Climate Change and the Carbon Cycle – Curriculum Unit for 9-12 Grade Students

Welcome! Thank you for your interest in the USDA Southwest Climate Hub’s curriculum unit on Climate Change and the Carbon Cycle. This unit was designed to introduce 9-12 grade students to climate change, the carbon cycle, and the effects of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide on Earth’s climate. We partnered with the Asombro Institute for Science Education (asombro.org) to design an engaging, fun, and scientifically rigorous education unit aligned with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. 

The Climate Change and the Carbon Cycle curriculum unit consists of three activities and was designed to be conducted over four days.  Each activity can also stand alone, however, and the unit need not be completed in its entirety.

You may download the entire curriculum at the link below, choose the resources you need from the list below, or click on the day pages in the left column, which contain links to the supporting materials for each activity organized by day taught.

To download curriculum:

• Select day/lesson from left column, or 
• Download Climate Change and the Carbon Cycle Unit complete guide (in PDF), or 
• Select from the list of educator guides and digital resources by day listed below

Additional documents:

• Next Generation Science Standards Activity Charts
• Common Core State Standards Activity Chart
• Copyright Information
• Acknowledgements

List of educator guides and digital resources by day

Day 1 - Up in the Air: Carbon Cycle and Climate Change, Part I

• Educator guide (PDF)
• Up in the Air handout (PDF)
• Up in the Air presentation (PowerPoint)
• Task cards, in black and white (PDF)
• Task cards, in color (PDF)
• Reservoir table tents, in black and white (PDF)
• Reservoir table tents, in color (PDF)
• Sorting it Out page (PDF)
• Chemical cards (PDF)
• Up In the Air Part I (instructional video)

Day 2 - Up in the Air: Carbon Cycle and Climate Change, Part II  

• Educator guide (PDF) - instructions begin on page A-06
• Up in the Air handout (PDF)
• Up in the Air presentation (PowerPoint)
• Cup labels (PDF)
• Model board, in black and white (PDF)
• Model board, in color (PDF)
• Fluxing carbon pieces (PDF)
• Process-only game cards (PDF)
• Reservoir game cards (PDF)
• Up In the Air Part II (instructional video)

Day 3 - The Ins and Outs of a Climate Feedback Loop

• Educator guide (PDF)
• The Ins and Outs of a Climate Feedback Loop handout (PDF)
• The Ins and Outs of a Climate Feedback Loop presentation (PowerPoint)
• Ins and Outs (instructional video)

Day 4 - What’s the Plan? Climate Change Mitigation

• Educator guide (PDF)
• What's the Plan presentation (PowerPoint)
• Mitigation Strategy pages, in black and white (PDF)
• Mitigation Strategy pages, in color (PDF)
• Mini-poster (PDF)
• Optional Stakeholder Cards (PDF)