Megan ODonnell

24 August 2014
AMNH Water Course Final Project
PlanTitle:Biogeochemicalcyclesinanecosystem
Introduction
Matterandenergycyclethroughthelivingandnonlivingworld.Organismsrely
onthiscyclingofmatterandenergytosurvive.Matterandenergyareneverlostor
destroyed,butturnedintodifferentforms.Lifeisdependentuponavailabilityofan
energysourceandrawmaterialsthatareusedinthebasicenzymecontrolledbiochemical
processesoflivingorganisms.Becauseorganismsarecontinuallyexposedtochangesin
theirexternalandinternalenvironments,theymustcontinuallymonitorandrespondto
thesechanges.Nonlivingaspectsofanecosystemconstantlyundergochangestoo.Water,
forexample,isalwaysrecycledthroughthewatercycle,goingthroughevaporation,
condensationandprecipitation.Carbonandnitrogen,otheressentialaspectsofthe
nonlivingportionoftheecosystemareconstantlybeingusedandrecycledaswell.The
goalofthisunitisforstudentstounderstandthethreedifferentcyclesthatwewillbe
discussing:thewatercycle,thecarboncycleandthenitrogencycle,andtheimpactthese
cycleshaveonthelivingmembersoftheenvironment.
DefineLearners:

GradeLevel:7,8,9GradeLivingEnvironmentStudents

PopulationCharacteristics:Diverseethnicitiesandculturesinaninnercityschoolof
NYC

LessonGroupings:Theinstructionallessonsaboutthethreedifferentbiogeochemical
cycleswillbetaughttothewholeclass,withopportunitiesforstudentstodiscuss
questionswiththeirneighbororworkingroups.Afewexperimentalactivitieswillalso
becarriedoutingroupsof2or3students.Theterrariumbuildingportionoftheunitwill
bedoneingroupsof3or4students.
Topic:Themaintopicsdiscussedinthisunitwillbethreebiogeochemicalcycles:the
watercycle,thecarboncycle,andthenitrogencycle.
Curriculum:Intermsofcurriculum,thisunitshouldbetaughtafterthestudentshave
alreadycoveredtheprocessesofphotosynthesisandcellularrespirationonamuchmore
detailedlevel.Thisunitwouldfitnicelyintoalargerunitaboutecology,andasan
introductiontothetopicsoffoodwebsandenergypyramids.Theterrariumsthatwillbe
constructedinthisunitcanbesavedandreferredtoduringtheenergypyramidtopic.
Sincepollutionandconservationaresuchimportanttopicsforabiologycourse,these

topicsshouldbebroughtupinconjunctionwiththisunit,butitwouldbeevenmore
usefultousethisunitasbackgroundforanevenbiggerunitthatfocusesonhowhumans
affecttheenvironment.
Lesson 1:
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):
MS-LS2-3. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among
living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
NYS Life Science Core Curriculum:
1.1b An ecosystem is shaped by the nonliving environment as well as its
interacting species. The world contains a wide diversity of physical conditions, which
creates a variety of environments
1.1e Ecosystems, like many other complex systems, tend to show cyclic changes
around a state of approximate equilibrium.
6.1bTheatomsandmoleculesontheEarthcycleamongthelivingandnonliving
componentsofthebiosphere.Forexample,carbondioxideandwatermoleculesusedin
photosynthesistoformenergyrichorganiccompoundswhicharereturnedtothe
environmentwhentheenergyinthesecompoundsiseventuallyreleasedbycells.
Continualinputofenergyfromsunlightkeepstheprocessgoing.Thisprocessmaybe
illustratedwithanenergypyramid.
7.1aTheEarthhasfiniteresources;increasinghumanconsumptionofresources
placesstressonthenaturalprocessesthatrenewsomeresourcesanddepletethose
resourcesthatcannotberenewed.
7.1bNaturalecosystemsprovideanarrayofbasicprocessesthataffecthumans.
Thoseprocessesincludebutarenotlimitedto:maintenanceofthequalityofthe
atmosphere,generationofsoils,controlofthewatercycle,removalofwastes,energy
flow,andrecyclingofnutrients.Humansarechangingmanyofthesebasicprocessesand
thechangesmaybedetrimental.
Lesson 1 Goals:
Skills Goal:
Be able to draw and label a simple water cycle diagram, correctly placing
vocabulary words.
StudentswillcollectobservationsfromaZiplocbagexperimentandconnect
theseobservationstonewknowledgeofthewatercycle.
Content Goals:
Students will recognize that water has different phases, and that water is lost
during the cycle, it just takes a different form.
Students will become familiar with new vocabulary words: evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff.
By the end of this lesson, they should be able to use the vocabulary words in
context and understand how water cycles through the environment in a continuous
pathway, using the vocabulary words as a way to connect the water pathway.
Potential Student Misconceptions or Challenges:

