This package is broken into a water cycle and a carbon cycle assignment. Usually, what I do is use the water cycle as a practice run (more formative assessment), then the carbon cycle as graded work but the tasks can be used however you like. Your students will use their varied learning styles to complete this assignment and it will take them between 1-2 hours to complete each task.

My Promise to You

I know every classroom is different. If you purchase a resource and feel it is not the right fit for your students, contact me and I’ll provide 2x the amount you paid in store credit toward another resource in my store, so you can find something that better supports your students.

Buyer Comment: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Extremely satisfied "This project was great for my advanced students! They loved it.

✅ Hands-On Water & Carbon Cycle Models – Engage students with creative, step-by-step assignments.

✅ Grading Made Easy – Includes a checklist for the water cycle and two rubric options for the carbon cycle.

✅ Perfect for Multiple Grades – Designed for upper elementary to high school, with options to simplify.

✅ Real Student Examples Included – Inspire learners with exemplary work samples.

✅ 7 BONUS Water and Carbon Cycle-Related Resources

- Case Study - The Impact of Deforestation on Carbon Storage

- Crash Course CHEMISTRY #46 - The Global Carbon Cycle

- Evaporation Race - A Water Cycle Lab Investigation

- Mini Water Cycle Lab - A Hydrologic Cycle Lab Investigation

- Precipitation Around the World Graphing Activity

- The Carbon Cycle Processes Human Impacts and Solutions Reading

- The Water Cycle Word Search Activity and Word Scramble Activity

Those who love art will enjoy the chance to really get creative and design something fantastic. Others will enjoy the way the task is set out step-wise with easy to follow instructions. Both will create something they can be proud of and at the same time, they will be learning about the water and carbon cycle. Great for upper elementary, middle and high school classes. These activities can easily be adapted for lower elementary by simplifying some wording and reducing the task requirements.

Included in the activity package is:

• A full overview of both tasks
• An itemized list of all required items
• The water cycle contains a graded checklist for the required components
• The carbon cycle contains two different rubrics depending on the depth you want to go into
• Exemplary student examples for both assignments
• Bonus Activities

Buyer Comments:

- "Great activity! Was a wonderful way to check for understanding and have them share their knowledge and creativity!"

- "This really helped anchor the abstract concepts for my concrete thinking students. "

- "We just finished drawings and they will be displayed! Great information and visual, thanks!"

- "Thanks. I used this last year and will use again in the future."

- "I loved this resource. Great idea to change it up and get the students involved. The rubric is very helpful!!"

- "Loved this. Thank you for providing real life examples. They were a real help to my students."

- "Great Resource!"

-"This activity is awesome. My students were able to really show their creativity while proving their content knowledge."

NGSS:

MS-LS2-3 - Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

This standard focuses on modeling the cycling of matter (such as water and carbon) through ecosystems. The diagram activities in the resource have students model the water and carbon cycles.

MS-LS2-4 - Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

By modeling the cycling of matter, students gain an understanding of how changes to parts of an ecosystem (like water or carbon availability) can impact populations within that ecosystem.

MS-ESS2-1 - Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.

This broader standard encompasses modeling the cycling of matter like water and carbon at the global scale. The water and carbon cycle models connect to this bigger picture.

MS-ESS3-1 - Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.

The models can help explain the uneven distribution of water resources based on the water cycle processes.

The individual Ecology Lessons for the unit can be found below:

Lesson 1 - The Spheres of the Earth

Lesson 2 - Ecosystems

Lesson 3 - Energy Flow In Ecosystems

Lesson 4 - Cycling of Matter In Ecosystems

Lesson 5 - Population Influences within Ecosystems

Lesson 6 - Ecological Succession

Lesson 7 - Biomass and Fossil Fuels

Lesson 8 - The Importance of Biodiversity

Buyer Comment: "I really liked these! My 7th grade advanced science students made some beautiful drawings that are still hanging in the hallway!"

I also have a range assignments and lessons/units from other grade levels at my store. Please CLICK HERE to have a look around and don’t forget to follow if you like what you see.