Photosynthesis: Calculating Biomass and Carbon Storage in Trees

Notes from our reviewers

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• Teaching Tips
  In discussions of trees and forests as climate change mitigation solutions, it is important to note that trees and forests provide many other benefits beyond carbon sequestration, and they can also help us adapt to climate change. The activities are appropriately rigorous for the intended age groups. Extension videos and background information are also provided as well as teaching tips to connect to energy use and carbon sequestration. Students need to identify the type of tree they measured in order to figure out how much carbon it can store. They will need a way of researching the type of tree they've measured unless the teacher directs them to measure only trees they can identify with certainty.
• About the Science
  The topic of the lesson is a tree's ability to store carbon. The data used is digitally accessible and provided through the lesson, or is gathered by students. Forests clean pollutants out of the air and water, soak up stormwater to prevent flooding, prevent soil erosion, reduce noise pollution, and provide critical habitat for animals as well as jobs, food, recreation, ingredients for medicines, and other benefits. Trees in urban and suburban environments provide life-saving shade and cooling and increase property values. Using forests to pull carbon dioxide out of the air is much less expensive than technological solutions such as direct air capture or carbon capture technology that has been used by the oil and gas industry. Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.
• About the Pedagogy
  This lesson involves some hands-on research but also a lot of data analysis and calculations. The learning outcomes are to measure a tree and determine how much carbon that particular tree can store. The lesson is engaging as it progresses, but teachers may want to consider how to keep the attention of students who are not as interested in math. All the activities are meaningful and directly connected to the learning outcomes.
• Technical Details/Ease of Use
  Simple lesson that allows students to go outside and see the use that math has on the real world. This resource is technologically sound. Teacher prep time is estimated at 15-20 minutes.