Misconceptions:
Students may think that when water evaporates, it disappears or ceases to exist. To
combat this misconception, it is important to explain that when water evaporates
it enters the atmosphere as vapor, and can return to its liquid state through
precipitation. No water is lost in the process.
Challenges:
Lack of interest in material
To combat this, the teacher will try to make the water cycle applicable to every
day scenarios by asking students to think about the water cycle in their everyday
lives. Also the use of a brief activity with the Ziploc bags will help them see the
different phases of water in action.
Needs:
Vocabulary:
Evaporation- waters phase change from the surface of a liquid to a gas
(vaporization- liquid water becoming water vapor)
Transpiration- the process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation
from leaves, stems and flowers
Condensation- the opposite of vaporization, the phase change of water from a gas
to a liquid
Precipitation- the product of condensing water vapor that is pulled downward by
gravity. Forms of precipitation include rain, drizzle, sleet hail and snow.
Infiltration- the process of water on the ground surface entering the soil
Runoff- the flow of excess water due to precipitation when the ground is
completely saturated with water, or when the rain is falling too quickly for the
ground to absorb it
Hydrosphere- all of the earths water, including surface water of lakes and oceans,
groundwater, snow and ice, and water in the atmosphere including water vapor.
Materials Required for Lesson:
water cycle worksheet to fill in (see picture below, but with the words blocked out
so students have to fill them in.
powerpoint with definitions of vocabulary
ziploc bags
beakers filed with water
scotch tape

Activities & Times:

1. (5 minutes) Launch into the lesson
Since this is the beginning of the unit on biogeochemical cycles, it would be
useful to define the term biogeochemical. The teacher will break down the word
on the board into three different sections: Bio meaning life, geo meaning earth,
chemical meaning changes in molecules or matter.
The first biogeochemical cycle that this unit will cover is the water cycle. The
teacher will ask the students to turn and talk to their neighbor (30 seconds) about
what they know about water. After, ask for some volunteers to describe what they
already know about water. Attempt to guide students to talk about the different
states of water- solid liquid and gas. If students do not know that water can exist

in those three forms, the teacher will explain in more detail, using the examples of
ice, liquid water and steam from boiling water.
Water is always being cycled through the environment, even when it seems to
disappear.
2. (5 minutes) A sample experiment
The teacher hands out ziploc bags, tape and beakers of water
The teacher will ask students in groups of two to fill ziploc bags 1/3 of the way
with water, close bags, and tape the bags to the window.
We will come back to these bags later in class..
3. (25 minutes) Traditional lecture (with powerpoint visual) about water cycle:
The key drivers of the water cycle are the sun and gravity. The teacher must make
sure to highlight the moments where the sun or gravity are acting on the water to
cause it to change states.
The teacher will explain each new term thoroughly and make sure that students
copy the definitions into their notebooks. For each process, students will be
advised to put an S or a G next to the term, indicating whether the sun or gravity
are the main drivers of the process.
As the teacher goes along with the powerpoint, ask students to describe moments
in their lives when they have witnessed aspects of the water cycle. For example,
ask students to list different types of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet) and also ask
if they have ever witnessed evaporation (sun drying up puddles in the street).
While students are creating their filters, 2 teachers will be walking from group to
group helping with any materials that might make a mess and also making sure
that each group is layering the materials the correct way. The third teacher will be
giving each group a large clear container of water, placing 1 cup of dirt into
container (using a measuring cup), and marking the water level on the container.
After students complete their filters, the teachers will help them to pour the dirty
water through the top of the filter. The water should be poured slowly, so that it
does not overflow. Students can watch the (cleaner) water come out of the bottom.
At the end of the lecture, as a summary, the teacher will ask the students to fill out
the chart on the worksheet that will be handed out to them. Make sure to cold call
on students to gage whether or not the class understands the topic at this point.
(Formative Assessment)
4. (5 minutes) Checking the water bag experiment
Ask one student from each group to go and observe their water bag experiment
from earlier that day. After about a minute, ask the other partner in each group to
go observe the bag that they hung on the window. Ask students what they
observed in the bag (answers should include water droplets on the side of the bag,
less water in the bottom than it started out with, or water dripping down the side).
The teacher will ask students to try and connect these observations with different
aspects of the water cycle, using the new terminology from the lesson. By the end
of discussion, the teacher will make sure that students mentioned evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, and runoff. But, if it is necessary to fill in any gaps,
the teacher may have to explain certain processes going on within the bag.

Wrapuplessonbyaskingstudentstothinkaboutthewatercyclethroughoutthe
day,andtrytorememberatleastthreedifferentexamplesofthewatercyclein
actionfornextclass(asasortofinformalhomeworkassignment).

