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Lesson 2 | Cycles of Matter
Student Labs and Activities
Page
Appropriate For:
Launch Lab
23
all students
Content Vocabulary ELL
24
all students
Lesson Outline ELL
25
all students
MiniLab
27
all students
Content Practice A
28
AL
AL
AL
Content Practice B
29
AL
OL
BL
School to Home
30
Key Concept Builders
31
Enrichment
35
Challenge
36
Skill Practice
37
all students
AL
AL
AL
all students
AL
AL
BL
all students
Assessment
Lesson Quiz A
38
AL
AL
AL
Lesson Quiz B
39
AL
OL
BL
Teacher Support
Answers (with Lesson Outlines)
AL Approaching Level
T3
OL On Level
BL Beyond Level
ELL English-Language Learner
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Matter and Energy in the Environment
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Teacher evaluation will determine which activities to use or modify to meet any ELL student’s proficiency level.
Name
Date
Launch Lab
Class
LESSON 2: 15 minutes
How can you model raindrops?
Like all matter on Earth, water is recycled. It constantly moves between Earth and its
atmosphere. You could be drinking the same water that a Tyrannosaurus rex drank 65 million
years ago!
Procedure
1. Read and complete a lab safety form.
2. Half-fill a plastic cup with warm
water.
4. Place an ice cube on the plastic wrap.
Observe the cup for several minutes.
Record your observations in your
Science Journal.
3. Cover the cup with plastic wrap.
Secure the plastic with a rubber band.
Think About This
1. What did you observe on the underside of the plastic wrap? Why do you think
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
this happened?
2. How does this activity model the formation of raindrops?
3.
Key Concept Do you think other matter moves through the environment?
Explain your answer.
Matter and Energy in the Environment
23
Name
Date
Class
Content Vocabulary
LESSON 2
Cycles of Matter
Directions: Use the clues and the terms listed below to complete the puzzle. NOTE: There is no empty square in
the puzzle between the words of two-word terms.
bacteria
condensation
element
nitrogen fixation
precipitation
release
evaporation
7
5
6
1
2
4
Clues
Across
1. falls from clouds to Earth’s surface
2. to set free or to let go
3. cannot be separated into simpler
substances by chemical means
4. liquid water changes into water vapor
24
Down
5. water vapor changes into liquid
6. unicellular organisms without a
membrane-bound nucleus
7. atmospheric changes into nitrogen
compounds used by living things
Matter and Energy in the Environment
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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Name
Date
Class
Lesson Outline
LESSON 2
Cycles of Matter
A. How does matter move in ecosystems?
1. Many types of
are used over and over again in the
environment.
2. The way water and gases move through ecosystems and are used over and over is
called a(n)
.
3. Most of Earth’s water is in the
.
4. The path water follows as it moves from Earth through the
and back to Earth is called the water cycle.
5. The three processes involved in the water cycle are evaporation, condensation,
and
.
a. Water changes from a liquid to a gas during the process
of
.
b.
changes back into liquid water during condensation.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
c. Rain, snow, sleet, and hail are examples of
.
B. The Nitrogen Cycle
1. Nitrogen is an important element in
, which all
organisms need to survive.
2. Nitrogen in
is essential to passing on genetic
information.
3. During the process of
, nitrogen changes from a gas into
a form that organisms can use.
a.
in the soil and water fix nitrogen gas in compounds
that organisms can use.
b. Some animals obtain the nitrogen they need when they eat
that have absorbed nitrogen compounds from the soil.
4.
in the soil break down dead organisms and animal wastes.
Thus,
Matter and Energy in the Environment
returns to the soil.
25
Name
Date
Class
Lesson Outline continued
C. The Oxygen Cycle
1. The process that is the main source of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere
is
.
2. The oxygen cycle involves the change from oxygen to
and back again.
D. The Carbon Cycle
1. All organisms contain the element
.
2. When dead organisms decompose, carbon returns to the
and carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.
3. In the atmosphere, carbon appears as
.
4. The process through which thermal energy from the Sun is absorbed and keeps the
Earth warm is called the
.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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Matter and Energy in the Environment
Name
Date
MiniLab
Class
LESSON 2: 20 minutes
Is your soil rich in nitrogen?
Plants get the nitrogen they need to grow from soil. Test the soil near your home to see
how much nitrogen it contains. Will the soil support plant growth?
Procedure
1. Read and complete a lab safety form.
4. Use the color chart to determine the
2. Collect a sample of soil from around
quantity of nitrogen in your soil
sample.
your home.
3. Carefully follow the directions on a soil
nitrogen test kit and test your soil.
5. Compare your results with those of
your classmates.
Analyze and Conclude
1. Determine whether your soil sample has enough nitrogen to support most
plant growth.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2. Hypothesize why the amount of nitrogen in your soil sample differed from those of
your classmates.
3.
Key Concept Deduce how nitrogen got into your soil sample.
