Carbon Travels - Then and Now
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Provided by: Bay Area E-STEM Institute|Published on: November 15, 2023
Lesson Plans
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Synopsis
- In this lesson, students play the role of a carbon atom traveling through the carbon cycle before the Industrial Revolution and after.
- Students create carbon cycle diagrams for pre and post-Industrial Revolution and answer questions to reflect on how humans are impacting Earth's systems.

Subjects: Social Studies, Earth and Space Sciences, English Language Arts
Authors: Bay Area E-STEM Institute
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This gamified lesson engages students through movement.
- Students are able to construct their own understanding of the carbon cycle by actually participating in it.
Additional Prerequisites
- Teachers will need to print station sheets and set them up around the room before class.
- Each student (or pair of students if necessary) will need dice for this activity.
- The lesson requires 45-90 minutes to complete and is best suited for two class periods.
- Students should already be familiar with energy sources and uses.
- Clicking "View Resource" will take you to the CLEAN website, then you click into BAESI's site, where you have to click on "Carbon Travels - Then and Now" to view the actual lesson plan.
Differentiation
- The lesson includes multiple differentiation options, additional resources, and enrichment activities so teachers can tailor it to their classroom and students.
- Interdisciplinary connections can be made between science, social studies, and English Language Arts.
This resource is from the CLEAN collection. “The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness.”
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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