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.)
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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 absorb
the Carbon in the air and turn it into oxygen. This means the Carbon gets taken out.
2. Animals eat plants and produce carbon dioxide and water. How do animals affect the
amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere? They use a process called respiration to
produce more carbon.
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? It can go to the ocean, land plants, or exposed
rock.
2. Click on Land plants and read the description. How did the carbon atom get from the
atmosphere to a plant? It got there by photosynethesis
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https://www.coursehero.com/file/40590762/CarbonCyclertf/
3. Select Land animals. How did the carbon atom get from land plants into the animal?
Through them eating the plants
4. Select Atmospheric CO2. How did the carbon atom get from land animals back to the
atmosphere? It was released into the atmosphere
Activity A:
Carbon pathways
Get the Gizmo ready:
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
Atmospheric CO2
Atmosphere Atmospheric CO2 comes from volcanoes,
burning fossil fuels, and other sources.
Exposed rock
Oceanic Co2
Shells/corals
Geosphere
Hydrosphere
biosphere
Co2 dissolves into rainwater
Rainwater breaks down the minerals in the water
and releases the C02
They used to dissolved C02 from ocean
This study source was downloaded by 100000830772748 from CourseHero.com on 05-06-2022 14:20:10 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/40590762/CarbonCyclertf/
2. Create: Click Reset. Use the Gizmo to create a path in which the carbon atom goes from the
atmosphere to the hydrosphere, biosphere and geosphere. Describe each transition briefly.
Atmosphere Hydrosphere Biosphere Geosphere
Atmospheric CO2 Oceanic C02 shells/corals limestone
Volcanoes, burning fossil
fuels, and other sources.
C02 dissolves in cold
ocean water
Animals use this
oceanic C02 as a
source of carbon
These layers of shells
and corals get layered
up into limestones
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