Matter and Energy in the Environment
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Name
Date
Class
Content Practice A
LESSON 2
Cycles of Matter
Directions: Complete this concept map by choosing terms from the word bank and writing them in the
correct spaces.
carbon
cycle
elements
environment
life
nitrogen
oxygen
water
and many
m
including
u
,
, and
to maintain
a
Directions: On the line before each statement, write T if the statement is true or F if the statement is false.
1. Elements can be reduced to simpler substances with the use of special
chemicals.
2. Nitrogen and oxygen are the two most abundant gases in the atmosphere.
3. Plants release carbon dioxide as a by-product of their cellular processes.
4. The formation of clouds is a type of precipitation.
5. A cycle is something that is repeated over and over.
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Matter and Energy in the Environment
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
endlessly through
h
the
Name
Date
Content Practice B
Class
LESSON 2
Cycles of Matter
Directions: Answer each question or respond to each statement on the lines provided.
1. Explain what a cycle is.
2. What are the three processes in the water cycle?
3. About how much of Earth’s water is salt water in the oceans?
4. How do clouds form?
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
5. What is nitrogen fixation?
6. What is photosynthesis?
7. What gas is produced as a by-product in photosynthesis?
8. Explain the greenhouse effect.
Matter and Energy in the Environment
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Name
School to Home
Date
Class
LESSON 2
Cycles of Matter
Directions: Use your textbook to complete each activity.
1. Draw a diagram of the water cycle in the space below. Label arrows representing
evaporation, transpiration, and precipitation. Use your diagram and information from
your textbook to explain the water cycle to your learning partner.
movement of oxygen between living things and the atmosphere. Use your diagram and
information from your textbook to explain the oxygen cycle to your learning partner.
30
Matter and Energy in the Environment
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2. Draw a diagram of the oxygen cycle in the space below. Draw arrows representing the
Name
Date
Key Concept Builder
Class
LESSON 2
Cycles of Matter
Key Concept How does matter move in ecosystems?
All matter is constantly being recycled through the global environment. The four
main cycles are the water cycle (W), the nitrogen cycle (N), the oxygen cycle (O),
and the carbon cycle (C).
Directions: Which cycle or cycles are involved in each of the following processes? Write the letters W, N, O, and
C on each of the lines below. Some processes might involve more than one cycle.
1. photosynthesis
2. snowfall and rainfall
3. organism decomposition
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
4. evaporation and transpiration
5. animal breathing
6. cloud formation
Directions: On each line, write the term that correctly completes each sentence.
7. Oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon are
, which means that they
cannot be reduced to simpler substances by chemical means.
8. Nitrogen is found in
need to survive. It is also found in
contains an organism’s genetic information.
Matter and Energy in the Environment
, which are molecules that organisms
, the chemical that
31
Name
Date
Class
Key Concept Builder
LESSON 2
Cycles of Matter
Key Concept How does matter move in ecosystems?
Directions: Look at the diagram. Each of the arrows represents one of the three processes of the water cycle:
evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
1. Label each arrow with the correct process.
Directions: Answer each question on the lines provided.
3. What are three factors that affect how fast water evaporates?
4. What is the term used for the release of water vapor from plants?
5. What process is represented by the formation of dew on grass?
6. What form of precipitation adds to the polar ice sheets?
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Matter and Energy in the Environment
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2. What supplies energy for the water cycle?
Name
Date
Class
Key Concept Builder
LESSON 2
Cycles of Matter
Key Concept How does matter move in ecosystems?
Directions: Answer each question in the space provided. Write your own question and answer in the bottom row.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Question
Answer
Which element found in the soil is
used by plants in the form of chemical
compounds?
1.
Which living things in the soil make
this possible?
2.
Which element is released by plants as
a by-product of photosynthesis?
3.
Which organisms do scientists estimate
produce more than 50 percent of the
oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere?
4.
Which organisms take in oxygen to
maintain life?
5.
What kind of gas do those organisms
release?
6.
7.
Matter and Energy in the Environment
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Name
Date
Class
Key Concept Builder
LESSON 2
Cycles of Matter
Key Concept How does matter move in ecosystems?
Directions: On each line, write the term from the word bank that correctly completes each sentence. Some terms
may be used more than once.
air
animals
carbon dioxide
decomposition
fossil fuels
greenhouse effect
oxygen
photosynthesis
soil
1. All organisms contain carbon. Plants absorb the element from the
in the form of
use it in the process of
and
. In return, they
release
.
2. Animals release
as a by-product of their cellular processes.
3. A dead organism releases carbon into the
.
4. In the atmosphere,
helps keep warmth from the
Sun from quickly radiating back into space. This phenomenon is called
the
.
5. The widespread burning of coal, oil, and natural gas, which are called
, is heating the atmosphere.
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Matter and Energy in the Environment
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
undergoes
when it
Name
Date
Enrichment
Class
LESSON 2
Storage of Earth’s Water
Most of Earth’s water is in the oceans.
You might think that lakes, rivers, and
streams hold most of the rest of Earth’s
water, but they don’t. Much of the rest of
Earth’s water is frozen or underground.