Picturesource:http://www.education.noaa.gov/Freshwater/Water_Cycle.html
Lesson2:
Standards
NYSLifeScienceCoreCurriculum
7.1aTheEarthhasfiniteresources;increasinghumanconsumptionofresources
placesstressonthenaturalprocessesthatrenewsomeresourcesanddepletethose
resourcesthatcannotberenewed.
7.1bNaturalecosystemsprovideanarrayofbasicprocessesthataffecthumans.
Thoseprocessesincludebutarenotlimitedto:maintenanceofthequalityofthe
atmosphere,generationofsoils,controlofthewatercycle,removalofwastes,energy
flow,andrecyclingofnutrients.Humansarechangingmanyofthesebasicprocessesand
thechangesmaybedetrimental.
Lesson2Goals:
SkillsGoal:
Studentswillbeabletocreateandtesthypothesesaboutacloudexperiment.
BeabletomeasuretemperatureofwaterwithathermometerinCelsius.
ContentGoals:
Studentswillusevocabularywordssuchasprecipitationtodescribetheroleof
waterandtemperatureinproducingweatherevents(Clouds/Rain)
Studentswillunderstandtheimpactoftheirownactionsonchangesinweather
patterns.
PotentialStudentMisconceptionsorChallenges:
Misconceptions:
Studentsmightbelievethatcloudsaremadeofsmoke.Theteachershouldexplain
thatcloudsareformedbytinydropletsofwatervapor,andthatcloudsappear
darkwhentheybecomedenseenoughthatlightcannotshinethrough.
Somestudentsmightthinkthatclimateandweathermeanthesamething.The
teachershouldmentionthatweatherisashorttermphenomenonandclimateisa
collectiveaverageofthingsinalongtermsensesuchaprecipitationand
humidity.
Challenges:
Gettingstudentstomakeconnectionsbetweentheirpredictionsandresultsofthe
experiment.

Tocombatthis,theteacherwilltrytomakethewatercycleapplicabletoevery
dayscenariosbyaskingstudentstothinkaboutthewatercycleintheireveryday
lives.AlsotheuseofabriefactivitywiththeZiplocbagswillhelpthemseethe
differentphasesofwaterinaction.

Needs:
Vocabulary:
Evaporationwatersphasechangefromthesurfaceofaliquidtoagas
(vaporizationliquidwaterbecomingwatervapor)
Condensationtheoppositeofvaporization,thephasechangeofwaterfromagas
toaliquid
Precipitationtheproductofcondensingwatervaporthatispulleddownwardby
gravity.Formsofprecipitationincluderain,drizzle,sleethailandsnow.
Saturationthemaximumconcentrationofasubstance,suchaswater,thatanother
substancecanhold
Climateameasureoftheaveragepatternofvariationintemperature,humidity,
atmosphericpressure,wind,precipitationandothervariablesoverlongperiodsof
time.
Hypothesisproposedexplanationmadeonthebasisoflimitedevidenceasa
startingpointforfurtherinvestigation
MaterialsRequiredforLesson:
Clearplasticcups(orbeakers)
Water(hotandcold)
Thermometers
Shavingcream
Colordye

Activities&Times:
1.(5minutes)Reviewofyesterdayshomeworkquestion
Theteacherwillaskforvolunteerstoshareinstancesthattheysawthewater
cycleinactionintheireverydaylives.Ifnostudentsvolunteer,trycoldcalling.
Makesuretheexamplesthatthestudentsaregivingaretrueexamplesofthe
watercycleandnotjustexamplesofwater(forexample:waterevaporatingfrom
acup,notjustIsawwaterinacup)
2.(5minutes)Introducecloudformationandreviewprecipitationandwatercycle
Definekeyvocabularytermsandaskstudentstocopydefinitionsintotheir
notebooks.
Showashort5minutevideowhichreviewswatercycleandintroduceswhyit
rains:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBnKgwnn7i4
Pausevideobeforeimportantvocabularywordsappearonscreenandaskstudents
iftheyknowwhatprocessthevideoisabouttomention.(Formativeassessment)

