University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: The Carbon Cycle
A comprehensive introduction to the carbon cycle. The cycle of atoms between living and non-living things is known as a biogeochemical cycle. The most common of these are the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Abiotic Cycles
Given scenarios, illustrations, or descriptions, the student will describe the flow of matter through carbon and nitrogen cycles and describe the consequences of disrupting these cycles.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Carbon Cycle
Video talks about the carbon cycle and uses a computer as a metaphor to show how the cycle can be disrupted by climate change. [3:55] Includes a short quiz and a list of additional resources to explore.
NASA
Nasa: Earth Observatory: The Carbon Cycle
Learn about the element carbon and its importance on the Earth's atmosphere and sustainability of life on the planet. Additionally, understand the role the carbon cycle plays in global climate change over time.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Biogeochemical Cycles
Test your knowledge of the water cycle, carbon cycle, and nitrogen cycle.
Encyclopedia of Earth
Encyclopedia of Earth: Environmental Chemistry: Carbon Cycle
Article explaining the importance of carbon as the basis for life, carbon dioxide's role in photosynthesis and respiration, carbon in the ocean and lithosphere, the impact of human activities on the carbon cycle, carbon that seems to be...
BiologyWise
Biology Wise: Carbon Oxygen Cycle
The fours stages of the carbon-oxygen cycle are described - photosynthesis, respiration, combustion, and decomposition.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Life Science: Carbon Cycle
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Carbon is one of the most common elements found in living organisms. Chains of carbon molecules form the backbones of many molecules, such as carbohydrates,...
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Earth Science: The Carbon Cycle: What Goes Around Comes Around
Instructional module focusing on the carbon cycle. Discussion includes the biological and geological components of how carbon moves through the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. Site also includes an interactive practice quiz and...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Carbon Lab
This lab uses a robust model of the carbon cycle to give an intuitive sense for how carbon circulates through the atmosphere, biosphere, oceans, and crust.
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Fossil Fuels and the Carbon Cycle
In the following activity students learn how geologists locate fossil fuels by using a straw to extract "core samples" from a model that has different layers. Student sheets are provided in English and in Spanish.
National Geographic
National Geographic: Sources, Sinks, and Feedbacks
Students will learn about how the Earth's carbon cycle works, as they examine the relationship between levels of carbon dioxide and water vapor in the atmosphere and the temperature of the ocean's surface. Includes online student...
Ducksters
Ducksters: Science for Kids: Oxygen Cycle
Kids learn about the oxygen cycle and how this nutrient travels through the ecosystem to sustain life on Earth.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: The Carbon Cycle
This lab uses a robust model of the carbon cycle to give students an intuitive sense for how carbon circulates through the atmosphere, biosphere, oceans, and crust. It allows them to experiment with how human input to the cycle might...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Carbon Cycle and Climate
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Explains the cycle of carbon through the atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Nagt: The Carbon Cycle Game
A lesson plan with downloadable handouts and teacher instruction sheets where young scholars learn about the carbon cycle by simulating it in a game format. There are two rounds of the game where they first look at the pre-Industrial...
NASA
Nasa Wavelength: Matter Cycles Matter: The Case of Carbon
A collection of teaching resources that look at the carbon cycle and its role in a changing climate.
![Ciese: Carbon Imbalance: Algae to the Rescue? [Pdf] Unit Plan](http://lessonplanet.com/content/resources/thumbnails/455842/large/bwluav9tywdpy2symdizmdeyny0xmdcynjyylwcwy3uxni5qcgc.jpg?1674855345 "Ciese: Carbon Imbalance: Algae to the Rescue? [Pdf] Unit Plan")
Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education, Stevens Institute of Technology
Ciese: Carbon Imbalance: Algae to the Rescue? [Pdf]
A 95-page learning module that integrates biology, chemistry, and engineering. It includes in-class labs, virtual labs, and engineering design activities. Working with algae, students learn about and investigate how photosynthesis,...
Biology Pages
Kimball's Biology Pages: The Carbon Cycle
Useful introduction to the carbon cycle with a diagram and a discussion of the effects of carbon dioxide on the greenhouse effect and global warming.
NASA
Nasa Earth Observatory: Mystery of the Missing Carbon
This article discusses the mystery of the one to two billion metric tons of missing carbon from the global carbon budget. Scientists do not know where between fifteen and thirty percent of the carbon released each year disappears to, but...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Carbon Cycles
Students are introduced to the concept of energy cycles by learning about the carbon cycle. They will learn how carbon atoms travel through the geological (ancient) carbon cycle and the biological/physical carbon cycle. Students will...
Other
Elmhurst College: Virtual Chembook: Carbon Cycle
A step-by-step discussion of the stages in the carbon cycle. Each step includes a diagram further explaining the processes involved, as well as pictures depicting combustion, respiration, photosynthesis, and decomposition.
CPALMS
Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: Knights of the Round and Round Table: The Carbon Cycle
Resource to help learn about the carbon cycle.
PBS
Pbs: Nova: Illuminating Photosynthesis
To understand the process of photosynthesis, follow the hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen atoms as they travel between the air, the plant, and the soil.