Inquiry 3: How Much Carbon is Held by the World’s Forests?
In recent years, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been rising. Scientists believe that higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are causing the world’s climate to change. Since trees absorb carbon dioxide when they grow and other material in forests contain carbon, forests help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being released to the atmosphere. FAO wanted to discover how much carbon is held by forests worldwide.
Be sure to check out the lesson plans for both this Inquiry and the entire journal in the Educators tab below.
Standards addressed in this Article:
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ESS2.A-M1
All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among the planet’s systems. This energy is derived from the Sun and Earth’s hot interior. The energy that flows and matter that cycles produce chemical and physical changes in Earth’s materials and living organisms.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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PS1.B-M1
Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants.
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PS1.B-M3
Some chemical reactions release energy, others store energy.
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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.
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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.
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Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
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By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
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Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
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Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.
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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.
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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.
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Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.
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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).
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Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
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Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.
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Global Connections
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People, Places, and Environments
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Science, Technology, and Society
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Time, Continuity, and Change
What Is the World's Forests Edition?
The World’s Forests editions of Natural Inquirer present the results of a worldwide effort to understand the world’s forests, organized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO. These journals are based on the FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessments that are published every 5 years. These editions contain information from over 200 countries and territories around the world. World’s Forests editions are written for a middle school audience.
World’s Forests editions include:
- Four or five articles called “Inquiries” based on one category of findings from the FAO’s report; these are written in language students can understand.
- A FACTivity for each Inquiry (in editions 2 & 3), 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.
- A lesson plan for each Inquiry to help you integrate the article, the FACTivity, and related materials with your classroom instruction
- A glossary of new terms for each article and the introductory materials.
- A list of related Natural Inquirer publications for each article as well as outside references.
- Standards correlations, including Next Generation Science Standards, addressed in the articles and the FACTivities.
These editions also include sections on the practice of science, environmental science concepts, and other activities (like photo challenges).
Reading Modes
World’s Forests editions 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 journal can be downloaded free on the website. The PDF version directly replicates the content and layout of the printed version. You can also download individual articles as pdfs.
- The “Read Distraction Free” option allows the individual articles to open in their own window, without the rest of the website being visible. These articles can be found 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 “You Do the Math” challenges. 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 World's Forests Inquiry?
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The Situation
This section introduces one of the questions asked by FAO. In it, we present background information that led researchers to ask the question about the world’s forests.
Use this section to:
- Introduce kids to the motivations behind the research and why the research is important
- Introduce kids to environmental science topics like carbon storage, land use, ecosystem services, and forest management
- Explore ways that people are impacted by forests
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 journal are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
Each Inquiry is paired with a lesson plan and, in editions 2 & 3, with an activity to help students process the information from the article.
What FAO Discovered
This section presents the answer to the research question. This section includes tables, figures, and photographs as well as text. Embedded within this section are “Reflection Sections,” which ask questions aimed at encouraging students to think critically about what they are reading. We’ve designed these questions to check student comprehension and stimulate discussion. The answer key to the reflection sections can be found on the Educators tab as a downloadable file.
In some instances, a “You Do the Math” section provides an opportunity for students to integrate math with their scientific learning.Use this section to:
- Teach students how to read graphs and charts and interpret data
- Encourage students to think about the practice of science and what it can and cannot tell us
- Discuss the implications of the research group’s findings on a global scale
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 journal 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. “carbon cycle,” “watershed,” or “forest inventory”).
Additional Sections in a World's Forests Edition
Each World’s Forests edition also contains introductory sections that help students understand the purpose, structure, and background knowledge for the inquiries.
“Thinking About the World’s Forests” presents the benefits of forests and sets the stage for why it is important to understand forests at a global scale. Use this section to discuss the ecosystem services provided by forests and their impact on other parts of the environment, like watersheds, climate, and the carbon cycle.
“Thinking About Science” presents the method used by FAO to gather the information included in the inquiries. Use this section to discuss the scientific process and the practice of scientific inquiry. Topics may include data collection, sampling methods, forest inventory and monitoring, and more.
Each of these sections also has its own lesson plan. These plans can be combined with the inquiries and their accompanying activities and lesson plans to create a whole unit of study on the world’s forests.
Additional Resources on the Website
On the website, we pair each journal with a variety of other resources, as well. Use the tabs on the product page to browse through the following:
- Related activities for the publication
- An “About” essay that gives some larger context for the research the scientists conducted or more information about the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
- A glossary of all boldfaced terms from the journal
- An “Educator Guide” tab that contains the lesson plans, standards alignments, and answer guides for the publication
- A “Related Content” page that lists both Natural Inquirer resources about similar topics and also outside reference materials
The World’s Forests editions were published in partnership with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the USDA Forest Service, and FIND Outdoors.
Lessons
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A guided reading lesson plan that breaks down each section in this article. There are activities for each part to have students practice the knowledge learned within the article. Materials:...Lesson Plan – Inquiry 3 World’s Forests Edition
A guided reading lesson plan that breaks down each section in this article. There are activities for each part to have students practice the knowledge learned within the article. Materials:... -
A set of 8 lesson plans to walk your students through the entirety of the World’s Forest edition. There is a lesson plan/guided reading activity for each section in the...Lesson Plan – World’s Forests 1
A set of 8 lesson plans to walk your students through the entirety of the World’s Forest edition. There is a lesson plan/guided reading activity for each section in the...
Education Files
Glossary
View All GlossaryRelated Resources from the Natural Inquirer
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In this edition of Natural Inquirer, you will learn about the world’s forests. Every 5 years the Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, publishes a report about the world’s forests,...The World’s Forests 2 – No. 15
In this edition of Natural Inquirer, you will learn about the world’s forests. Every 5 years the Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, publishes a report about the world’s forests,... -
This is the 3rd edition of the World’s Forest Natural Inquirer based on the 2015 Global Forest Resources Assessment. Published every 5 years, the report contains information about forests all...The World’s Forests 3 – No. 20
This is the 3rd edition of the World’s Forest Natural Inquirer based on the 2015 Global Forest Resources Assessment. Published every 5 years, the report contains information about forests all...
Additional Resources
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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Visit WebsiteThe Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members – 194 countries and the European Union – FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.