We have developed six modules for the teaching experiment conducted at elementary, middle, and high school level. Our teaching goal is to facilitate students to develop the scientific model-based reasoning--describing carbon cycling processes at multiple scales, from atomic-molecular to landscape scale, with matter and energy conservation as constrains. To provide effective facilitation, we developed three tools for reasoning: Power of Ten Tool, Matter and Energy Process Tool, and Molecular Models (middle/high school). These tools are introduced in the Systems and Scale Unit and used across all the other units.

Systems and Scale: This is the introductory unit. It introduces three major tools for reasoning: Power of Ten Tool, Matter and Energy Process Tool, and Molecular Models (in middle and high school units). Students will use these tools as the conceptual tools to analyze various environmental events and issues in the following modules.

Three modules--Plants, Animals, Decomposers--focus on linking macro-processes to the atomic-molecular model of matter transformation and energy transformation.

Plants: This unit helps students to use the tools to analyze events associated with plants including plant growth and metabolism.

Animals: This unit helps students to use the tools to analyze events associated with animals including animal growth and metabolism.

Decomposers: This unit helps students to use the tools to analyze events of dead organism body decaying.

Two modules--Carbon Cycling, Energy and Global Warming--focus on linking macro-processes with the landscape model of carbon cycling and energy flow.

Carbon Cycling: This unit helps students to make connections among the various biological processes and develop a landscape model of carbon cycling--carbon cycling and energy flow between the biosphere and atmosphere.

Energy and Global Warming: This unit helps students to connect the human energy consumption activities with the biological processes and develop a landscape model of carbon cycling and energy flow among socio-economical systems, biosphere, and atmosphere. Students are also expected to use the landscape model to analyze human's impact on climate change.

Each module includes teacher's guide, readings for students, and embedded assessments (worksheets) for students.

Modules