The Carbon Cycle, It's a Toss Up!

To better understand the carbon cycle, 9th-grade students in Liz Klein's Changing Earth science class played two different games last week. The first asked them to take on the role of a carbon atom, flipping coins to determine their journey from reservoirs like the atmosphere to vegetation. They had to keep track of their progress, making note of the processes that moved them from one reservoir to another.

The second game (pictured here) had students playing in teams. To move around the carbon cycle, they had to correctly answer questions related to whatever reservoir they were in. While stuck in the vegetation reservoir, one team learned that plants actually respire. Another team had to figure out how much of their energy came from burning coal during their time in the fossil fuel reservoir. Playing games is a great way to learn more about this important nutrient cycle!