Carbon cycle

Standards: 7.LS1.2 Conduct an investigation to demonstrate how the cell membrane maintains homeostasis through the process of passive transport. 

The Carbon Cycle

 Carbon is an important element to living things. As we learned earlier, the most abundant substance in organisms is water. The second most abundant substance is carbon. Much of the solid portions of lifeforms is made up of great amounts of carbon.

 How do living things obtain carbon?

 Carbon is extracted from the atmosphere by plants through the process known as photosynthesis. This carbon is combined with other elements in complex ways to form organic molecules important to life. This carbon is later transferred to animals who consume, or eat plants. When plants and animals die, much of their carbon is returned to the atmosphere as the organisms decompose.

Another way carbon is returned to the atmosphere is through cellular respiration. Plants and animals take in oxygen to make energy and breathe out carbon dioxide as a waste product. 

Every so often, a plant or animal does not decompose right away. Their bodies are trapped in locations where decomposition can simply not take place. This is most common at the bottom of oceans and seas where the lifeforms become buried by sand. Instead of returning to the atmosphere, the carbon from these lifeforms is trapped within the Earth. Over millions of years, more and more of the carbon on Earth has been trapped in this manner. Today, almost 99% of all the carbon on Earth has been locked up deep within the Earth. As rocks weather, this carbon is slowly released back into the atmosphere, creating a balance. For the past several hundred million years, the amount of carbon being locked up in the Earth and the amount being released by weathering rocks was almost perfectly balanced. This important balance has been altered significantly in the past century as humans have begun using this trapped carbon also known as fossil fuels to produce energy. Fossil fuels are coal, oil and natural gas. By burning the Earth’s store of carbon, mankind is able to create the energy needed to operate our communities. However, we must be careful as we do so. By releasing more carbon into the atmosphere than is being locked up, we risk causing damage to the delicate carbon cycle.

Another area where carbon is trapped is in the ocean. Carbon is diffused into the water and is used by algae. The ocean is known as a carbon sink because of the amount of carbon taken in. 

Photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion are parts of the carbon cycle. 

Note taking sheet for the reading and the game below link 

Activity 1. Carbon cycle game link  

Activity 2- modeling quiz from bioman page 3- click on start a new game then choose the second one down  link 

Activity 3- travel through the carbon cycle dice game- page four  link 

Activity 4- Draw the carbon cycle. You must have the following things in your drawing link 

Video Make me genius https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFE9o-c_pKg 

Circle of life video https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Carbon+Cycle+Song+The+Lion+King&&view=detail&mid=550A7ABB1DA46C167C80550A7ABB1DA46C167C80&&FORM=VRDGAR