Carbon Field Study
by Pam Collinge
April 08, 2010
Sixth graders have been tracing the path of carbon as it circulates through the carbon cycle. They learned that carbon is an element that is found in all life forms. When plants and animals die and start to decay, they return carbon to the soil.
A field study was conducted in the outdoor classroom to see if the limestone gravel, that contains fossils, would release carbon dioxide when covered with vinegar. Students took qualitative data as they noticed the color of the vinegar changing and small bubbles forming on the rocks. They also were able to collect quantitative data as the CO2 was captured in a balloon and students were able to measure the circumference of the balloon. The mean circumference of the inflated balloons for all three classes was 6.5cm.
The students concluded that carbon can be found in organic and inorganic substances. They inferred that the carbon in the rocks came from the dead plants and animals that lived in the water when Kansas was covered by a sea.
