Carbon atoms are part of air, bodies, soil, oceans and fuels. Photosynthesis takes carbon dioxide from the air into plant material. Respiration releases carbon dioxide from organisms, including plants. Carbon cycles between stores; sunlight supplies energy but is not made of carbon atoms. Safety: No flames, fuels, smoke or decomposition samples. Stop: Stop after drawing two table routes. Do not burn, compost or break a real object.

Materials: Paper; Pencil 1. Draw boxes for atmosphere CO2, tree, rabbit, dead material, decomposers and fossil fuel store. Put a large C on the page to stand for a traced carbon atom, not an entire carbon dioxide molecule. 2. Add atmosphere → tree labelled photosynthesis; tree → rabbit labelled feeding; tree and rabbit → dead material; dead material → decomposers labelled feeding/breakdown. Add tree, rabbit and decomposers → atmosphere labelled respiration. 3. Add fossil fuel store → atmosphere labelled combustion by people. Add dead material → long-term buried stores labelled some carbon, over long times. Do not imply that every fallen leaf becomes fossil fuel or immediately returns to air. 4. Trace a wooden table’s carbon: atmosphere → tree → wood in table. Draw two possible later routes: decay followed by decomposer respiration; or combustion → atmosphere. Write how fossil-fuel burning adds long-stored carbon and how forest removal can reduce uptake or release stored carbon. No burning is done. Done: The diagram includes photosynthesis, respiration, feeding, decomposition and combustion, plus one complete table-carbon route. Proof: Keep the labelled carbon map. Note adult help with process names or distinguishing carbon from energy. Stop: Stop after drawing two table routes. Do not burn, compost or break a real object.