ALEX Resources

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

The lesson provides an overview of cloud formation. Cloud formation results when warm, humid air rises and cools, causing the water vapor in the air to condense and form clouds. In this lesson, students will conduct an activity that demonstrates how this occurs.

This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.

This lesson was modified from NASA series “Investigating the Climate System.  They can be freely downloaded at https://www.strategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Clouds_04.pdf

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] LSC7 (7) 7 :

7 ) Use empirical evidence from patterns and data to demonstrate how changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem (e.g., deforestation, succession, drought, fire, disease, human activities, invasive species) can lead to shifts in populations.

[SC2015] LSC7 (7) 5 :

5 ) Examine the cycling of matter between abiotic and biotic parts of ecosystems to explain the flow of energy and the conservation of matter.

a. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about how food is broken down through chemical reactions to create new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as it moves through an organism.

b. Generate a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 14 :

14 ) Analyze and interpret data (e.g., tables, graphs, maps of global and regional temperatures; atmospheric levels of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane; rates of human activities) to describe how various human activities (e.g., use of fossil fuels, creation of urban heat islands, agricultural practices) and natural processes (e.g., solar radiation, greenhouse effect, volcanic activity) may cause changes in local and global temperatures over time.

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 15 :

15 ) Analyze evidence (e.g., databases on human populations, rates of consumption of food and other natural resources) to explain how changes in human population, per capita consumption of natural resources, and other human activities (e.g., land use, resource development, water and air pollution, urbanization) affect Earth's systems.

Students will explore greenhouse gases, how they effect the carbon cycle and the human role in climate change.  

This lesson was created as part of the 2016 NASA STEM Standards of Practice Project, a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

This activity will utilize the talking drawings strategy, in which the teacher will introduce the nitrogen cycle using an interactive presentation to explain this biogeochemical cycle in a pictorial format. As the teacher describes the process during the presentation, the students will create their own annotated diagram to model the nitrogen cycle.

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

This activity will utilize the talking drawings strategy, in which the teacher will introduce the carbon cycle using an interactive presentation to explain this biogeochemical cycle in a pictorial format. As the teacher describes the process during the presentation, the students will create their own annotated diagram. Lastly, students will discuss how humans have affected the carbon cycle since the industrial revolution.

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Development Summit. 

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 6 :

6 ) Identify and plan possible solutions (e.g., reducing, reusing, recycling) to lessen the human impact on the local environment.*

[SC2015] (0) 7 :

7 ) Observe and describe the effects of sunlight on Earth's surface (e.g., heat from the sun causing evaporation of water or increased temperature of soil, rocks, sand, and water).

[SC2015] (5) 15 :

15 ) Identify the distribution of freshwater and salt water on Earth (e.g., oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers, ground water, polar ice caps) and construct a graphical representation depicting the amounts and percentages found in different reservoirs.

[SC2015] (5) 16 :

16 ) Collect and organize scientific ideas that individuals and communities can use to protect Earth's natural resources and its environment (e.g., terracing land to prevent soil erosion, utilizing no-till farming to improve soil fertility, regulating emissions from factories and automobiles to reduce air pollution, recycling to reduce overuse of landfill areas).

[SC2015] (5) 17 :

17 ) Design solutions, test, and revise a process for cleaning a polluted environment (e.g., simulating an oil spill in the ocean or a flood in a city and creating a solution for containment and/or cleanup).*

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 16 :

16 ) Implement scientific principles to design processes for monitoring and minimizing human impact on the environment (e.g., water usage, including withdrawal of water from streams and aquifers or construction of dams and levees; land usage, including urban development, agriculture, or removal of wetlands; pollution of air, water, and land).*

Steve Trash teaches kids about science with fun and magic. The show is filmed in Alabama.

You find water in oceans, rivers, lakes and ponds, in clouds and rain and snow. Explore how all of these are connected through a continuous cycle in the natural world. Then, Steve suggests ways to prevent litter and other destructive types of pollution. After all, it's no fun to play in the water if its full of garbage.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

[SC2015] PS8 (8) 4 :

4 ) Design and conduct an experiment to determine changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added to or removed from a system.

In this lesson, students investigate the condensation of water vapor on the inside of a plastic cup. Then they design an experiment to see if cooling water vapor, even more, affects the rate of condensation. Students also relate evaporation and condensation to the water cycle.

