Letting the meter do the work.

Measuring carbon dioxide

Agenda:

1. Do now: true or false (5 minutes)

2. Messing about with meters (15

minutes)
3. Mini challenges (20 minutes)
4. Exit ticket: Why? (5 minutes)

Do Now
True or False?

1. Carbon dioxide is only found on

Earth as a gas.
2. Carbon dioxide is made up of 2
carbon atoms and 1 oxygen atom.
3. Carbon dioxide is only found in
the atmosphere (the air).

With a partner, take a carbon

dioxide meter and figure out how
to use. You have 15 minutes
The only rule is you cannot stay
in your seat ready, set, go!

Mini Challenges: work with your partner to complete

these 3 mini challenges!
1. What is the highest carbon dioxide reading you can find on campus? (5 minutes)
2. What is the lowest carbon dioxide reading you can find on campus? (5 minutes)
3. In the two challenges above, what are measuring? prove it! (10 minutes)
a. You are measuring the carbon dioxide in Earths atmosphere.
b. You are measuring the carbon dioxide in a closed system.
c. You are measuring emissions from burning fossil fuels.
d. You are measuring the product of cellular respiration.

Exit ticket
What was your reasoning
for going to the spot you
chose on campus for the
highest OR lowest carbon
dioxide reading?
Explain in 3-5 sentences.

WHY?

Carbon: how does it move?

Carbon Dioxide Challenge!

Do Now
Carbon is constantly moving between
the soil, air, plants and animals.
1.
2.

Circle true or false for the

following statements.
Indicate on a scale from 1-10 (1
being unsure and 10 being
positive) how certain you are that
your answer is correct.

True or False: Carbon moves from

the soil to plants as they grow.
True or False: Carbon moves from
animals to the soil when they die.
True or False: Carbon is constantly
moving from soil to the air.
True or False: Carbon we get the
carbon we need from the air.

Photosynthesis:
CO +H O+energy C H O +O
2

12

Cellular Respiration:
C H O +O CO +H O+energy
6

12

the CARBON DIOXIDE challenge

The Challenge: Create the biggest difference between the
amount of atmospheric CO2 in two sealed glass tanks.
Essence: You will work with a partner
to design two sealed terrariums. One
that you think will have the highest
amount of atmospheric CO2 after being
sealed for 3-4 days, and one that you
think will have the lowest CO2.
Terrariums can be filled with things
found in our ecosystem & CO2 will be
monitored in each tank with meters

Step one: Background Information

As a team, write 2 paragraphs explaining how the carbon will move in your
terrariums. What processes will be involved to move carbon to and from the
atmosphere? Please cite 3 credible sources and submit your paragraphs electronically.
Step two: Bring in materials from the local ecosystem
Step three: Preliminary Design
How are you going to accomplish this task? Explain your plan using diagrams,
bullets, lists and/or full sentences.
Step four: Assumptions
After reading this webpage below make a list of assumptions specific to your proposed
design.
http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/0_0_0/us101contents_01
Step five: Do It!
After checking in with me, start setting up your terrariums!

Down the Road:

1. Data will be collected and graphed, 4 times throughout the
unit. (see macro overview for specific dates)
2. You will have several opportunities to make changes to your
terrariums.
3. You will write a 3-4 page critique of the challenge. Essays
should address not only what you learned about carbon and
the challenge itself, but should also address the changes you
made throughout the month and what you learned about
solving problems.

Exit Ticket!
Now that you have set up
your terrariums, what
concerns do you have about
them? What about your design
makes you nervous?

Conservation of matter:
ITS THE LAW!
AGENDA:
1. Do Now: (5 minutes)
2. Video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhVVHlcVj5k
3. Chemical equation metaphors in groups of 2 or 3 (15 minutes)
4. Challenge: Law of Conservation of Matter (10 minutes)
5. Facilitated discussion: So what? (15 minutes)

Do Now:

Label the parts of the equation below

with input, output and/or byproduct.
dry ingredients + wet ingredients +
energy cookies + heat

True or False: The crystals were created out of new matter.

