This digital activity styled like a board game helps students visualize the carbon cycle while also adding in a bit of competition.
Students can choose to play against other students or against the computer.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This game is an exciting way for students to synthesize their learning about the carbon cycle.
The game assists students in identifying the ways in which carbon moves between different reservoirs.
The option for students to play against each other can increase engagement.
Additional Prerequisites
Although the game briefly describes the carbon cycle, it is recommended that students are familiarized with the carbon cycle before playing the game.
If you plan on using multiplayer, consider testing out this feature by creating a room before using it with students.
Differentiation
Have students go through the tutorial before playing the game.
Consider facilitating a discussion after playing the game and asking students, "What aspects of the game, if any, helped you understand the carbon cycle? If you won, which strategies were most successful?"
You can pair this game with a lesson on the carbon cycle or have your students explore this interactive diagram.
Scientist Notes
The game is interactive. It provides a seamless learning experience for students to gain deep understanding on the interactions within the biogeochemical cycle. This is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Science
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
7.ESS3.1 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.
LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
7.LS1.6 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
HS.LS2.5 Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.
