The Carbon/Water/Nitrogen) Cycle

[Colin Matheson]

This is a fun way to have kids learn about the matter cycles. I usually introduce it with the water cycle (which most students are comfortable with), but my main objective is to teach the Carbon cycle. For advanced students I push them to learn the Nitrogen cycle. You can adapt it to the water cycle or the nitrogen cycle by making different cards.

Tape the cards around the room and give each student a cycle story worksheet.
Explain that they are going to be Carbon atoms (or water molecules).
Each card has a location, a form that the Carbon atom is in, and options for next steps.
You will assign students to different starting cards. Their job is to write down their location, their form, and the process that takes them to the next station.
Then they journey to the next station and record that information.
Once they have visited 10 stations they can return to their seats and work on a first person narrative explaining what it was like to be the Carbon atom traveling that path.
Once everyone has finished traveling the path you can either let them keep working on their stories or discuss what they noticed about the cycle.
I have also attached a sample Nitrogen cycle that you can project and have the students write about. This saves time and makes sure that they learn about the effects of fertilizer on aquatic ecosystems.

[Debra Garcia]

I haven't used this method before! Thanks for a very fun way to teach the cycling of matter and I like how students are up and around. Although I do teach carbon as my favorite atom all year, I spend a good bit time on the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles in the Ecology unit. We live near the Chesapeake Bay which is deeply affected by too many nutrients. In the spring of 7th grade, they do a large unit on the Bay so I try to link back to that when they come to me in 9th. I have also been messing around with (not yet applying) the idea of using the nitrogen cycle as a long-term project using fish tanks and a creek and pond on school property. But I haven't come up with the best plan yet that I like. Maybe I just need to let the students plan it?

[Jen]

Colin,
I REALLY like this idea as it gets kids up and moving (I'm always in favor of that!) Just a question about the cards that you made in the Carbon cycle document - most seem to have "choices" of where they can go - do you allow them to make that decision at each station with the "rule" that you cannot go to the same place twice? (i.e. once I've been to phytoplankton, I cannot go back there again?) Just curious as to how you strucure that aspect of it :)
Thanks!
Jen