Module: Biogeochemical Cycles
DCI: ESS2.D (B) Gradual atmospheric changes were due to plants and
other organisms that captured carbon dioxide and released oxygen.
PE: HS-ESS2-6 Develop a quantitative model to describe the cycling
of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.
PE: HS-ESS2-7 Construct an argument based on evidence about the
simultaneous co-evolution of Earth’s systems and life on Earth.
[Clarification
Statement: Emphasis is on modeling biogeochemical cycles that include the
cycling of carbon through the ocean, atmosphere, soil, and biosphere (including
humans), providing the foundation for living organisms.]
[Clarification
Statement: Emphasis is on the dynamic causes, effects, and feedbacks between
the biosphere and Earth’s other systems, whereby geoscience factors control the
evolution of life, which in turn continuously alters Earth’s surface. Examples
of include how photosynthetic life altered the atmosphere through the
production of oxygen, which in turn increased weathering rates and allowed for
the evolution of animal life; how microbial life on land increased the
formation of soil, which in turn allowed for the evolution of land plants; or
how the evolution of corals created reefs that altered patterns of erosion and
deposition along coastlines and provided habitats for the evolution of new life
forms.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include a comprehensive
understanding of the mechanisms of how the biosphere interacts with all of
Earth’s other systems.]
The ideas here are:
- changes in the atmosphere are gradual
- these changes are due to the capture of carbon dioxide and release of oxygen by plants and other organisms
A quantitative model might include data about the amount of carbon that is put into the atmosphere as a product of human activity, or percentages of the distribution of carbon between the atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, etc., as a function of time.
This might be helpful:
In any case, students should evaluate this data and make conclusions about the movement of carbon between the different spheres. We can also discuss the cause and effect relationships as mentioned in the second PE. It's probably not fair to ask outright about some of these processes, so we would have to provide some background info on a cause and then ask about a possible effect. Students would have to also see evidence that the two occurrences were related. (Photosynthesis --> Oxygen Rich Atmosphere, etc.)
Unfortunately, this standard is very dissimilar to our TEKS. We don't have many questions that we can use as a starting point.
Here's another cool link: http://wildbc.org/publications-resources/climatechange/carbon-sinks-sources.pdf
Here's another cool link: http://wildbc.org/publications-resources/climatechange/carbon-sinks-sources.pdf
Possible Question Starters:
"Transfer of carbon between the biosphere and the atmosphere occurs when which of the following processes takes place?"
"Transfer of carbon between the biosphere and the atmosphere occurs when which of the following processes takes place?"
correct answer - forest fires
"Which of the following provides the best replacement for the letter "C" in the diagram?"
"Which of the following provides the best replacement for the letter "C" in the diagram?"
No comments:
Post a Comment