- Indicate on a scale from 1-10 (1 being unsure and 10 being
positive) how certain you are that your answer is correct.

Think of system in your everyday life that

creates a product you need or want and
indicate the following parts:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Raw materials used

Energy source needed
The final product
Waste products created

In the cookie example to the

right, what do the red lines
represent?

Can you represent your

everyday system with an
equation?

Law of Conservation of Matter

Challenge!
Prove, beyond reasonable
doubt, that your everday system
supports the Law of
Conservation of Matter

- A statement based on repeated

experimental observations that
describes some aspects of the
universe.
- Always applies under the same
conditions
- Cannot be created or destroyed
- All the stuff around you that takes
up space

Exit Ticket

Rewatch: https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=HhVVHlcVj5k
How could you prove that the
crystals growing in the video
support the Law of Conservation of
Matter?
Explain two things you would have
included if you produced that video.

Putting Carbon on the Map

Agenda:
1. Watch the first 27 seconds of this
video https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=nzImo8kSXiU
2. Do Now: True or False (5 minutes)
3. Partner/ class discussion about
nitrogen map (15 minutes)
4. Challenge: putting the carbon in your
terrariums on the map (30 minutes)
5. Exit ticket: (5 minutes)

Do Now:
1.
2.

3.

Watch the first 27 seconds of the video

True or false: All the processes
mentioned in the video are happening in
your terrariums.
True or false: The cycles mentioned in
the video are best represented by a
circle.

- What is cycling on this

map?
- Why might some of the
arrows be bigger than
others?
- What do the arrows
represent?
- What do the yellow
boxes represent?
- What is missing from
this map that you would
have included?

Challenge: with your

research partner design a map
that best represents the carbon
cycling in your terrarium.

HINTS:
1. How many processes
involving carbon are
happening in your
terrariums?
2. Where is carbon
stored?

How does this video compare to

your terrariums?
What process is missing from
this video?

SABOTAGE: If 50% or more of the teams are able to

intentionally misrepresent a process involving carbon on
their rough drafts and I do not notice, the class will earn a
pizza point!

Exit Ticket:
What arrows are missing from your map that
might be happening in a larger system such as
our town (5 minutes)
Please describe three.

Media Decoding
Agenda:
1. Do Now (5 minutes)
2. Global Carbon Cycle Diagram (25 minutes)
3. Great Global Warming Swindle (20 minutes)
4. Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

DO NOW:

1. List three people you

trust in your life.
2. Explain why you trust
them.

Trust:
(verb) believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of.

Media Decoding

1. What makes a source of information

trustworthy?
2. What is the United States Carbon Cycle
Science Program?
a. Where on their website can we
find information about the
program?
b. What is their mission?
c. Where do they get their money?
3. What do the arrows and numbers
mean?
4. Can you find an imbalance to the
carbon flow equilibrium?
5. What are the messages here about the
sources of CO2 in the atmosphere?

Media Decoding
http://www.projectlooksharp.org/?
action=global_warming

1. Who produced this video and

why?
2. Do you think this video tells a
complete story?
3. Are humans causing global
warming?

Exit
Ticket:

Does the Great Global

Warming Swindle video show
good or bad carbon flow?
Explain your thinking in at
least 4 sentences.

Spheres of the Earth

HYDRO, BIO, ATMO & GEO!
Agenda:
1. Do now: Sort the Spheres (5 minutes)
2. Spheres mini lecture (5-10 minutes)
3. Exit ticket: (15 minutes)

Do Now!
Sort the spheres

Label the images on the following

slide with the sphere(s) they are
depicting
-

Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
Geosphere
Biosphere

H
Y
D
R
O
S
P
H
E
R
E

BIOSPHERE

G
E
O
S
P
H
E
R
E

ATMOSPHERE

Exit Ticket
HYDRO, BIO, ATMO & GEO!

1. Define the prefixes of the 4

spheres of the earth
Hydro =
Atmo =
Bio =
Geo =
2. With your partner design a
creative way to remember the
meaning of the prefixes of the 4
sphere of the earth.