3.(15minutes)Cloudprecipitationexperiment
Theteacherwillasktheclasstoseparateintogroupsofthree.
Beforehandingoutthematerials,theteacherwilldemonstratetheexperiment.
Theteacherwillfillacuphalfwaywithwaterandexplainthatthewaterrepresent
theairaroundus,ortheatmosphere.Theteacherwillthenaddshavingcreamon
topofthewater.Theshavingcreamrepresentsacloud.Theteacherwillholdup
thebluecolordyeandexplainthatitrepresentswatervapor.
Theteacherwillthenpassoutthematerials,givinghalfthegroupshotwaterand
halfthegroupscoldwater.
Theteacherwillaskthestudentstomeasureandrecordthetemperatureofthe
water(inCelsius).
Studentswillnowbeinstructedtowritetheirhypothesis.Theirhypothesisisa
predictionaboutwhatwillhappen.Thefirsthypothesisiswhatwillhappenwhen
thestudentsadd3dropsofdye.
Afterthehypothesesarerecorded,thestudentswillbeaskedtoaddthreedropsof
liquidcolordyetothetopoftheshavingcream.
Thestudentsshouldthenrecordtheirobservationsafteradding3drops.
Continuetheexperimentwith3moredropsofdyeeachtimeuntilatotalof15
dropshavebeenaddedtotheshavingcream.Makesureeachtimethegroups
writeanewhypothesisandnewobservationsforeachtrial.Itmightbehelpfulto
encouragethestudentstomakeatchart.
Theteacherwillbewalkingaroundtheroom,notjuststandinginthefrontofthe
room,inordertosupervisetheexperimentandmakesurestudentsareproperly
recordingtheinformationintotheirnotebooks.
3.(5minutes)Classreportingsanddiscussion:
Theteacherwillaskonememberofeachgrouptoreadtheirhypothesesand
observationsoutloudtothegroup.(Ifstressedfortime,studentsmightonlyread
theirfirstandlasthypothesisandobservation).
Theteacheraskshowdidyourhypotheseschangeastheexperimentwentalong?
Why?Whatdidyouobserveasyouaddedmoreandmorecolordye?Why?The
teachershouldaskguidingquestionstogetstudentstousethewordssaturation
andprecipitationtodescribethatoncethecloudreachesapointofsaturation,it
beginstoprecipitate.
Alsoitwillbehelpfultocompareresultsbetweenthegroupwithhotwaterand
thegroupswithcoldwater.Howweretheresultsdifferent?Whydothestudents
thinktheresultsmayhavebeendifferent?
Cleanup
4.(10minutes)Relatingprecipitationtothediscussionofclimate
Keycomponentsofdifferencesbetweenclimateandweathershouldbeexplained.
Weatherisshortterm(dailytoweekly)atmosphericconditionsandclimateis
longterm,characteristicweatherpatterns.
Neitherweatherorclimatearestatic,bothareconstantlychanging.Climate
changejustoccursatamuchslowerrate.

Precipitationandtemperaturearethebiggestfactorsdeterminingclimate.
Climatechangeisaffectingwhere,whenandhowmuchwaterisavailableina
region.Extremeweathereventssuchasdroughtsorheavyprecipitationare
expectedtoincreaseastheclimatechangesandcansignificantlyimpactwater
resources.Theteacherwillasktheclasshowthesechangesinwaterpatterns
mightaffectwaterresources(droughtscanreducewaterinresoirvoirsandtoo
muchprecipitationcancausefloodingetc.)
Alackofadequatewatersupplies,anoverabundanceofwater,ordegradedwater
qualityhassubstantialinfluenceoncivilizationitaffectstheeconomy,energy
productionanduse,humanhealth,transportation,agriculture,nationalsecurity,
naturalecosystems,andrecreation.(NCDCwebsite)
5.Handouthomeworkassignment(seenextpage)
AssigneachgroupadifferentsectionoftheUnitedStates(Northeast,Midwest,
Southwest,Northwest,Southeast).
Dueattheendoftheunit(3days).
Sources:
NYSLivingEnvironmentStandards:
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/pub/livingen.pdf
NCDC
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/userengagement/water.pdf

Name:
Date:
How Climates Affect Water Resources
Climate information can be used in a variety of ways. Some examples
include:

Using short-duration rainfall values and rain gauge charts to

design retarding basins that will help reduce stormwater-borne
pollutants.
Using the amount, location, and duration of rainfall from a heavy
precipitation event to define the magnitude of a storm in order to
assess and estimate property damage.
Using drought information to determine when water rationing
may be required in areas where lake levels are declining.
Using temperature and snowpack trends to determine changes in
the timing of runoff. Warmer temperatures cause snowpack to
melt earlier in the spring, causing lower streamflow later in the
summer.
(http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/userengagement/water.pdf)

Your job is to research rainfall, drought and temperature information in

an assigned region of the United States.
MY REGION:_______________________________________________________
There are a number of websites which you can use to find this
information:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/?n=rainfall_scorecard
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/precip.html
Use this information to determine what type of CLIMATE this region
has. Explain why you chose this type of climate.

Once you have decided what type of climate your region has, think of a
potential problem this regions water resources might encounter and
what solutions you think will address these problems.
This should all be included in a 1-2 page typed document that contains
ALL online or other resources properly cited.

Lesson3:
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):
MS-LS2-3. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among
living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
NYS Life Science Core Curriculum:
7.1aTheEarthhasfiniteresources;increasinghumanconsumptionofresources
placesstressonthenaturalprocessesthatrenewsomeresourcesanddepletethose
resourcesthatcannotberenewed.
7.1bNaturalecosystemsprovideanarrayofbasicprocessesthataffecthumans.
Thoseprocessesincludebutarenotlimitedto:maintenanceofthequalityofthe
atmosphere,generationofsoils,controlofthewatercycle,removalofwastes,energy
flow,andrecyclingofnutrients.Humansarechangingmanyofthesebasicprocessesand
thechangesmaybedetrimental.
Lesson3Goals:
SkillsGoals:
Studentswillbeabletocollaboratewithagrouptocorrectlydefineimportant
vocabularyterms.
Studentswillbeabletogainknowledgeofthecarboncyclebywatchingavideo
andrecordinginformation.
ContentGoals:
Studentsshouldidentifydifferentwaysthatcarbonasanutrientchangesforms
andiscycledthroughtheenvironment.
Studentswillunderstandvocabularywordsrequiredforthisunitsofar.
Understandingwillbemeasuredupontheirabilitytomatchwordswiththeir
properdefinitionsandusevocabularyinsentences.
PotentialStudentMisconceptionsorChallenges:
Misconceptions:
Studentsmaygetconfusedabouttheconceptofcarbonasanelementthatcan
alsoexistincompounds.Also,thetermnutrientmightconfusestudentsbecause

