Year 9

Science
Lesson 11 – the carbon cycle

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 Handy tips for this lesson
View the lesson in slide show mode to use the buttons:

• Use the arrows in the top right corner to go to the next or previous
slide.

• Click the home button to go back to the first slide.

• Some slides have audio. Click on the speaker button to listen.

• Some slides may be interactive. Click the button for extra elements.

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 Lesson 10: challenge answer
Investigate the nutrients and minerals that the xylem carries into the plant from the
soil.

• nitrogen
• phosphorus
• potassium
• calcium
• and many more!

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 Learning intention
To understand the carbon cycle and how carbon is cycled in nature.

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 You will need
• A pen and paper.
• A digital device.

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 Photosynthesis and cellular respiration recap

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 Key terms
• Photosynthesis – chemical reaction that occurs in plants to convert sunlight into stored
chemical energy in the form of glucose.
• Cellular respiration – chemical process that animals and plants use to release energy stored
in food (sugar).
• Fossil fuels – fuel that has been formed from the remains of living things.
• Decomposition – process in which matter from dead organisms is broken down. Also called
rotting.
• Carbon – a chemical element on the periodic table.
• Carbon dioxide – a gas made up of carbon.

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 The carbon cycle

The continual exchange and movement of carbon through the

atmosphere, oceans, land and living organisms.
Carbon enters, moves through, and exits an ecosystem.
Carbon is a chemical element in the periodic table.

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 Steps in the carbon cycle
• All living things are made of carbon.
• In the atmosphere, carbon is contained within carbon dioxide
and methane.
• Carbon can be absorbed and released by water in the ocean.
• Plants use carbon dioxide and sunlight to photosynthesise.
Carbon then becomes part of the plant.
• Human and animals eat plants, and we release carbon back to
the atmosphere.
• Plants, humans and animals die, and the carbon enters the soil.
• The carbon may be turned into fossil fuels after thousands of years.
• Humans burn fossil fuels which makes carbon re-enter the atmosphere.
Burning wood also returns carbon back to the atmosphere.

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 The carbon cycle

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 Activity
Watch the video and make notes about how the carbon cycle works. A
summary of key points from the video is on the next slide.

Source: The Carbon Cycle | Carbon Cycle Process | Video for Kids on YouTube (Learning Junction, 2021)
For your safety, watch this video in the slideshow without accessing YouTube.
:

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 Video summary
• Carbon is an important element in living things. Humans need it to survive.
• Carbon is used and replaced in nature through the carbon cycle.
• Carbon dioxide is used by plants, which animals and humans consume.
• Carbon is released back to the atmosphere through cellular respiration.
• Decomposed animals return carbon to the earth.
• Humans burn fossil fuels which returns carbon back to the atmosphere from the
earth.

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 Fill in the blanks
Burning fossil fuels

Fossil fuels

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Carbon in atmosphere

Decomposing animals

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 Answers Carbon in atmosphere

Photosynthesis

Burning fossil fuels

Respiration

Fossil fuels
Decomposing animals

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 Summary
• The carbon cycle involves the movement of carbon through the
atmosphere, oceans, land and living organisms.
• Oceans can absorb and release carbon dioxide.
• Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are key processes in the
carbon cycle.

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 Challenge
Find out the importance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The answer will be in the next lesson.

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 Copyright statement
The Department for Education, South Australia, has created teaching and curriculum resources
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The resources are available for students, parents and teachers in South Australia, where students
are undertaking remote learning.

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© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022