Unit Plan
OpenStax

Open Stax: Anatomy & Physiology: Transport of Gases

For Students 9th - 10th
Students learn the principles of oxygen and carbon dioxide transport within the human body, and understand the structure of hemoglobin.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Effects of Exercise: Changes in Carbon Dioxide Output

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: The Carbon Cycle

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: Anatomy & Physiology: Organs and Structures of the Respiratory System

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
Handout
Encyclopedia of Earth

Encyclopedia of Earth: Environmental Chemistry: Carbon Cycle

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
eBook
Biology Pages

Kimball's Biology Pages: The Carbon Cycle

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
Lesson Plan
Climate Literacy

Clean: Carbon Dioxide Sources and Sinks

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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...
Activity
National Geographic

National Geographic: Sources, Sinks, and Feedbacks

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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...
eBook
Other

Elmhurst College: Virtual Chembook: Carbon Cycle

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: What Do Bread and Beer Have in Common?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
Unit Plan
Vision Learning

Visionlearning: Earth Science: The Carbon Cycle: What Goes Around Comes Around

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
Unit Plan
Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education, Stevens Institute of Technology

Ciese: Carbon Imbalance: Algae to the Rescue? [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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,...
Activity
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: Photosynthesis and Respiration

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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.
Lesson Plan
Museum of Science

Museum of Science and Industry: Online Science: Activities: What Goes Around

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
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.
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Carbon Cycles

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
Handout
Simon Fraser University

Chem1 Virtual Textbook: Origin and Evolution of the Atmosphere

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
Unit Plan
Vision Learning

Visionlearning: Atmosphere and Oceans: Composition of Earth's Atmosphere

For Students 9th - 10th
An explanation of the different parts of the atmosphere and how pressure and temperature changes at different altitudes.
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Bio Topics

Bio Topics: Photosynthesis

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
Handout
NASA

Nasa: Carbon: Where Does It All Go?

For Students 9th - 10th
At this site from NASA you can understand how phytoplankton help the carbon dioxide levels between the oceans and the air stay in balance.
Article
Nature Research

Nature Education: Energy Economics in Ecosystems

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
Unit Plan
BBC

Bbc: Gcse Bitesize: Earth and Atmospheric Science

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
Article
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: The Carbon Cycle

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
eBook
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Life Science: 12.17 Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore the two complementary processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: How Breathing Works

For Students 9th - 10th
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.