When learning about the processes in the carbon cycle, it can be extremely helpful for students to create a diagram! In this activity, students will create a carbon cycle diagram and show the movement of carbon through the cycle. Students should also explain each process in their diagram. The finished posters can be printed out or used as a presentation!
You can modify this activity by giving students a list of processes to include in the their diagrams or provide them with a scene already in place and have them fill in the labels. Extend this activity by having students examine what happens when the organic remains don’t decompose and fossil fuels are made.
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Student Instructions
You are going to use your knowledge of the Carbon Cycle to create your own model on Storyboard That.
Before working on the model, theoretically explain each process involved in the carbon cycle in detail. Explain the sequence of events and their significance to students so they have an idea of how to represent this process in a model. Teachers can also show some examples of models available online just to provide students with some guidance.
Divide the class into 3-4 students and provide each group with some individual guidance and discuss how they want to move forward with the project. Encourage the students to be creative and collaborative so they can learn to work in a team setting.
Introduce students to the idea of mind mapping and how they can use this concept to draw an outline of the model and organize their thoughts. Mind mapping can also help the students to structure the information they want to put in the model.
Give the students a basic idea of the supplies they will require to make the model. This can consist of materials like construction paper, clay or modeling paste, markers, labels, scissors, glue, and any other pertinent creative equipment. Encourage the students to expand their imagination and use simple materials creatively to create something outstanding.
Tell the groups to start building their models based on their designs. Plants, animals, the atmosphere, the oceans, the soil, and other necessary elements may all be built using the resources that are easily available. For their convenience, students can first draw a model on the paper.
To show off the students' hard work and act as a visual teaching aid, exhibit the models in the classroom or a public space, if possible. Teachers can invite some external audience such as teachers of other subjects to evaluate the projects and give some sort of prize to the top three models.
An illustration of the transportation of carbon through different elements of the Earth's ecosystem, such as the atmosphere, living things, soil, and seas, can be seen through a carbon cycle diagram. Students can make these diagrams and add their own creative and storytelling elements to make the diagram more engaging and interesting.
Through photosynthesis, plants have a significant impact on the carbon cycle. They take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and transform it into organic molecules, producing oxygen as a byproduct in the process. This oxygen is crucial to the survival of humans and many other environmental processes.