Ucar carbon cycle game

This model displays carbon emissions as gigatons of carbon GtC but it is worth noting that carbon emissions can also be displayed as gigatons of carbon dioxide GtCO 2. In this case, the model considers just the amount of carbon added to the atmosphere, which is less than the amount of CO 2 added to the atmosphere, because the mass of the oxygen atoms that make up the CO 2 molecules are not included.

While the assumptions behind this model are limited, they are valid. Additionally, humans are altering the nitrogen cycle by burning fossil fuels and forests, which release various solid forms of nitrogen.

Farming also affects the nitrogen cycle. The waste associated with livestock farming releases a large amount of nitrogen into soil and water. In the same way, sewage waste adds nitrogen to soils and water. This version of the Nitrogen Cycle Game was developed for students who have not yet learned chemistry.

As such the transformations that happen to nitrogen mostly underground and as a result of bacterial activity are deemphasized. You may wish to explore the chemistry of the nitrogen cycle to extend learning for students who have a chemistry background. The game is a simple model, making it an opportunity to discuss how models are like, and unlike the real world. General recommendations for classroom implementation.

Set up the stations with posters and their tickets and place about the room. Follow the instructions on the student lesson and on the printable materials. Part B : Students will need access to the carbon cycle interactive to do this activity. You may want to consider assigning groups specific starting points so groups don't chose the easier ones. Each group must describe two carbon pathways - one from a shorter time scale and the other from a longer.

One of these pathways must include the ocean reservoir. Students' flow charts can be fairly simple or they might want to enhance them with drawings and images. NOTE: Labs 3, 4,5,6 and 7 have in depth content on the atmosphere, forests, soils and oceans- major reservoirs of the global carbon cycle. If you do not have enough time to complete the entire module, you can direct students to use labs to explore background information they might like to use in the global carbon cycle activity.

Part C : Students are asked to begin thinking about connections between the carbon cycle, the environment and climate through feedbacks. You may want to put the feedbacks on strips of paper and hand to student groups instead of having them choose their own. It is important that students are able to look at all of the feedbacks together so if you have access to a wall, put their feedbacks up and let students look at all of them together. There are several options for assessment of student understanding of material introduced in this lab.

Choose from the following list, or create your own assessments. Read more Hide Science and Engineering Practices 2. E Biogeology LS2. A Ecosystem Functioning Dynamics and Resilience.

Go to Next Generation Science Standards. Try out some "what if" scenarios to see how much our climate may warm during the coming century. Align tree ring cores to build a long chronology of climate history in this online interactive activity.

This interactive simulation lets you 'decode' tree ring patterns to learn about climates of the past. Explore the atmosphere by launching Virtual Weather Balloons! This "virtual laboratory" simulation lets you investigate the layers of Earth's atmosphere. See what one neighborhood looked like before the September flood and after water filled the streets, yards, homes, and Crest View Elementary School.

Games and Simulations The UCAR Center for Science Education has a collection of games and simulations related to weather, climate, atmospheric science, and space weather education. Atmospheric Chemistry Memory Game Test your memory while you learn about the chemistry of Earth's atmosphere! Climate Sensitivity Calculator This simple interactive shows how Earth's temperature rises as the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases.

Cloud Matching Game How well can you identify cloud types? Try this matching game and test your skill! Cloud Sorting Game Sort photos of clouds by altitude, by composition, and into groups based on whether they are smooth or turbulent.