OpenStax
Open Stax: Anatomy & Physiology: Transport of Gases
Students learn the principles of oxygen and carbon dioxide transport within the human body, and understand the structure of hemoglobin.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Effects of Exercise: Changes in Carbon Dioxide Output
Everybody knows that your body needs oxygen to keep going, and that you breathe out carbon dioxide as waste. What happens when you exercise? You've probably noticed that you breathe faster, and your heart beats faster. What triggers your...
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.
OpenStax
Open Stax: Anatomy & Physiology: Organs and Structures of the Respiratory System
Students learn and understand the structures that make up the respiratory system, and then apply that knowledge to understand the process of oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange.
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...
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.
Climate Literacy
Clean: Carbon Dioxide Sources and Sinks
In this lab activity, young scholars use a chemical indicator (bromothymol blue) to detect the presence of carbon dioxide in animal and plant respiration and in the burning of fossil fuels and its absence in the products of plant...
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...
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.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: What Do Bread and Beer Have in Common?
Students are presented with information that will allow them to recognize that yeasts are unicellular organisms that are useful to humans. In fact, their usefulness is derived from the contrast between the way yeast cells and human cells...
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...
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,...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Photosynthesis and Respiration
Students use the gas sensors to measure the amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide consumed or produced by a plant during respiration and photosynthesis. They also determine the rate of respiration and photosynthesis in a plant.
Museum of Science
Museum of Science and Industry: Online Science: Activities: What Goes Around
An activity where students take on the roles of parts of the circulatory system, and simulate the transport of nutrients, oxygen, and carbon dioxide through the blood stream.
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...
Simon Fraser University
Chem1 Virtual Textbook: Origin and Evolution of the Atmosphere
As part of the General Chemistry Virtual Textbook, this site examines a variety of topics related to the Earth's atmosphere. Included in the discussion are topics such as prebiotic atmosphere, origin of atmospheric oxygen, carbon...
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Atmosphere and Oceans: Composition of Earth's Atmosphere
An explanation of the different parts of the atmosphere and how pressure and temperature changes at different altitudes.
Bio Topics
Bio Topics: Photosynthesis
This site details the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process of the production of oxygen by plants and carbon dioxide by animals, both of which are needed for respiration purposes.
NASA
Nasa: Carbon: Where Does It All Go?
At this site from NASA you can understand how phytoplankton help the carbon dioxide levels between the oceans and the air stay in balance.
Nature Research
Nature Education: Energy Economics in Ecosystems
This article discusses how plants and microorganisms, until recently, have mostly controlled how much carbon dioxide is released into an ecosystem, and explains how this process works. Humans' burning of fossil fuels has upset the...
BBC
Bbc: Gcse Bitesize: Earth and Atmospheric Science
There is evidence that the Earth's early atmosphere contained less oxygen but more carbon dioxide and water vapor than it does today. Increased emissions of greenhouse gases have led to climate change. Link to a test is included.
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.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Life Science: 12.17 Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis
Explore the two complementary processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Breathing Works
This video describes how the process of breathing in the human body works. [5:19] Includes a brief quiz and a list of additional resources to explore.