Essential Question:
1. Why is carbon important in the flow of energy through the environment?
Due Today
Nothing
Today’s Announcements
1. I will be blogging and updating via Twitter and Facebook, in addition to Edmodo.
Do Now
How has the carbon cycle been altered by humans?
Class Activities
We are moving on to the digestive system starting next week. Today, we had the option in class of finishing up work on the Carbon Cycle, or starting notes for sections 15.1 through 15.5.
Today we talked about the carbon cycle, and started a project where we are investigating the Carbon cycle. We will be making a diagram of the Carbon Cycle. Today, halfway through class, I will be checking the rough draft of your Carbon cycle. We will then start on our final copy, and think about how sustainability relates to the Carbon Cycle.
Each diagram will contain the following processes:
o Photosynthesis
o Cellular Respiration
o Forests and other producers
o Land Animals
o Decomposers
o Ocean Plants
o Ocean Animals
o Ocean Water
o Burning of Fossil Fuels
o Burning of Wood
o Fossil Fuels underground
o CO2 in the Atmosphere
Details to remember about the Carbon Cycle
1. Through photosynthesis, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is converted into chemical energy.
2. Forest serve as “carbon sinks”, as trees grow they store carbon in their tissues.
3.Carbon in plants moves to the animals that consume them.
4. Each time you exhale, you are releasing carbon dioxide gas (CO2) into the atmosphere, a byproduct of cellular respiration.
5. Carbon moves from fossil fuels to the atmosphere when these fuels are burned.
6. Oceans and other bodies of water soak up some carbon from the atmosphere. Animals that live in the ocean use the carbon to build their skeletons and shells.
7. Algae in the ocean use a tremendous amount of CO2 through the process of photosynthesis.
.Questions
1. Are humans contributing to the Carbon cycle? Explain why or why not.
2. Look at the combustion of fossil fuels in your diagram. How does this process contribute to global warming?
3. What do you propose that we, as humans, do to be more sustainable in regards to the Carbon Cycle?
For homework tonight-
Carbon Cycle Diagram and Questions- Due Monday
Quiz 4.14 and 4.15 on Tuesday
Notes 15.1 through 15.5 due Tuesday.