. How did the carbon atom get from land plants into the animal?
Land animals consume plants for energy. Small amounts of
carbon are consumed.
4. Select Atmospheric CO2. How did the carbon atom get from land animals back to the atmosphere?
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
This study source was downloaded by 100000832361371 from CourseHero.com on 01-30-2022 11:55:28 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/123036565/Carbon-Cycle-Gizmo-Studentpdf/
, Material from the rotting animals are decomposed and
released into the atmosphere.
Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
Carbon pathways ● Click Reset.
Introduction: Earth can be divided into four systems. The atmosphere is the air above Earth’s surface. The hydrosphere
is composed of all of Earth’s water. The geosphere is the rocky, non-living part of Earth. The biosphere consists of all
living things, including people. Some scientists use the term “anthroposphere” to describe everything made or modified
by humans.
Question: How does carbon move between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere?
1. Explore: Use the Gizmo to create a path for carbon that begins and ends in the atmosphere. Fill in the steps in the
path below. Then, label each location with the system it represents. Finally, summarize very briefly how the carbon
atom got to that location.
Carbon path System How it got there
Atmosphere Atmospheric CO2 comes from volcanoes,
Atmospheric CO2 burning fossil fuels, and other sources.
ocean carbon dioxide dissolves in surface water
oceanic
marine plants/ algae ocean algae and plants remove co2 and make
glucose and oxygen
marine animals ocean consume plants and algae for energy
land dead marine animals are piled up onto
sediments the ocean floor and are compressed into
sediments
land an enormous amount of earth's carbon
lithosphere is stored in limestone
volcano land co2 is dissolved in magma below
volcanoes
Atmospheric
This study source was downloaded by 100000832361371 from CourseHero.com on 01-30-2022 11:55:28 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/123036565/Carbon-Cycle-Gizmo-Studentpdf/
