Lesson 3 - The Carbon Cycle and Soil
You will expand your understanding of the carbon cycle by digging deeper into the soil and investigate how carbon cycles through plants and how the complex soil ecosystem functions in healthy soils.
You will create a ‘mini’ carbon cycle diagram that represents the carbon cycle in healthy soil and explore how soil fungi play a critical role in plant growth and complete a three-level guide to aid your text comprehension.
You will then apply an Earth System Science approach to analyse soil degradation issues using the interactions between the four Earth spheres — the Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere and Biosphere.
LEARN
ACTIVITY 3.1
Exploring the Carbon Cycle in the Soil
Worksheet 3.1a – Carbon Cycle Pre-quiz
Worksheet 3.1b – Recycling Carbon
ACTIVITY 3.2
The Carbon Cycle in the Soil Diagram
Worksheet 3.2a – Carbon Cycle in the Soil
ACTIVITY 3.3
Fungi and the Carbon Story
Worksheet 3.3a – Fungi and the Wood Wide Web
Worksheet 3.3b – Improving Our Soil Quality
ACTIVITY 3.4
Farming Fungi
Worksheet 3.4a – Farming Fungi
Worksheet 3.4b – Fruitful Tomatoes
ACTIVITY 3.5
The Earth Systems and Soil
Worksheet 3.5a – Earth System – Diagram Examples
Worksheet 3.5b – Feeding the World
Worksheet 3.5c – Tackling Soil Degradation
Worksheet 3.5d – Soil Degradation Links
VIEW
2
4
Carbon Cycle Animation (1:28)
5
The Soil Food Web (6:59)
6
9
Farming Fungi (4:15)
10
Hinkler Park Plantation (1:42)
11
Carbon Special (56:24)
12
Real World: Earth Systems (5:02)
DO
ACTIVITY 3.1
Exploring the Carbon Cycle in the Soil
Worksheet 5.1a – Observation of Physical Soil Properties
Worksheet 5.1b – Soil Textural Analysis