BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Fossil Fuels and the Carbon Cycle
In the following lesson students learn how geologists locate fossil fuels by using a straw to extract "core samples" from a model that has different layers. Student sheets are provided in English and in Spanish.
US Environmental Protection Agency
Epa: Global Climate Change: All About Carbon Dioxide
Understand the process that must occur to create carbon dioxide. What is the role of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere? A video illustrating the carbon cycle is available.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Project Learn: Where in the World Is Carbon Dioxide?
For this lesson on greenhouse gas, students conduct experiments to detect and collect carbon dioxide, then use titration to determine how much carbon dioxide is present in an indicator solution.
National Geographic
National Geographic: Sources, Sinks, and Feedbacks
Students will learn about how the Earth's carbon cycle works, as they examine the relationship between levels of carbon dioxide and water vapor in the atmosphere and the temperature of the ocean's surface. Includes online student...
Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy: Reforestation: Impact on Climate
Deforestation is clearing Earth's forests on a massive scale. In this lesson, students learn the value of large-scale forest landscapes and their role in the carbon cycle.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Episd: Carbon Cycle
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students will explore through this introduction to the carbon cycle.
Other
Koshland Science Museum: Earth Lab: Degrees of Change
This resource provides information on all of the aspects of global warming, climate change, and the future of the earth.
NASA
Nasa: Oceanography
Join NASA in its study of oceanography and learn about the Earth system, the physical ocean, and life in the ocean. Try out the Giovanni: Earth Data Visualization Tool and access satellite-derived data to enhance the learning experience.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Dinosaur Breath
Through discussion and hands-on experimentation, students learn about the geological (ancient) carbon cycle. They investigate the role of dinosaurs in the carbon cycle and the eventual storage of carbon in the form of chalk. Students...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: The Great Algae Race
In a multi-week experiment, student groups gather data from the photobioreactors that they build to investigate growth conditions that make algae thrive best.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Biorecycling: Using Nature to Make Resources From Waste
By studying key processes in the carbon cycle, such as photosynthesis, composting, and anaerobic digestion, students learn how nature and engineers biorecycle carbon.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Open Course Ware: Courses: Civil Environmental: Ecology I: The Earth System
College-level online course highlighting the fundamentals of ecology. Course topics include coevolution of the biosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere; photosynthesis and respiration; and the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles....
Encyclopedia of Earth
Encyclopedia of Earth: Environmental Chemistry: Carbon Cycle
Article explaining the importance of carbon as the basis for life, carbon dioxide's role in photosynthesis and respiration, carbon in the ocean and lithosphere, the impact of human activities on the carbon cycle, carbon that seems to be...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Ap Environmental Science: Science, Matter, Energy, Systems
Through interactive activities, reading exercises, and lab activities, students study how science, matter, energy, and systems are interrelated.
NASA
Nasa Wavelength: Matter Cycles Matter: The Case of Carbon
A collection of teaching resources that look at the carbon cycle and its role in a changing climate.
Other
The Learning Partnership: Journey to El Yunque
In this set of learning modules, students examine the impact of hurricane weather on the El Yunque rainforest in Puerto Rico. They learn about hurricanes, producers, consumers, and the food chain, and how disruptions in organisms'...
NOAA
Noaa: Climate
The collections under this theme are developed to improve climate literacy and to provide access to scientific information, which can inform personal decisions about actions that influence climate.
NASA
Nasa: Earth Observatory: The Carbon Cycle
Learn about the element carbon and its importance on the Earth's atmosphere and sustainability of life on the planet. Additionally, understand the role the carbon cycle plays in global climate change over time.
Other
Water on the Web
Water on the Web (WOW) is an advanced site allowing students to actively participate in data analysis from real research sites. Lesson plans on a range of topics are provided. There is also a tutorial for using Excel to graph WOW data.
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Earth Science: The Carbon Cycle: What Goes Around Comes Around
Instructional module focusing on the carbon cycle. Discussion includes the biological and geological components of how carbon moves through the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. Site also includes an interactive practice quiz and...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Connecting Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How do trees help you breathe? This activity covers the connection between cellular respiration and photosynthesis and identifies the products and reactants of each.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Carbon Cycle
Video talks about the carbon cycle and uses a computer as a metaphor to show how the cycle can be disrupted by climate change. [3:55] Includes a short quiz and a list of additional resources to explore.
Center for Educational Technologies
Exploring the Environment: Global Climate Change
This tutorial looks at carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and how changes can impact wheat production in Kansas.
Science Museum, London
Science Museum: Climate Science Info Zone
Media-rich interactive explores Earth's climate, investigating what might be causing the climate to change and how to prepare for it in the future.