FACELook – Vol. 1 No. 1
The scientists in this study conducted an experiment to see how much carbon is stored in a tree’s roots versus its leaves. The monograph explores the relationship between carbon, photosynthesis, and the roots of trees. Also, learn about the FACE research areas! FACE stands for Free-Air Carbon Enrichment.
$0.00
Out of stock
Highlights
- 7 Scientists
- Glossary
- 2 Activities
- Lesson Plans
-
The scientists in this study wanted to know how rising levels of carbon dioxide in the troposphere might affect the amount of carbon sent belowground by trees and made available...FACELook! Exploring the Relationship Between Carbon, Photosynthesis, and the Roots of Trees
The scientists in this study wanted to know how rising levels of carbon dioxide in the troposphere might affect the amount of carbon sent belowground by trees and made available...
-
In this FACTivity, you will assess and compare two trees. The questions you will answer are: 1) What is the estimated leaf area of two similar trees in your schoolyard? 2)...FACTivity – FACELook
In this FACTivity, you will assess and compare two trees. The questions you will answer are: 1) What is the estimated leaf area of two similar trees in your schoolyard? 2)... -
FACELook: Who or What Am I? Can you figure out who or what am I from the FACELook article???
Glossary
View All GlossaryClassroom Review Board
Mrs. Smith’s and Mr. Slye’s 7th Grade Classes
- Owen and Brevard Middle Schools
- Brevard, NC
Editorial Review Board Comments
-
John Butnor
My favorite science experience was mapping tree roots with ground penetrating radar near the Arctic circle in Northern Sweden.View Profile -
Kurt Johnsen
My favorite science experience was collecting seed from old-growth red spruce trees in Nova Scotia.View Profile -
Heather McCarthy
My favorite science experience was going to the Wind River Canopy Crane in Washington. I got to ride in the crane, which goes 200 feet in the air above 500...View Profile -
Ram Oren
My favorite science experience was as a graduate student when I “discovered” that the structure of leaves determined how they worked. Later, I found out that two Estonians had discovered...View Profile -
Sari Palmroth
My favorite science experience is to put a green leaf in a small chamber. Then, given that there is enough light in the chamber, I like to see how the...View Profile -
Michael Ryan
I have two favorite science experiences! The first was my first visit to primary wet tropical forest in Costa Rica. It was like entering a different world. Very dim, green...View Profile -
William Schlesinger
My favorite science experience was watching woodcocks at dusk in a northeastern Ohio shrub wetland.View Profile
Standards addressed in this Monograph:
-
ESS2.D-H2
Gradual atmospheric changes were due to plants and other organisms that captured carbon dioxide and released oxygen.
-
ESS2.D-H3
Changes in the atmosphere due to human activity have increased carbon dioxide concentrations and thus affect climate.
-
ESS2.D-H4
Current models predict that, although future regional climate changes will be complex and varied, average global temperatures will continue to rise. The outcomes predicted by global climate models strongly depend on the amounts of human-generated greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere each year and by the ways in which these gases are absorbed by the ocean and biosphere.
-
ESS3.D-H1
Though the magnitudes of human impacts are greater than they have ever been, so too are human abilities to model, predict, and manage current and future impacts.
-
ESS3.D-H2
Through computer simulations and other studies, important discoveries are still being made about how the ocean, the atmosphere, and the biosphere interact and are modified in response to human activities.
-
ESS3.D-M1
Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior, and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities.
-
LS1.C-H1
The process of photosynthesis converts light energy to stored chemical energy by converting carbon dioxide plus water into sugars plus released oxygen.
-
LS1.C-H2
The sugar molecules thus formed contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; their hydrocarbon backbones are used to make amino acids and other carbon-based molecules that can be assembled into larger molecules (such as proteins or DNA), used for example to form new cells.
-
LS1.C-H3
As matter and energy flow through different organizational levels of living systems, chemical elements are recombined in different ways to form different products.
-
LS1.C-H4
As a result of these chemical reactions, energy is transferred from one system of interacting molecules to another. Cellular respiration is a chemical process in which the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and new compounds are formed that can transport energy to muscles. Cellular respiration also releases the energy needed to maintain body temperature despite ongoing energy transfer to the surrounding environment.
-
LS1.C-M1
Plants, algae (including phytoplankton), and many microorganisms use the energy from light to make sugars (food) from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water through the process of photosynthesis, which also releases oxygen. These sugars can be used immediately or stored for growth or later use.
-
LS1.C-M2
Within individual organisms, food moves through a series of chemical reactions in which it is broken down and rearranged to form new molecules, to support growth, or to release energy.
-
LS2.A-M1
Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.
-
LS2.B-H2
Plants or algae form the lowest level of the food web. At each link upward in a food web, only a small fraction of the matter consumed at the lower level is transferred upward, to produce growth and release energy in cellular respiration at the higher level. Given this inefficiency, there are generally fewer organisms at higher levels of a food web. Some matter reacts to release energy for life functions, some matter is stored in newly made structures, and much is discarded. The chemical elements that make up the molecules of organisms pass through food webs and into and out of the atmosphere and soil, and they are combined and recombined in different ways. At each link in an ecosystem, matter and energy are conserved.
