SCX 010: Environmental Science

Module #3 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

Lesson Title: Understanding the Biogeochemical Cycles Materials:

Student Activity Sheets
Learning Targets:
At the end of the module, students will be able to: References:
Oclay, Agnes D. 2011. “Basic
1. Analyze the different biogeochemical cycles and how they work. Principles in Environmental
Studies”, Chrizam Printing Press.
2. Relate biogeochemical cycles to the environmental principle Dagupan City.
“Everything is connected to everything else”. William and Mary Ann Cunningham
2009, Principle of Environmental
Science Inquiry and Application,
Page 66.

A. LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW

Introduction
Hello my dear students! Did you know that the elements and compounds that sustain us are cycled
endlessly through living things and through the environment? As the great naturalist John Muir said, “When
one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” On a global scale, this
movement is referred to as biogeochemical cycling. Substances can move quickly or slowly: Carbon might
reside in a plant for days or weeks, in the atmosphere for days or months, or in your body for hours, days, or
years. The earth stores carbon (in coal or oil, for example) for millions of years. When human activities
increase flow rates or reduce storage time, these materials can become pollutants. Here we will explore some
of the pathways involved in cycling several important substances: water, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and
phosphorus.

B. MAIN LESSON

Content and Skill-Building

Biogeochemical Cycles

Our biosphere contains all the minerals, water, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and other chemical materials necessary
for life. The biosphere is a closed system. This means nothing leaves the biosphere and nothing enters it. The
materials in it must be recycled for life to continue. Recycling is the process of using and reusing materials. It
makes it possible for the living things to use materials and then return it to the biosphere for other living things
to use.

If the substance is gaseous such as nitrogen and oxygen it is recycled with relative ease, if it is non-gaseous, as
in the case of phosphorous, local recycling is effective within the community.

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 SCX 010: Environmental Science
Module #3 Student Activity Sheet
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

The Water Cycle

Life on Earth began in water and at present wherever

liquid water is found, life in any form is present. Seventy-five
per cent (75%) of the earth surface is covered by water. Water
makes up 50- 95 per cent of the weight of any functioning living
system. If you weigh 60 kilograms, about 10 kilograms of that
is water. The water cycle describes how water evaporates
from the surf ace of the earth, rises into the atmosphere, cools
and condenses into rain or snow in clouds, and falls again to
the surface as precipitation. The cycling of water in and out of
the atmosphere is a significant aspect of the weather patterns
on Earth.

The water cycle is a way where water moves all around the Earth. It never stops and does not really have
a beginning or an end. It is like a big circle. We will describe it by starting with water that is on land. For example,
water that resides in the ocean or in a lake will evaporate due to heat from the sun. When it evaporates it turns
into vapor water and goes up into the atmosphere. This vapor water gets together with a lot of other vapor water
and turns into clouds. Clouds move about the earth with the weather and once they become heavy, they drop
the water to Earth in some form of precipitation. It could be rain, snow, sleet, or hail. When the water hits the
Earth, it may fall right back into the ocean or feed a flower or be snow on the top of a mountain. Eventually this
water will evaporate and start the whole cycle again.

The Oxygen Cycle

Oxygen is constantly being used and created by

different processes on planet Earth. All of these processes
together make up the oxygen cycle. The oxygen cycle is
interconnected with the carbon cycle.

Plants are the main creators of oxygen in the

atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. Here
the tree uses sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce
energy and releases oxygen. The giraffe breathes in the
oxygen and then breathes out carbon dioxide. The plant
can then use this carbon dioxide and the cycle is
complete. The oxygen cycle is the cycle that helps move
oxygen through the three main regions of the Earth, the
Atmosphere, the Biosphere, and the Lithosphere.
The Atmosphere is of course the region of gases that lies above the Earth's surface and it is one of the
largest reservoirs of free oxygen on earth. Oxygen is an important element to life on Earth. It is the most common

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 SCX 010: Environmental Science
Module #3 Student Activity Sheet
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

element of the human body. It makes up about 65% of the mass of the human body. Most of this is in the form
of water (H2O). Oxygen also makes up about 30% of the Earth and 20% of the atmosphere.

