Modeling the Complexities of the Carbon Cycle Utilizing Excel

Notes from our reviewers

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• Teaching Tips
  Consider beginning the series of activities with the hands-on ping pong ball activity, which illustrates the carbon cycle reservoirs and fluxes, instead of the lecture-discussion of IPCC diagrams. Students may have difficulty interpreting data displayed on the Excel spreadsheets. Additional directions on the Excel worksheets would assist student success. The first of the two activities uses the assumption that the tree and major limbs are cylinders and therefore uses the cylinder formula to estimate tree volume. The second activity uses power functions, Excel, and a log-log graph; this second activity is more appropriate for advanced learners.
• About the Science
  Science underlying these activities is about carbon sources, sinks, and fluxes among them. The activity transitions nicely from abstract data interpretation of the carbon cycle to personal interactions with the cycle. Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.
• About the Pedagogy
  Students work with a spreadsheet to see how changes in one part of the carbon cycle affect others. A link is provided to a pre- and post-test concept map type exercise. Excercise steps 1-5 in the directions give a global picture of the carbon cycle, while steps 6-7 bring the story down to a local and/or individual level. Progression of activities provides a nice mix of abstract and concrete.
• Technical Details/Ease of Use
  Several sections of the Excel worksheets may be difficult for high school AP students, depending on their level of experience with the software.