-
LS2.B-H3
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are important components of the carbon cycle, in which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, atmosphere, oceans, and geosphere through chemical, physical, geologic, and biological processes.
-
LS2.B-M1
Food webs are models that demonstrate how matter and energy are transferred between producers, consumers, and decomposers as the three groups interact within an ecosystem. Transfers of matter into and out of the physical environment occur at every level. Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead plant or animal matter back to the soil in terrestrial environments or to the water in aquatic environments. The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.
-
LS2.C-H2
Moreover, anthropogenic changes (induced by human activity) in the environment—including habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation, and climate change—can disrupt an ecosystem and threaten the survival of some species.
-
LS2.C-M1
Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations.
-
PS3.D-H2
The main way that solar energy is captured and stored on Earth is through the complex chemical process known as photosynthesis.
-
PS3.D-M1
The chemical reaction by which plants produce complex food molecules (sugars) requires an energy input (i.e., from sunlight) to occur. In this reaction, carbon dioxide and water combine to form carbon-based organic molecules and release oxygen.
-
PS3.D-M2
Cellular respiration in plants and animals involve chemical reactions with oxygen that release stored energy. In these processes, complex molecules containing carbon react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and other materials.
-
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
-
By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
-
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
-
Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.
-
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
-
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.
-
Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.
-
Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
-
Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
-
Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.
-
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions.
-
By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
-
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text's explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text.
-
Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks, attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text.
-
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 9-10 texts and topics.
-
Analyze the structure of the relationships among concepts in a text, including relationships among key terms (e.g., force, friction, reaction force, energy).
-
Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text, defining the question the author seeks to address.
-
Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.
-
Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author's claim or a recommendation for solving a scientific or technical problem.
-
Compare and contrast findings presented in a text to those from other sources (including their own experiments), noting when the findings support or contradict previous explanations or accounts.
-
People, Places, and Environments
-
Science, Technology, and Society
-
Time, Continuity, and Change
What Is a Natural Inquirer Monograph?
A Natural Inquirer monograph is a short publication that focuses on a single research study. Monographs are written for a middle school audience, but they can also be adapted for both high school students and advanced upper elementary students.
Monographs include:
- One article based on a published, peer-reviewed research paper; the article keeps the research paper format (see more below) but is written in language students can understand.
- A FACTivity, which is an activity to complete after reading the article. The FACTivity helps reinforce major science concepts from the article. These activities are designed to be easy to implement, with few material requirements and options for adapting them for your audience or available resources. Some monograph may have two FACTivities.
- A short “Welcome to the monograph” article about key background information and science concepts.
- A glossary of new terms from the article or the introductory materials.
- A list of related Natural Inquirer publications as well as outside references.
- Standards correlations, including Next Generation Science Standards, addressed in both the article and the FACTivity.
Monographs may also include additional essays (called spotlights), other activities (like crossword puzzles or vocabulary challenges), and more.
Reading Modes
Monographs are available in three different formats:
- Hard copies can be ordered from the website and shipped, all free of charge.
- PDF versions of the printed monograph can be downloaded free on the website. The PDF version directly replicates the content and layout of the printed version.
- The “Read Distraction Free” option allows the monograph article to open in its own window, without the rest of the website being visible. “Read Distraction Free” is available on the article version of the monograph, which can be opened under the “Articles” tab. This version allows readers to scroll to particular sections of the article using the sidebar menu on the left side of the screen. This version also has interactive Reflection Sections and Number Crunches. Students can enter their answers, submit them, and then receive the correct answers to double-check their work. Submitted answers are not saved on the website and will disappear once the window is closed.
What's in a Natural Inquirer Article?
-
Meet the Scientists
This section introduces the scientists (and others) who worked on the study. In their own words, they each share a memorable science experience, a favorite research project, or something they learned during the course of their education or research.
Use this section to:
- Introduce kids to the variety of people who work in science
- Introduce kids to the variety of scientific fields and give brief descriptions of science-related jobs
- Explore ways that people interact with science every day
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) applications:
- Science and Engineering Practices
- Crosscutting Concepts: Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
Many of the scientists and engineers featured in this section are also featured on our collector cards. Learn more about their work, how they got interested in their fields, and interesting projects they worked on. Cards can be printed as posters, too.
Thinking About Science
This section briefly describes a concept about science or scientific research. This overview can touch on topics like
- study type (longitudinal study, quantitative vs. qualitative data),
- behaviors of scientists (conducting literature reviews, collaborating with other specialists, replicating earlier studies),
- the practice of science (the scientific method, engineering design, data collection, randomization, controls and variables),
- or other aspects of science (bias, correlation vs. causation).
Use this section to:
- Reinforce steps in the scientific method and the process of science
- Encourage students to think about the practice of science and what it can and cannot tell us
- Consider the many types of scientific study and what information each type can provide
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Science and Engineering Practices
- Life Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
You can use key words to search for other or related scientific topics on our website (e.g. “longitudinal study,” “bias,” or “sampling”).