The Carbon Cycle

One of the most important elements to life on planet

Earth is carbon. All living organisms have carbon as the
basis for life. It is so important that animals are often called
"carbon-based" life forms.

Some carbon atoms are constantly moving around.

This is because car bon atoms are used by all sorts of
processes on our planet. Some of these processes put
carbon into the atmosphere (air) and some take it out. The
carbon cycle is often very tied in with the oxygen cycle.

Plants obtain carbon dioxide absorbed during the

process of photosynthesis and animals obtain their carbon
from plants or other animals they eat. Animals cannot use
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The Nitrogen cycle

There is abundance of nitrogen in the atmosphere. It

makes up 78- 80% of the total volume of air. Neither plants
nor animals can use nitrogen directly from the air. It is the
fourth element found in living things Nitrogen is vital to life it
is essential in making proteins. It is a part of amino acids,
which are the building blocks of proteins. Proteins are
indicators of the quality of life because most cells are made
up of proteins.

Principal stages of Nitrogen Cycle

1. Nitrogen fixation- nitrogen from the atmosphere is changed into nitrate (NO4)
Rhizobium sp. - is an example of nitrogen fixing bacteria that aids in nitrogen fixation.
2. Ammonification- decaying organic matter is converted into ammonia.
3. Nitrification- The conversion of ammonia to nitrate, soil bacteria convert the ammonia to nitrite (NO2) and
finally to Nitrate (NO3)
4. Assimilation- is the process by which nitrogen is converted into protein molecules by plant. Their waste
returns nitrogen to soil as urea (fertilizer) and other compounds that are converted to ammonia.
5. Denitrification- some bacteria cause nitrogen to return to the atmosphere by breaking down ammonia
into soil

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 SCX 010: Environmental Science
Module #3 Student Activity Sheet
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

The Phosphorous cycle

The phosphorus cycle refers to the biogeochemical cycle by

which phosphorous moves through the biosphere, hydrosphere, and
lithosphere. The atmosphere doesn’t play a substantial role in the cycling
of phosphorous. This is because phosphorous and phosphorous-based
compounds cannot be found in the air in the gas state.
Phosphorous is a crucial nutrient for plants and animals. For
instance, it forms an integral component of genes and also plays a
significant role in the Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) energy cycle.
Without phosphorous, you wouldn’t be able to contract your muscles. It
is also important in the formation of bones and teeth. It plays an important
role in how the body uses carbohydrates and fats. It is also needed for
the body to make protein for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells
and tissues.

The Sulfur Cycle

Atmospheric sulfur comes from several sources,

including volcanoes, the action of soil microorganisms, and
the combustion of fossils such as coal, oil and gas. When
fuel that contains sulfur is burned, oxygen combines with the
sulfur to form oxides. When the oxides of sulfur reach the
atmosphere, they combine with rainwater and form sulfuric
acid which, in turn falls to the ground as acid precipitation.

Sulfur is essential to life. It is a minor constituent of

fats, body fluids, and skeletal minerals. Sulfur is a key
component in most proteins since it is contained in the
amino acids methionine and cysteine. Sulfur-
sulfur interactions are important in determining protein
tertiary structure

Skill-building Activities

Now, let me know what’s on your mind.

Instruction: Choose 3 elements from the content notes. Fill out the table below by writing the 3 elements that
you chose and identify their source, and their importance in the environment. Check your answers against the
Key to Corrections found at the end of this SAS. Write your score on your paper

Element Reservoir/source Importance

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 SCX 010: Environmental Science
Module #3 Student Activity Sheet
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

1.

2.

3.

Check for Understanding

Let us check how much you have learned.

A. Instruction: Write TRUE, if the statement is correct, otherwise, write FALSE. Check your answers
against the Key to Corrections found at the end of this SAS. Write your score on your paper.

