• This resource from the Paleontological Research Institute includes a video and a linked worksheet for students to complete a similar investigation on their own. 
• The video leads students through a fast-paced investigation to determine the mass of a tree and how much carbon dioxide a tree has absorbed in its lifetime. 
• In the video, students will learn where a tree’s mass comes from, what percentage of a tree is made up of carbon, how a tree’s biomass can be estimated using only the diameter of the tree’s trunk, and how to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide a tree has absorbed. 

Positives

• The linked activity contains a written recap of the concepts covered in the video and is located in the description of the video. 
• The linked activity provides students with a chance to practice estimating the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered in a tree in their own community. 

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should be familiar with basic chemistry to understand the discussion of the mass ratio of carbon dioxide to carbon.
• Students will need to understand the relationship between the circumference and the diameter of a circle. 
• The video provides a short description of both photosynthesis and allometry, but students unfamiliar with the topics will need more background knowledge to fully understand the concepts. 
  

Differentiation

• Cross-curricular connections can be made with math classes when performing the various calculations necessary for estimating the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered in a tree. 
• After estimating the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered in a tree, students can use a carbon footprint calculator to estimate their own carbon footprint and then determine how many trees it would take to cancel it out. 
• Advanced students can research why different tree species have different biomass estimations, even when their diameters are the same. 
• Other resources similar to this topic include Can Trees Undo Climate Change?, A Natural Solution to Climate Change, and Turbo-charging Maine's Forests to Fight Climate Change. 

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.