1. Discuss With Your Neighbor … 1.What happens to organisms when they die? 2. Where does the nutrients from the organisms go? 3. If an organism dies, why do their remains disappear?

2. http://www.mybigcampus.com/library/138677 1. What caused the fruit to change colors? 2. Why did it lose most of its mass? 3. Where did all of the mass go?

3. Who do you Agree With? Three friends were talking about carbon dioxide and oxygen in the ecosystem. They each had different ideas. This is what they said: Flynn: I think animals take in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants then take in the carbon dioxide and release oxygen, and the cycle continues. Jervis: I think both plants and animals take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide; but only the plants take in the carbon dioxide and release oxygen, and the cycle continues. Melody: I think both plants and animals take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. The oxygen is used up and carbon dioxide is not cycled again by living things.

4. The Carbon Cycle Cartoon http://www.neok12.com/video/Carbon- Cycle/zX670b656f7c786e7d674f63.htm

5. Who do you Agree With? Three friends were talking about carbon dioxide and oxygen in the ecosystem. They each had different ideas. This is what they said: Flynn: I think animals take in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants then take in the carbon dioxide and release oxygen, and the cycle continues. Jervis: I think both plants and animals take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide; but only the plants take in the carbon dioxide and release oxygen, and the cycle continues Melody: I think both plants and animals take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. The oxygen is used up and carbon dioxide is not cycled again by living things.

6. Review – The Carbon Cycle! What’s the deal with carbon?!?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jp1D1dzxj 8

7. Cycling of Matter – Important Vocabulary Conservation of Matter – In a closed system, the amount of matter must remain constant over time. Matter cannot be created nor destroyed

8. Cycling of Matter – Important Vocabulary Biomass – Biological material made of living, or previously living, organisms

9. Cycling of Matter – Important Vocabulary Compost – Decayed organic material

10. Cycling of Matter – Important Vocabulary Decay – Rot or decompose (break down into elements)

11. Cycling of Matter – Important Vocabulary Humus – Dark, organic material formed in soil from decayed material

12. Cycling of Matter – Important Vocabulary Microorganism – A microscopic organism (invisible to the naked eye)

13. What’s the Nitrogen Cycle? http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/ja ms/science/ecosystems/nitrogen-cycle.htm

14. How Is Nitrogen Cycled? 1.Lightning – Changes nitrogen gas in the air to nitrogen compounds, which fall to the ground when it rains. 2.Bacteria in soil - Convert nitrogen compounds into nitrogen gas 3.Bacteria in roots – Take in and use nitrogen compounds from the soil 4.Plants – Convert nitrogen compounds into nitrogen gas 5.Decaying matter & waste – Return nitrogen compounds to the soil 6.Animals – Eat plants

15. Considering the following …. 1.What is the nitrogen Cycle? 2.How do humans get nitrogen? 3.What is a key component of the cycle?