_____ 1. Assimilation is the process where bacteria cause nitrogen to return to the atmosphere by
breaking down ammonia into soil.

_____ 2. Volcano is one of the reservoirs of sulfur.

_____ 3. Phosphorous based compounds cannot be found in the air in the gas state.

_____ 4. Nitrogen makes up 78% of the total volume of gases in the atmosphere.

_____ 5. In this lesson, we can prove that everything is connected to everything else.

_____ 6. Atmosphere plays a substantial role in the cycling process of phosphorous

B. Instruction: Choose one biogeochemical cycle and draw the diagram on the box provided. Then Explain
the importance of that cycle.

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 SCX 010: Environmental Science
Module #3 Student Activity Sheet
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

C. LESSON WRAP-UP

Summary

Why Biogeochemical Cycle is important?

Biogeochemical cycles help explain how the planet conserves matter and uses energy. The cycles
move elements through ecosystems, so the transformation of things can happen. They are also important
because they store elements and recycle them. Moreover, biogeochemical cycles can show you the
connection among all living and nonliving things on Earth.

Here are the Biogeochemical Cycle;

1. Water cycle also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on,
above, and below the surface of the Earth. Water is always changing states between liquid, vapor,
and ice, with these processes happening in the blink of an eye and over millions of years.
2. Oxygen Cycle circulation of oxygen in various forms through nature. Free in the air and dissolved in
water, oxygen is second only to nitrogen in abundance among uncombined elements in the
atmosphere
3. Carbon Cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere,
pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth. Carbon is the main component
of biological compounds as well as a major component of many minerals such as limestone.
4. Nitrogen Cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical
forms as it circulates among atmosphere, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems. The conversion of
nitrogen can be carried out through both biological and physical processes.

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 SCX 010: Environmental Science
Module #3 Student Activity Sheet
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

5. Phosphorus Cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through
the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Unlike many other biogeochemical cycles, the
atmosphere does not play a significant role in the movement of phosphorus, because phosphorus
and phosphorus-based compounds are usually solids at the typical ranges of temperature and
pressure found on Earth
6. Sulfur Cycle is biogeochemical cycle in which the sulfur moves between rocks, waterways and living
systems.

FAQs
1. What is biogeochemical cycle?
Answer: Biogeochemical cycle or nutrient cycle is the cycling of the essential elements (nutrients) from the
protoplasm of the organism to the environment and back to the organism.
2. What are the types of biogeochemical cycles?
Answer: There are two types of biogeochemical cycles -the gaseous type and the sedimentary type. The
gaseous type is where the reservoir of the essential element is in the atmosphere or hydrosphere. The
sedimentary type is where the reservoir is from the earth’s crust.

Think about your Learning

Can we talk? Please tell me something about today’s lesson. Write your answer on the opposite box.

1. Tell me at least 3 things

you’ve learned from today’s
lesson.
2. What are those 2 things in
the lesson you found
interesting?
3. Ask me 1 thing that made
you curious about the
lesson but we were not
able to discuss.

Ecological Insight:

“Everything must go somewhere.”

Matter does not go away or vanish into thin air or

disappear. It is simply transferred from one form to
another

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 SCX 010: Environmental Science
Module #3 Student Activity Sheet
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

ANSWER KEY

Skill-Building

Element/chemical Reservoir/ Source Importance

1.Nitogen Atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere Essential in ATP production,
2.Phosphorous Biosphere, hydrosphere Important for bones and teeth, and making
proteins
3.Sulfur Volcanoes, soil, fossils (coal, gas) Essential constituent of fats, body fluids,
skeletal minerals, components of protein
tertiary structure.

Check for Understanding

Answer may vary (you may compare the answer base on the concept stated above)

Exercise A. True or False

1. False
2. True
3. True
4. True
5. True
6. False

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 SCX 010: Environmental Science
Module #3 Student Activity Sheet
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

Exercise B.

Think about Learning

Answer may vary, must monitor the answer and correct by the teacher if there are terms missing or error in
the information

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