03.24.2020 - Tuesday - Left side of science notebook -

03.24.2020 – Tuesday –

Science Notes – Left side of our science notebook –

I…(Personal note to parents and students.) You’re encouraged to re-write these notes on your own words. Of course, you’re working form home so I can’t, exactly, go desk-to-desk to check this – but when we paraphrase a reading our brains work on the meaning, and we remember it, better than simply reading it and then setting it aside. This information is adapted from our regular curriculum. Our in-class curriculum lends itself to guided, whole-class instruction both teacher-led, computer-assisted, and group-facilitated.  I hope you’re doing well and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone together again – in person – soon! – S.  Forbes.

II.  Current Events:  Two (2) notes on the aurora! A very cool piece on CNN 10 today! https://www.cnn.com/cnn10

            A.

            B.

III.  Notes:  The Carbon Cycle:  Of the four (4) cycles we’re currently exploring in nature the Carbon Cycle might be the most complicated here on Earth because there’s a blending of living and non-living processes that come together to cycle Carbon through our environment.

            A.  Remember, Carbon is one of “the big four.” (Carbon – Hydrogen – Oxygen – Nitrogen)  The four ELEMENTS critical for life. 

            B.  There is an entire branch of CHEMISTRY devoted to carbon called “organic” chemistry.

            C.  Carbon has an amazing ability to make COMPOUNDS. It can combine with itself, to make long chains, and combine with other atoms to make all the complex MOLECULES used by life!

IV.  It’s difficult to say what the “most important” CHEMICAL REACTION is, here on Earth, but – for those of us into the whole “breathing” thing – you’d be hard-pressed to find something more important than PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

V.  Most of Mar’s atmosphere is composed of Carbon Dioxide.

VI. Here, on Earth, photosynthesis has been happening for over three billion years! This put Oxygen into our atmosphere – in a form that animals can use – and it has “stored” carbon in the form of coal, oil, and natural gas in sedimentary layers of rock.

VI.  By burning coal, oil, and gas for fuel humans are changing the balance of the Carbon Cycle by increasing the amount of Carbon Dioxide in our atmosphere.

(Remember to define CAPITALIZED terms if you're unfamiliar with them! :-)