itisreferringtoimportantelementsthatalllivingthingsneedtosurviveand
function.Itwillbeimportanttomakethesedistinctionstoavoidconfusion.
Challenges:
Repeatingthevideowillgivestudentsabetterchanceofactuallygettingthe
necessaryinformationfromthecarboncyclevideo.
Needs:
Vocabulary:
Nutrientelementsorcompoundsthatareessentialforlife
Carbonanonmetallicelementpresentinorganiccompoundsandallformsoflife
Carbondioxideacolorlessandodorlessgascontainingtheelementsofcarbon
andoxygenthatispresentintheatmosphere.Itisproducedduringorganic
decomposition,andplantsneeditforphotosynthesis
Atmosphereamixtureofgasessurroundingtheearth,helddownbygravity
Biospherethepartsoftheearthiswhichlifecanexist(land,seaoratmosphere)
Lithosphererockyouterlayeroftheearth
Hydrosphere(review)alloftheearthswater,includingsurfacewateroflakes
andoceans,groundwater,snowandice,andwaterintheatmosphereincluding
watervapor.
Photosynthesis(review)theprocessbywhichgreenplantsmaketheirownfood
usingcarbondioxide,water,andenergyfromthesun
Respiration(review)theprocessthattakesplacewithinthecellsofliving
organismsthatbreaksdownsugarintocarbondioxide,waterandenergyforthe
organismtousetosurvive
MaterialsRequiredforLesson:
Carboncycleworksheet
Accesstointernettoshowcarboncycleyoutubemovie
Notecardswithvocabwordsonthem(5sets)
Notecardswithdefinitionsonthem(5sets)

Activities&Times:
1. (5minutes)Launchintothelesson
Justlikewater,nutrientsarefiniteandarerecycledbynaturalprocesses.
Energyfornutrientcyclescomesfromthesunandatmosphericand
oceaniccirculation.
Theteacherwillexplainhowtherearealittleover100elementsthat
compriseallmatteronEarth.Givetheexampleofwater.Askifany
studentsknowwhatelementswaterismadeoutof?Ifnoonecananswer
correctlydrawdiagramofH2Oontheboard.HydrogenandOxygenare
bothelements.

ExplaintheelementCarbon.Theteacherwillwritethewordcarbononthe
boardandcircleit.Carbonisa nonmetallic element present in organic
compounds and all forms of life.
Nutrients are elements and compounds that are essential for life.
2. (15 minutes)- Definitions
There are a lot of terms to define in this section that will be necessary for
students to know and understand.
To make learning these definitions a fun experience, the teacher will split the
class into 4 or 5 groups and hand the groups 2 piles of index cards. The first
pile just has the vocab words printed on them. The second pile just has
definitions printed on them.
The vocab list will include all of todays vocabulary along with the other 2
lessons vocabulary (about 15-20 words about water cycle and carbon cycle)
The goal is to match the vocab words to the definitions.
Once both groups have completed the activity, go around the room and have
each student read one word and its definition. If there are not enough words
for each student, have the remaining students use the one of the vocabulary
words in a sentence. (Each student must participate at least once in this
exercise).
This exercise should be used as a learning experience for the students as well
as a form of assessment, so that the teacher can see how well students are
grasping the information.
3. (15minutes)Ashortvideowithfillinhandout.
Theteacherwillhandoutaworksheet.
Theteacherwillaskthatthestudentsfillintheworksheetastheywatchthis
videoaboutthecarboncycle.
Thisisthevideotheclasswillwatch:https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=dDBU0lgHYE
Thevideomayhavetobeviewedtwice,sothattheentiresheetcanbe
answered.
Aftertheworksheetisfilledout,theteacherwillask10differentstudentsto
readtheiranswers,incompletesentenceform.
4. (5minutes)Introduceterrariumprojectandgivehomeworkassignment.
Askstudentstobringinanempty2litersodabottletoclasstomorrow(the
teachershouldhavementionedthisearlierintheweektoallowstudentstime
toobtainone).
Forhomework,studentsmuchwatchhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=LbBgPekjiyc
StudentsareallowedtoANDAREENCOURAGEDtotakenotesonthe
videoaboutthenitrogencycle
Notestakenbythestudentscanbeusedduringanopenbookquiztomorrow,
atthebeginningofclass.

