Description:

1. Description: Goals: Explain carbon and nitrogen cycles. Explain how a species adapts to its niche. Use large posters of the nitrogen cycle to follow the flow of nitrogen and the organisms affected by it. Relate the nitrogen requirement of plants to the use of fertilizers and alternative means of adding nitrogen to the soil.

2. Notice: Information for obtaining videos for this lesson are listed under Related Links/Resources in the Unit Plans.doc, day 16 lesson over view.

3. Objectives: Day 16 Describe the importance of nitrogen for plants and animals. List possible means of adding nitrogen to the soil for crops.

4. Warm-Up Hypoxia = the depletion of oxygen from water. Often as a result of pollution. Using the above term and the video that will follow, you’re warm up is to answer these questions: • What are 2 causes of nitrogen increases in the Chesapeake bay. • What are 2 negative results of extra nitrogen in the bay (specific examples)

5. Video 1 Chesapeake Bay: A Hypoxic Estuary Nitrogen in the Chesapeake Bay

6. Warm-Up Hypoxia = the deletion of oxygen from water. • What are 2 causes of nitrogen increases in the Chesapeake bay. • What are 2 negative results of extra nitrogen in the bay (specific examples) Answers: • Vehicle emissions (nitric oxides), factory emissions, fertilizers, residential runoff, industrial runoff, etc… • Hypoxia, death of organisms, organisms leaving area, “dead zones”, etc…

7. Nitrogen Cycle Take a moment to look over the nitrogen cycle. What 3 different kingdoms do you see that play a roll in this cycle?

8. Nitrogen Cycle Do animals, plants and bacteria all move nitrogen the same way? (look at the arrows) How / what do they use nitrogen for?

9. What is Nitrogen? • What is nitrogen? • An element • What is it used for? • Answer these 3 questions as best you can: • Is nitrogen a Metal or Non-metal? • What are 3 common uses for nitrogen? • Why do living things need nitrogen? • Now watch the following clip, the complete any of these that you could not answer.

10. Video 2: Nitrogen as an Element

11. What is Nitrogen? Check your answers. • What is nitrogen? • An element • What is it used for? • Answer these 3 questions as best you can: • Is nitrogen a Metal or Non-metal? Non-metal • What are 3 common uses for nitrogen? Ammonia, Fertilizer, explosives, welding, storage, cryogenics • Why do living things need nitrogen? PROTEINS

12. THINK • List how humans use nitrogen (use the list from the video) • PAIR • With the person next to you, put them in order from what you predict would have the LARGEST to SMALLEST effect. • How/where do humans use nitrogen (i.e. lawns) • SHARE • Your top three with the class. How do Human’s effect the Nitrogen Cycle

13. THINK • How do humans try to decrease their impact on the nitrogen cycle? • PAIR • Compare thoughts • SHARE • Share you ideas • Here is an example of how human try to decrease impacts from one of the major nitrogen pollution sources. How do Human’s effect the Nitrogen Cycle

14. Video 3: Catalytic Converter Video

15. Nitrogen Cycle: Man vs. Nature Using the T-chart • You are to separate ways that man and nature effect the movement of nitrogen in the environment (both good and bad). • Include ways that nitrogen is moved, added, changed, and any other impact on nitrogen.

16. Video 4: Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen Cycle: Man vs. Nature

17. Think about it… • What states of matter (solid, liquid, gas) do you find nitrogen in throughout the cycle? • How could humans have an impact on this cycle? • What organisms use nitrogen? • What is an example of a symbiotic relationship based around the nitrogen cycle?

18. Objectives: Day 16 Describe the importance of nitrogen for plants and animals. List possible means of adding nitrogen to the soil for crops.