Thinking About the Environment
This section provides a brief overview of a topic or concept in environmental/life science. The topic or concept is directly related to the research study that follows. Examples of topics include the carbon cycle, the water cycle, habitat fragmentation, phenology, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.
Use this section to:
- Provide important background information to help students understand the research study
- Serve as a quick reference during reading or class instruction
- Connect the research article with other activities or media on the same topic
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
You can use key words to search for more resources on life or earth science topics on our website (e.g. “habitat,” “carbon,” or “genetics”).
Introduction
This section begins the scientific article format. Much like the published, peer-reviewed study this article is based on, the introduction provides background information for the study – what is currently known and what remains unknown. The introduction culminates in the question(s) the study hopes to answer.
The introduction is also the first section with a Reflection Section. This section includes two or three questions to help kids reflect on what they’ve just learned in the Introduction. If they are using the online distraction-free reading mode, they can answer these questions directly on the website.
Use this section to:
- Review important background information that kids need to understand the study
- Connect the study to the concepts addressed in the Thinking About Science and Thinking About the Environment sections
- Understand research questions and hypotheses, including generating their own hypotheses given what they already know
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
Use one of the guided reading lesson plans to help kids follow the format of a scientific paper.
Methods
This section is the nuts and bolts of the study design – the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the research. Contained within the Methods section are usually maps of the study location or the set-up of study plots, as well as details about what data was collected and how.
The Methods section also ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.
Use this section to:
- Show students how experiments and studies are designed and carried out
- Explore sampling methods and randomization
- Introduce various data collection tools (e.g. camera traps, surveys, insect collection tools, weather stations, etc.)
- Explain bias and how studies are designed to remove bias
- Help students gain experience with map reading
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
Many Methods and Findings sections contain Number Crunches, which are simple math exercises designed to help students interact with the data from the study.
Findings
This section summarizes the data collected during the study. The Findings section usually includes data tables or graphs and highlights the significant data points from the study. This section often mentions statistical analysis or the use of computer programs to model or analyze the data, though these methods are only discussed generally.
The Findings section also ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.
Use this section to:
- Have students practice reading and interpreting graphs and tables
- Compare results between variables and controls
- Explain the concept of statistical significance
- Discuss how no data or negative results still provide valuable information
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
Search the website for “map” or “graph” to find activities where students can practice making and reading maps and graphs.
Discussion
This section concludes each monograph article. In it, we summarize the main findings of the scientists’ study. Additionally, we present the scientists’ ideas about the limitations of their study, the big-picture impacts of their research, and the scientists’ plans for future study or action.
The Discussion section ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read, especially general take-aways from the study. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.
Use this section to:
- Discuss what conclusions can and cannot be drawn from the available data
- Explain the difference between correlation and causation
- Explore study limitations and opportunities for further study
- Brainstorm ways the study findings could be applied to real-world situations
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
Use the “Designing Your Own Study” resource page for videos of scientists discussing their own research studies. The page also includes educator resources to help students plan their own scientific studies.
Additional Resources on the Website
On the website, we pair each monograph with a variety of other resources, as well. Use the tabs on the product page to browse through the following:- Related activities, including the FACTivity for each article
- An “About” essay that gives some larger context for the research the scientists conducted or more information about the science topic from the article
- A glossary of all boldfaced terms from the article
- A “Scientists and Collaborators” page that lists the people involved in the study; click on a researcher to reach their bio page and see what other articles they might be featured in
- A “Related Content” page that lists both Natural Inquirer resources about similar topics and also outside reference materials
Article Selection and Review
Natural Inquirer partners with the USDA Forest Service, so we source research studies by Forest Service scientists that have been peer-reviewed and published in reputable journals. Some of our articles have also been created in collaboration with scientists from other Federal agencies, such as U.S. Geological Survey and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, universities, and other non-profits.
All monograph articles are reviewed by scientists who conducted the original research study to verify scientific accuracy. Monographs are also reviewed by student editorial review boards of middle or high school students before publication. Additionally, all monographs are reviewed by the Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture before publication.
Every monograph article includes a citation of its source study. Many educators pair the original research paper with our article to help more advanced students learn how to read formal research papers. The monograph article then serves as adapted primary literature, bridging the two articles.Lessons
-
This lesson plan introduces students to the different sections of a Natural Inquirer article. Additionally, it helps the students understand the content of the article through the use of graphic...Lesson Plan – Reading a Natural Inquirer Article – FACELook
This lesson plan introduces students to the different sections of a Natural Inquirer article. Additionally, it helps the students understand the content of the article through the use of graphic... -
In a strange twist of fate, your class has been transformed into the scientist or scientists they will read about in any Natural Inquirer article. Have students fill out the...Lesson Plan – Postcard
In a strange twist of fate, your class has been transformed into the scientist or scientists they will read about in any Natural Inquirer article. Have students fill out the... -
In this lesson, students will increase their reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, and summarization and explanation skills. Students will role-play as members of the Natural Inquirer Twitter Team (now X...Lesson Plan – Twitter Team
In this lesson, students will increase their reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, and summarization and explanation skills. Students will role-play as members of the Natural Inquirer Twitter Team (now X...