This table shows the percentage of Earth’s
water stored in various reservoirs.
Where Earth’s Water Is Stored
Reservoir
Percentage of
Earth’s Water
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Ocean
97.2
Ice sheets and glaciers
2.15
Groundwater and soil
moisture
0.625
Lakes and inland seas
0.017
Atmosphere
0.001
Rivers and streams
0.0001
Movement of Water
Of course, Earth’s water doesn’t just stay
in each of the reservoirs shown in the
table. Water continually moves among the
different reservoirs. Water that falls to Earth
as rain or snow might land directly in a
lake, river, or the ocean. Some of it strikes
land and then runs off into lakes and
streams. And some of it seeps into the soil
and flows through fractures in the rock
below. Groundwater refers to underground
water that completely fills the spaces
between underground rocks, forming a
saturated zone. The top of the saturated
zone is called the water table.
Water flowing through the ground
eventually reaches rivers and oceans. The
water then eventually evaporates and
becomes part of the atmosphere again.
An average water molecule stays in the
atmosphere about 10 days. But within
hours of condensing and forming clouds,
water falls to Earth as precipitation again.
Water can then flow through the
various reservoirs without increasing or
decreasing in overall amount. As a result,
the global water budget remains balanced.
Sources of Precipitation
About 85 percent of the total global
evaporation in a year occurs from the
surface of the ocean. In other words, the
ocean is the main source of atmospheric
water and therefore of precipitation, which
is not surprising. In some land areas,
however, transpiration—the release of
water vapor from plants—is a more
important local source of atmospheric
water. In one year, for example, a large
oak tree might release about 170,000 L
of water into the atmosphere.
Applying Critical-Thinking Skills
Directions: Answer each question or respond to each statement.
1. Infer What is another water reservoir that is not listed in the table?
2. Compare and contrast evaporation if transpiration.
3. Explain why the global water budget is balanced even though some regions have
water shortages.
Matter and Energy in the Environment
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Name
Date
Class
Challenge
LESSON 2
Forests and Natural Cycles
Forests play an important role in the water cycle and the carbon cycle. The destruction
of large areas of forests can disrupt those cycles—with serious consequences.
Trees and the Water Cycle
Trees absorb water through their roots. Water rises through the trees and returns to the
atmosphere through openings in the leaves. Transpiration, the release of water vapor from
the surface of leaves, is an important source of atmospheric water. In tropical rain forests,
where plants grow closely packed, most of the water in the ecosystem passes through the
plants and returns to the atmosphere again as rainfall. Cutting down rain forests disrupts
this cycle. Instead of returning to the atmosphere, rainwater runs off the land into streams
that drain into the ocean. The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere decreases and so
does the local rainfall. As a result, deforested areas become dry and desertlike.
Trees and the Carbon Cycle
Trees take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to produce food. Forests
store large quantities of carbon. When they are cut down and burned or left to rot, carbon
dioxide returns to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is one of the gases that contribute to the
greenhouse effect and global warming. The destruction of forests affects global warming.
Directions: Follow the directions to visually demonstrate the effects of forest destruction.
vapor and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is affected when forests are cut down.
water vapor in atmosphere
carbon dioxide in atmosphere
2. Draw arrows to show how the above changes affect rainfall and air temperature.
rainfall
air temperature
3. Draw two diagrams to show how the destruction of trees affects the water cycle in
a rain forest ecosystem.
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Matter and Energy in the Environment
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
1. To the left of each phrase, draw arrows up or down to show how the amount of water
Name
Date
Skill Practice
Use Variables
Class
LESSON 2: 30 minutes
How do scientists use variables?
If you wanted to find out what made one ball bounce higher than another, you might
design an experiment that uses variables. You could test whether balls made of one material
bounce higher than those made of another. By changing only one variable, the experiment
tests only the effect of changing that factor.
3. With your partner, hold the rubber ball
Learn It
When experimenting, scientists often use
variables. A variable is anything that can
be changed. For example, a scientist might
want to study the effect that different
amounts of water have on a plant’s growth.
The amount of water is the variable in the
experiment. Other factors, such as soil type
and amount of sunlight, stay the same.
35 cm above the table and drop it.
Record how high it bounces using a
meterstick. Drop the ball a total of
three times, recording the height it
bounces each time. Calculate the average
height that the rubber ball bounced.
Try It
Average bounce:
1. Read and complete a lab safety form.
Rubber Ball—Trial 1:
Trial 2:
; Trial 3:
4. Repeat step 3 with the styrene ball.
2. Examine both the rubber ball and the
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
;
styrene ball. Predict which ball will
bounce higher. Record your prediction.
Styrene Ball—Trial 1:
Trial 2:
;
; Trial 3:
Average bounce:
Apply It
5. Compare the average height of each ball’s bounce and determine which bounced
higher. Did your data support your prediction?
6. Identify two other variables you could test in this experiment. Would you test them
together or separately? Explain.
7.
Key Concept What variables might affect a study of the water cycle in your
neighborhood?
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