Name:
Date:
TheCarbonCycle
1. Theearthiscontinuouslybombardedwithenergyfromthe______________.
2. Muchofthisenergyisradiatedbackintospace,makingtheEarthsbiospherea
______________________systemintermsofenergy.
3. Incontrast,theEarthsbiosphereisprimarilya____________________system
intermsofwater,mineralsandnutrients.
4. Throughtheprocessof___________________________,autotrophsuseenergy
fromthesuntocombine_________________________fromtheatmosphereand
watertoformcarbohydratessuchasglucose(tobeusedasenergyfortheplant).
5. Whenalogorotherportionofthetreeisburned,thestoredglucoseisconverted
by_________________________backtocarbondioxidegas,whichisreleased
intotheatmosphere.
6. Heterotrophsdependonthecarboncycletoobtain____________________and
__________________________________________________________.
Heterotrophshavetoeatautotrophstoobtainglucose,whichcontainscarbon.
7. ____________________________________________isgeneratedasawaste
productofthemetabolicoxidationofglucose.

8. Inadditiontoemittingcarbondioxideduetooxidativerespiration,animals
releasesomecarbonas_________________________________.
9. Thesewastesarebrokendowninthesoilby___________________________
andcarbondioxideisreleasedduringthisprocessofbreakingdown.
10. Trueorfalse:ThereisaninfiniteamountofcarbonintheEarthsbiosphere.
Lesson4:
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):
MS-LS2-3. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among
living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
NYS Life Science Core Curriculum:
7.1aTheEarthhasfiniteresources;increasinghumanconsumptionofresources
placesstressonthenaturalprocessesthatrenewsomeresourcesanddepletethose
resourcesthatcannotberenewed.
7.1bNaturalecosystemsprovideanarrayofbasicprocessesthataffecthumans.
Thoseprocessesincludebutarenotlimitedto:maintenanceofthequalityofthe
atmosphere,generationofsoils,controlofthewatercycle,removalofwastes,energy
flow,andrecyclingofnutrients.Humansarechangingmanyofthesebasicprocessesand
thechangesmaybedetrimental.
Lesson4Goals:
SkillsGoals:
Afterselfgradingaquiz,studentsshouldbeabletofillintheappropriatestepsof
thenitrogencycleonaworksheet.
ContentGoals:
Studentsshouldidentifydifferentwaysthatnitrogenasanutrientchangesforms
andiscycledthroughtheenvironment.
Studentswillunderstandvocabularywordsrequiredforthisunitsofar.
Understandingwillbemeasuredupontheirabilitytocompletequizassessment
andworksheet.
PotentialStudentMisconceptionsorChallenges:
Misconceptions:
Thenitrogencyclecanbeconfusingtostudentsbecausetherearesomany
differenttypesofbacteriainvolvedandtherearealsodifferentformsofnitrogen.
Theteachershouldtrytodistinguishthedifferencebetweenatmosphericnitrogen,
ammonia,nitritesandnitratesaswellasexplainthatmostofthebacteriaare
namedaftertheprocessestheycarryout.
Challenges:

Sincetheworkonthenitrogencyclewassupposedtobedoneathome,students
thatwereabsentordidnotcompletethehomeworkaregoingtoperformpoorly
onthequiz.Theteachershouldencouragethestudentstotryanyway,andto
correcttheirmistakesastheclassreviewsthequiztogether.

Needs:
Vocabulary:
Nutrientelementsorcompoundsthatareessentialforlife
Nitrogennonmetallicelementthatisakeycomponentofbiologicalmolecules
suchasproteinswhicharemadefromaminoacidsandnucleicacids
o Nitrogencomesinmanyformsatmosphericnitrogen(N2),andammonia
(NH3)
Ammoniaastrongbasecomprisedofnitrogenandhydrogen(NH3),auseable
formofatmosphericnitrogen
Nitrogenfixationtheconversionofatmosphericnitrogentoammoniaby
leguminousplantsandnitrogenfixingbacteria
Nitrogenassimilationtheprocessofabsorbingnitratesandammoniaintoorganic
nitrogen
Ammonificationconvertingorganicnitrogenintoammoniawhenanimalsdie,
donebyfungiandbacteria
Nitrificationprocesscarriedoutbynitrifyingbacteriainwhichammoniaisfirst
convertedtonitrites,andeventuallytonitrates
Denitrificationprocessbywhichnitratesareconvertedtonitricoxideand
eventuallytoatmosphericnitrogenandiscarriedoutbydenitrifyingbacteria
MaterialsRequiredforLesson:
Nitrogencyclequiz
Extraredpens
Nitrogencycleworksheet
Nitrogencycleworksheetopenonsmartboardorbyprojector

Activities&Times:
5. (10minutes)AdministerNitrogencyclequiz
Makesurestudentsuseblueorblackpen
6. (15 minutes)- Grade quizzes and review
Since the material covered on this quiz was learned by students for
homework, the actual grade on the quiz does not matter as much as reviewing
the material.
The teacher will ask students to try and provide the proper answers and the
class will say if they agree or disagree by a show of hands.