Students will be able to describe on the molecular level how cooling water vapor causes condensation. Students will also describe the roles evaporation and condensation play in the water cycle.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (5) 1 :

1 ) Plan and carry out investigations (e.g., adding air to expand a basketball, compressing air in a syringe, dissolving sugar in water, evaporating salt water) to provide evidence that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

In this lesson, students will be able to develop and explain a particle-level model to describe evaporation and condensation in the context of the water cycle. Students use water, ice, and plastic wrap to model the ocean and cold upper atmosphere. Students use observations from their model to explain the processes of evaporation and condensation that drive the water cycle.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

Make it Rain! explores student misconceptions about phase changes, weather, and the water cycle, and reveals some of the pitfalls of common representations.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (5) 14 :

14 ) Use a model to represent how any two systems, specifically the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and/or hydrosphere, interact and support life (e.g., influence of the ocean on ecosystems, landform shape, and climate; influence of the atmosphere on landforms and ecosystems through weather and climate; influence of mountain ranges on winds and clouds in the atmosphere).

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

Ready, set, soar! Soar high in the clouds with a sleepy condor who wants to help you learn in this interactive lesson about the water cycle, how it works, and how clouds are formed. In this lesson, students will learn to find and describe the connections between scientific concepts.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

Students will learn about the four phases of the water cycle, the ways in which watersheds are crucial to healthy water, and the best ways to manage local watersheds with this interactive lesson.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 14 :

14 ) Analyze and interpret data (e.g., tables, graphs, maps of global and regional temperatures; atmospheric levels of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane; rates of human activities) to describe how various human activities (e.g., use of fossil fuels, creation of urban heat islands, agricultural practices) and natural processes (e.g., solar radiation, greenhouse effect, volcanic activity) may cause changes in local and global temperatures over time.

Students learn about the Darvaza Crater and ponder what keeps it burning. Then they analyze the Keeling Curve and consider the source of the increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. In the activities to follow, they explore fossil fuel formation, use, benefits, and consequences through a series of readings. By sorting everyday objects and diagramming a simple model of the global carbon cycle, students consider how carbon generally cycles through Earth’s systems, including as fossil fuels. This lesson is part of the Carbon Trackers unit.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 14 :

14 ) Analyze and interpret data (e.g., tables, graphs, maps of global and regional temperatures; atmospheric levels of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane; rates of human activities) to describe how various human activities (e.g., use of fossil fuels, creation of urban heat islands, agricultural practices) and natural processes (e.g., solar radiation, greenhouse effect, volcanic activity) may cause changes in local and global temperatures over time.

In this set of activities, students explore the power of creating visual models in science by first researching then constructing models of the rock cycle, the water cycle, and the processes of photosynthesis and respiration in jigsaw groups. Using these models, students teach other groups about their assigned topic and then collaborate to integrate this information into a larger model of the global carbon cycle. Finally, an experiment, reading, and video about the greenhouse effect help students consider the role of greenhouse gasses in their model of the global carbon cycle. This lesson is part of the Carbon Trackers unit.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

Students, in their role as scientists, create and finalize a collaborative model of the global carbon cycle. As a class, they use the model in a presentation aimed to inform and inspire an invited audience to think more carefully about the impacts of fossil fuel use. This lesson is part of the Carbon Trackers unit.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

This interactive game will lead students through the carbon cycle and describe the different reservoirs where carbon is held on Earth. Students will take on the role of a carbon atom and travel through the cycle until they visit all of the possible reservoirs. 

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

In this game, students will learn how carbon atoms move through different carbon reservoirs during the carbon cycle. Students can play the game as a single-player or join others in a multiplayer format. Students will begin to understand the delicate balance of the carbon cycle while playing this game. 

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

In this game, students will learn how water molecules move through different reservoirs during the water cycle. Students can play the game as a single-player or join others in a multiplayer format. Students will begin to understand how water moves through the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere during the water cycle.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

In this game, students will learn how nitrogen atoms and molecules move through different reservoirs during the nitrogen cycle. Students can play the game as a single-player or join others in a multiplayer format. Students will begin to understand how nitrogen moves through the biosphere, geosphere, and atmosphere in the nitrogen cycle.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

The classroom resource provides a video that will describe the carbon cycle. In addition, there is a sing-along video that students can perform karaoke-style that will help them remember the steps of this cycle. After utilizing these two resources, the students can complete the short test to assess their understanding. Students can use the information presented in this video to create their own model of this biogeochemical cycle. 

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

The classroom resource provides a video that will describe the steps in the water cycle. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding. Students can use the information presented in this video to create their own model of this biogeochemical cycle. 

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] ES6 (6) 7 :

7 ) Use models to construct explanations of the various biogeochemical cycles of Earth (e.g., water, carbon, nitrogen) and the flow of energy that drives these processes.

The classroom resource provides a video that will describe the steps in the nitrogen cycle. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding. Students can use the information presented in this video to create their own model of this biogeochemical cycle.