Balancing Act: Urban Trees and the Carbon Cycle
Too much carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is mostly caused by two things: burning fossil fuels and the loss of trees. Urban trees help to keep urban areas cooler, they hold soil in place, they make urban areas prettier, and they help to keep urban areas quieter. They also absorb CO2 from cars, buses, and the many engines that are used in urban areas. When people plant and maintain urban trees, they usually use machines with engines which emit CO2. When a tree is cared for using machines with engines, there is a point in the tree’s lifetime at which more CO2 will be emitted from the engines than the tree has absorbed. The scientists wanted to know which tree species can grow the longest before reaching that point.
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In this FACTivity, you will research different types of native trees in your area and select one that should be planted in your schoolyard.FACTivity – Balancing Act
In this FACTivity, you will research different types of native trees in your area and select one that should be planted in your schoolyard. -
Test your science knowledge with a word search.Word Search – Balancing Act
Test your science knowledge with a word search.
Glossary
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Christopher Luley
My favorite science experience is watching a tree go through each season and understanding what is happening to the tree. Each season has its own unique set of changes that...View Profile -
David Nowak
I like being a scientist because it allows me to answer questions that have never been answered before.View Profile -
Jack Stevens
My favorite experience in science is being a part of the process of solving environmental problems that affect the health and well-being of urban residents.View Profile
Note To Educators
The Forest Service's Mission
The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.
What Is the Natural Inquirer?
Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.
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Meet the Scientists
Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.
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What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?
Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.
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Thinking About the Environment
Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.
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Introduction
Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.
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Method
Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.
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Findings & Discussion
Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.
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Reflection Section
Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.
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Number Crunches
Presents an easy math problem related to the research.
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Glossary
Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.
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Citation
Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.
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FACTivity
Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.
Science Education Standards
You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.
We Welcome Feedback
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Contact
Jessica Nickelsen
Director, Natural Inquirer program -
Email