After giving the right answers, hand out nitrogen cycle worksheet and fill it
out as a class
7. (15minutes)Fillinnitrogencyclechart
Asaclass,fillinthenitrogencycleworksheettogether.Theteacherwillfillin
thespacesandexplainwhathappensateachspotonthediagram.Theteacher
shouldmakesurethateverystudentfillsintheworksheetastheclassmoves
along.
Ifthereisextratimeleftover,reviewsomeaspectsofthewatercyclesand
carboncyclesbycoldcallingandaskingquestions.
Remindthestudentstobringina2litersodabottlefortheterrariumproject.
Name:
Date:
NitrogenCycleQuiz
WORDBANK:
N2

Nitrification

Nitrogen
assimilation

Ammonification

Ammonia(NH3)

Nitrogenfixation

Denitrification

NitrogenCycle

1. Theprocessofabsorbingnitratesandammoniaintoorganicnitrogen
___________________________
2. Alsoknownasatmosphericnitrogen_________________________
3. Theprocessbywhichnitratesareconvertedtonitricoxideandeventuallyto
atmosphericnitrogen,carriedoutbydenitrifyingbacteria
_____________________________________
4. Whenfungiandbacteriaconvertorganicnitrogenintoammoniawhenanimals
die,andisalsocalledmineralization_____________________________
5. Useableformofnitrogenforlivingorganisms_________________________
6. Theconversionofatmosphericnitrogentoammoniabyleguminousplantsand
nitrogenfixingbacteria____________________________________
7. Theprocessofnitrifyingbacteriaconvertingammoniatonitritestonitrates
________________________________

8. Theprocessofdenitrifyingbacteriaconvertingnitratestonitricoxideto
atmosphericnitrogen______________________________
Bonus:WhatpercentageoftheEarthsatmosphereiscomprisedofnitrogen?

Thispicturewillbegivenasaworksheettobecompletedafterthequiz,withblank
spaceswherethewordsare.Thiswillbefilledintogetherasaclass.

Sourceofnitrogencyclepicture:
http://www.macroevolution.net/nitrogencyclediagram.html

Lesson5:
Standards:
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):
MS-LS2-3. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among
living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
NYS Life Science Core Curriculum:
1.1b An ecosystem is shaped by the nonliving environment as well as its
interacting species. The world contains a wide diversity of physical conditions, which
creates a variety of environments
1.1e Ecosystems, like many other complex systems, tend to show cyclic changes
around a state of approximate equilibrium.
6.1bTheatomsandmoleculesontheEarthcycleamongthelivingandnonliving
componentsofthebiosphere.Forexample,carbondioxideandwatermoleculesusedin
photosynthesistoformenergyrichorganiccompoundswhicharereturnedtothe
environmentwhentheenergyinthesecompoundsiseventuallyreleasedbycells.
Continualinputofenergyfromsunlightkeepstheprocessgoing.Thisprocessmaybe
illustratedwithanenergypyramid.

Lesson5Goals:
SkillsGoals:
Studentswillcreateandmaintaintheirownterrestrialecosystemintheformofa
terrarium.
ContentGoals:
Studentsshouldidentifyhowthedifferentbiogeochemicalcyclesareworking
insidetheirterrariumandhowthebioticandabioticfactorsworktogetherto
createafunctioningecosystem
PotentialStudentMisconceptionsorChallenges:
Challenges:
Gettingstudentstofollowdirectionsandseethisactivityasalearningexperience.
Theteachershouldconstantlybelookingtofindteachingmomentswhile
outsideexploringtheenvironment.
Needs:

Vocabulary:
Terrariumanenclosedlandenvironmentthatisusedforgrowingplantsor
keepingsmallanimals
Ecosystemacommunityoflivingorganisms(plants,animalsandmicrobes)in
conjunctionwiththenonlivingcomponentsoftheirenvironment(air,water,
minerals)interactingasasystem(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystem)
MaterialsRequiredforLesson:
Extra2litersodabottles(forstudentsthatforgottobringthemin)
Scissors
Water
Fromtheoutside
o Dirt
o Pebbles/gravel
o Grassesandplantswithrootsstillattached
o Mosses
o Possiblyworms/bugs
Activities&Times:
1. (57minutes)Settingupterrariumandgivingdirections
First,havestudentscutthe2literwaterbottlesinhalfaroundthecenterofthe
bottle,dividingitintoatophalfwiththecaponitandabottomhalf.
Then,cut4smallslits,perpendiculartotheoriginalcut,inthebottomhalfso
thatthetophalfcanslideinandstaysinplace.
Then,givespecificdirectionsofhowtosetuptheterrariumoncetheclass
headsoutside.
First,studentshavetofillthebottomoftheirterrariumwithsomerocksand
pebblesforwaterdrainage.
Next,thestudentsshouldfilltherestofthebottomwithsoil.
Thestudentsshouldfindsomegrassesandplantsandtrytoremovethemfrom
thegroundwithoutdamagingtheroots,thengentlyreplanttheplantsintothe
soil.Theycanalsoaddsomemossandleavestotheground.
Lastly,ifthestudentswishtoaddsmallbugsandwormstotheirterrariums,
theymay.But,itmustonlybeoneortwowormsandbugs(explaincarrying
capcity.
2.(1520minutes)Buildtheterrariumsoutside
Hopefullytheschoolhasacourtyardorplaygroundwherethestudentscan
findtheseitems.Ifnot,taketheclasstoanearbyparkorclearingtocollect
theitemsfortheterrarium.
Whentheclassreturns,havethestudentsaddalittlebitofwatertothesoil,so
thatthereiswatertocyclethroughthesystem.

