3rd - Biogeochemical Cycles WebQuest

Master the Water, Carbon, Nitrogen & Phosphorus Cycles!

Task 1: Introduction to the Biogeochemical Cycles What elements cycle between living and non-living organisms? What is a mnemonic device to help you to remember the elements that life needs to survive? Complete the table below about why each element in the biogeochemical cycle is important to life. Element Why Is It Important to Life? C H N O P S Complete the table below about how each element is stored and cycled between living and non-living things. FOR THE WORDBANK YOU MAY HAVE TO REDUCE THE ZOOM ON YOUR SCREEN BETWEEN 80% - 90%. Water Carbon Nitrogen Phosphorus Where is it stored? Ocean Atmosphere Atmosphere Rock How does it get into animals? Drinking water and eating plants. Eating plants and animals that eat plants. Eating animal that eat plants. Animals eat plants. How does it get into plants? Absorbed by roots of plants. Photosynthesis Nitrogen-fixing bacteria make it usable for plants. Rain weathers rock into the soil and is absorbed by plant roots How does it get recycled again? Transpiration, sweat, urination, evaporation, condensation, precipitation Respiration of plants and animals; burning of fossil fuels. Bacteria decompose material into atmospheric nitrogen. When plants decompose it is returned to the soil and recycled in the rock cycle. Task 2: The Water Cycle Click the link ( Water Cycle Link) to complete the Water Cycle for Schools interactive from the USGS website. Hover over each step of the water cycle to complete the following table. Water Cycle Features 2 Facts About This Feature Sun Atmosphere Condensation Precipitation Sublimation Infiltration Runoff Oceans Evapotranspiration Water Cycle Diagram - Label the water cycle diagram below using the word bank. Condensation Precipitation Groundwater Run Off Evaporation Transpiration Infiltration Task 3: The Carbon Cycle Watch the Carbon and Nitrogen Cycle video by the Amoeba Sisters.The VIDEO will STOP @ 4:00! It's okay that's all the information you need! What is a carbon reservoir? What type of organisms take in atmospheric carbon dioxide? What is the name of the process that plants and animals undergo to release carbon? Photosynthesis Respiration Fermentation After organisms die, where is the carbon stored? After a long period of time, what does the carbon in the sediment become? What does burning fossil fuels release into the atmosphere? Oxygen Nitrogen Carbon dioxide Potassium How does excessive burning of fossil fuels affect our planet? Click the link (Carbon Cycle Link ) to complete the the Carbon Cycle interactive activity from Science Learning Hub website. As you complete the activity use the Word Bank and fill in the image below. Word BankCombustionPhotosynthesisFossil FuelsAtmospheric CO2RespirationDecompositionVolcanic Eruption Using the sameCarbon Cycle LinkExplore the various parts of the carbon cycle by clicking on each one. As you explore, write the role of the following parts of the global carbon cycle. Then, fill in the table below. Carbon Cycle Features Facts About the Feature Atmosphere Stores carbon as carbon dioxide. Vegetation Stores carbon as carbohydrates. Ocean Surface Exchange carbon dioxide between ocean and atmosphere. Burning Fossil Fuels Stored carbon is combusted with oxygen to create CO2 that is released into the atmosphere. Respiration Plants and animal release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Photosynthesis Plants take in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and store it as carbohydrates. Decay Decomposers release carbon dioxide when they break down dead plant and animal material. Phytoplankton Take carbon from the water and use it to build body parts. When they die, the move to the deep ocean and are stored for long periods of time. Task 4: The Nitrogen Cycle Watch the Carbon and Nitrogen Cycle video by the Amoeba Sisters.The VIDEO will START @ 4:00! It's okay that's all the information you need! What percent of gas in the atmosphere is nitrogen? 18% 88% 25% 78% What type of organisms can fix nitrogen? Molds Bacteria Fungi Amoeba What type of bacteria convert ammonia to nitrites and nitrates? What do denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates and nitrites into? Nitrogen gas Oxygen gas Carbon dioxide How does nitrogen in fertilizer runoff affect aquatic ecosystems? Click the link (Nitrogen Cycle Link ) to complete the Nitrogen Cycle interactive on the Science Learning Hub website. As you explore, write the role of the following parts of the nitrogen cycle in the table below. Nitrogen Cycle Features Facts About the Feature Nitrogen Gas in Atmosphere 80% of the atmosphere, unusable to most of biology except certain microbes which can convert it to useable forms. Lightning Convert nitrogen gas in atmosphere to forms that are biologically available. Nitrification Ammonia is converted to nitrate by specialized bacteria. Denitrification Microorganisms use nitrate and convert it back to nitrogen gas. Opposite of nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen Fixation Conversion of nitrogen gas to a form that can be used by plants. Use the link (Nitrogen Cycle Quiz) on the Ducksters website. Record the correct answers to the questions below. What process in the nitrogen cycle turns dead plants and animals into ammonium? Fixation Nitrification Assimilation Ammonification Denitrification Which process in the nitrogen cycle takes extra nitrogen from soil and puts it back into the air? Fixation Nitrification Assimilation Ammonification Denitrification Which process in the nitrogen cycle occurs when plants absorb nitrogen from nitrates in the soil? Fixation Nitrification Assimilation Ammonification Denitrification In what way is nitrogen important to life on Earth? It is used in making DNA It is used to make chlorophyll It is used in amino acids and proteins All of the above None of the above Task 5: The Phosphorous Cycle Use the video above to fill in the table below with 4 ways that phosphorous is essential to plant and animal life on Earth. What process causes the phosphorous in rocks to move into the soil and water? Fixation Transpiration Weathering Combustion Select the organisms below that are able to absorb phosphorous from the soil? Fungi Plants Pigs Microorganisms Snakes Snails How do animals obtain phosphorous? How is phosphorous returned to the environment? Evaporation Decomposition Combustion Condensation What is mineralization? How does phosphorous become part of a rock? How does overfertilization affect the environment? Click the (Phosphorus Cycle Link). Read the article and then answer the question below. Explain how the phosphorus cycle different from the other biogeochemical cycles?