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Trees From Thin Air
Provided by: Paleontological Research Institution |Published on: April 27, 2021
Videos
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Synopsis
- This math and science activity about photosynthesis and calculating the biomass of trees includes a video and a linked worksheet for students to complete a similar investigation on their own.
- The video leads students through a fast-paced investigation to determine the mass of a tree, where the mass comes from, and how much carbon dioxide a tree has absorbed in its lifetime.
- Students will learn what percentage of a tree is made up of carbon, how a tree’s biomass can be estimated using only the diameter of the tree’s trunk, and how to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide a tree has absorbed.
Subjects: Biology, Mathematics
Authors: Paleontological Research Institution
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The linked activity contains a written recap of the concepts covered in the video and is located in the description of the video.
- The linked activity provides students with a chance to practice estimating the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered in a tree in their own community.
Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with basic chemistry to understand the discussion of the mass ratio of carbon dioxide to carbon.
- Students will need to understand the relationship between the circumference and the diameter of a circle.
- The video provides a short description of both photosynthesis and allometry, but students unfamiliar with the topics will need more background knowledge to fully understand the concepts.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Connections can be made with math classes that are learning about geometry, graphing, or data collection and analysis.
- Biology classes can use this video and activity to hook students before a lesson about photosynthesis or as a lab exercise after learning about the carbon cycle.
- After estimating the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered in a tree, students can use a carbon footprint calculator to estimate their own carbon footprint and then determine how many trees it would take to cancel it out.
- Advanced students can research why different tree species have different biomass estimations, even when their diameters are the same.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Paleontological Research Institution
Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) is a national leader in Earth systems science education. They strive to help make sense of the present and potential future climate change, while also increasing understanding of global change in Earth’s past. Their programs focus on systems thinking, understanding scale and learning in your own backyard.
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