3. (Remainingtimeofclass)Discussion
Theteachershouldbeginthediscussionbyaskingthestudentswhichpartsof
theterrariumwillbeinvolvedinthethreebiogeochemicalcyclesthattheclass
haslearnedaboutinthepastweek.
Havethestudentsmakeverbalpredictionsaboutwhatwillhappentothe
terrariumsoverthenextweekorso.
Askstudentstoidentifydifferentaspectsoftheterrariumthatwillserve
multiplepurposesintheecosystem(everyaspecthasmultiplepurposes).
Attheendoftheclass,havethestudentsplacetheirterrariumsbythewindow
(explainhowthesunplaysaveryimportantroleinthisecosystem).

AssessmentofStudents
Includedinthelessonsaredifferentformsofassessment.Formalassessments
suchasthehomeworkassignments,quizzesandinclassworksheetsaredesignedto
providehardevidencethatthestudentsaremeetingthelearningobjectiveslaidoutfor
them.Inadditiontotheformalassessments,manyportionsoftheselessonsinvolveclass
participationanddiscussion,whichalwayslendsitselfasatimeforstudentsto
demonstratetheirknowledgeorconfusiononthetopic.Giventhefactthatthisunitis
only5daysinlength,apropertestmightbedevisedtoinvolvethisinformation,aswell
asinformationaboutfoodchainsandenergypyramids,whichwouldlogicallyfitintothe
curriculumasthenextunit.
EvaluationoftheLesson
Iwilljudgeifthelessonsweresuccessfulbasedoffoftheassessmenttoolsbuilt
intothelessons.But,Ialsoreallywanttousethefinaldiscussionaftertheterrarium
constructionasanopportunitytoseeifstudentscanreallyconnectallthedifferent
biogeochemicalcyclestorealecosystem.Insteadofteachingthesethreecyclesas
separateentities,Ithinkrealunderstandingwillcomebyprovidingstudentswithabig
pictureapproachtothetopic.Ialsoreallythinkthisunitwoulddowellasan
introductiontothefoodwebandenergypyramidunitofLifeScience,becausestudents
willalreadyhaveagoodgraspofhowabioticfactorsinteractwiththebioticfactorsofan
ecosystem.Hopefullytheclasswillbeabletogetintoadeepandinterestingdiscussion
aboutalltheserelationshipsbytheendofthisunit,andifIstillfeellikethestudentsare
onlyscratchingthesurfaceandnotreallyconnectingthethreecycles,Iwillhaveto
continuetobringupthesetopicsgoingforwardintothenextunit.
Conclusion
Thisprojectwasareallyenlighteningexperienceforme.Thiswasmyfirsttime
creatinganysortofformalunitlessonplan,andIhadtoaskforhelpfromsomefriends

whoarealreadyteachers.Informulatingthelessons,itwasreallyinterestingtothink
aboutwhatstudentsmightfindconfusingandtotrytostructurethelessonsaroundthose
possiblemisconceptions.FromthefewsamplelessonsIhavetaught,Iknowthatthese
lessonplansareboundtochangeandberevisedastheyaretaughttoarealgroupof
students.Ithinkgoingforwardinmycareer,Iwillalwayslookbackonthisprojectasa
greatpracticeinplanningandconnectinglessonswithoverarchingthemesthatattemptto
achievesimilarlearninggoals,insteadofjustcreatingsamplelessonplansthatstand
alone.Iwoulddefinitelyliketotryoutthisunitnextyearduringmystudentteaching
experience,andIwillshowittomysupervisingteachertoseewhatheorshethinks
aboutitsstructure.
AdditionalResources:
http://ecosystems.psu.edu/youth/sftrc/lessonplans/water/68/watercycle
http://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/EarthScience/6/TheNitrogenCycle/98
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/pub/livingen.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biogeochemical_cycle
Botkin,DanielB.andEdwardA.Keller.EnvironmentalScience:EarthasaLiving
Planet.Wiley,7thedition,2009.