What do we use nutrients for?

What are the different ways organisms can get nutrients?

• Used to build bodies.

• All organic material can be broken up into simple materials. – Nitrogen– Carbon– Hydrogen– Oxygen.

• Rearrange these materials into various life forms.

What are nutrients used for?

Our cells are made of nutrients.

Like bricks wood steel, mix together in different ways and you can make different buildings and

Nitrogen Cycles.

Carbon-Oxygen Cycles

Water cycles

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/10276-natural-focus-decomposers-in-the-rich-moist-woods-video.htm

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/15889-rotten-but-not-forgotten-the-decomposition-process-video.htm

Find out the answers to the following.

List all the possible materials/forms involved in your cycle. Example for water cycle

WaterWater vaporClouds Ice

List all the possible organism/factorssoilTrees

List all the possible steps of the cycle you have. RainEvaporationcloud formation

When finished with the research you will make a drawing

Warmup: Why are decomposers important to the

cycles? What are three important steps of the

carbon cycle? What are three important steps of the

nitrogen cycle?

Take a deep breath.Let it out.What did you breathe in?What did you breathe out?

Carbon and Oxygen Stuck together

All molecules are made of simple elements that can be rearranged. This is how cycles are possible.

Plant uses carbondioxide to makesugar molecules.

Animal releasescarbon dioxideinto the air.

Animal eats sugar molecule.

Plant takes in carbon dioxide.

Plant uses carbondioxide to makesugar molecules.

Animal releasescarbon dioxideinto the air.

Animal eats sugar molecule.

Plant takes in carbon dioxide.

Plant uses carbondioxide to makesugar molecules.

Animal releasescarbon dioxideinto the air.

Animal eats sugar molecule.

Plant takes in carbon dioxide.

Plant uses carbondioxide to makesugar molecules.

Animal releasescarbon dioxideinto the air.

Animal eats sugar molecule.

Plant takes in carbon dioxide.

Materials/Forms of nutrient Nitrogen gas Solid Nitrogen Protein/Nitrogen in

organisms. Organisms/Factors

Decomposers Bacteria Plants animals

Steps Nitrogen gas gets turned into solid nitrogen in the soil by bacteria.

Decomposers put nitrogen back into soil

Animals eat plants to get nitrogen.

Bacteria put nitrogen into the air.

Lightning helps turn nitrogen from a gas to a solid.

Materials/Forms of nutrient Carbon Carbon dioxide Sugar Coal Oil Animal/Plant tissues

Organisms/factors Factories Cars

Steps•Plants turn Carbon Dioxide into sugar

•Animals burn sugar release carbon dioxide.

•Decomposers turn dead organisms into carbon for the soil.

•Dead organisms over millions of years turn to oil and coal.

•Burning oil and coal releases carbon dioxide.

I am a water molecule and I would like to tell you about my journey. I can spend a lot of time trapped in ice or swimming in a lake but sometimes if I

get lucky enough to hang out near the surface on a warm or windy day I will begin to evaporate. Evaporation is fun it is when I get to turn from a slippery liquid to a light and speedy gas. When I turn into a gas I like to float around in the atmosphere until I get really high in the air and find some other water molecules that have condensed. Condensing is very relaxing. When I cool down and feel slow I find dust particles or other water molecules to stick to and we all make a big ol group called a cloud. This is fun for a while but eventually we get way to crowded and fat from just sitting around condensing. We no longer can hold on floating in the air so we fall as rain. This is my favorite part it is called precipitation or as I like to call it skydiving. Once we land on the ground we get to become part of the earth again. Sometimes we flow into a river and then into a lake or ocean where we can start the whole ride all over again. Other times we get soaked up by Soil and become part of a plant, Don’t worry the plants let me free through their stomata which are holes in their leaves when they are done with me. From their I get to join the cloud party and skydive once again.

Pretend you are either a molecule of Nitrogen, Carbon or a piece of energy.

You are writing a letter to explain your life

Walk your way through all the steps of your cycle. Include how you change Include all the steps Include who uses you.