Trees From Thin Air
Provided by: Paleontological Research Institution|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Biology, Mathematics
Authors: Paleontological Research Institution
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This math and science activity about photosynthesis and calculating the biomass of trees includes a video and a linked worksheet for students to complete a similar investigation on their own.
- The video leads students through a fast-paced investigation to determine the mass of a tree, where the mass comes from, and how much carbon dioxide a tree has absorbed in its lifetime.
- Students will learn what percentage of a tree is made up of carbon, how a tree’s biomass can be estimated using only the diameter of the tree’s trunk, and how to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide a tree has absorbed.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The linked activity contains a written recap of the concepts covered in the video and is located in the description of the video.
- The linked activity provides students with a chance to practice estimating the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered in a tree in their own community.
Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with basic chemistry to understand the discussion of the mass ratio of carbon dioxide to carbon.
- Students will need to understand the relationship between the circumference and the diameter of a circle.
- The video provides a short description of both photosynthesis and allometry, but students unfamiliar with the topics will need more background knowledge to fully understand the concepts.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Connections can be made with math classes that are learning about geometry, graphing, or data collection and analysis.
- Biology classes can use this video and activity to hook students before a lesson about photosynthesis or as a lab exercise after learning about the carbon cycle.
- After estimating the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered in a tree, students can use a carbon footprint calculator to estimate their own carbon footprint and then determine how many trees it would take to cancel it out.
- Advanced students can research why different tree species have different biomass estimations, even when their diameters are the same.
This resource uses allometry to calculate the biomass of a tree. From there, it demonstrates how to estimate the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered in a tree. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
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