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31 students
30 minutes
1 day long lesson
10th grade Chemistry
GOALS: Students will be able to... Understand through stoichiometry how excessive CO2
emissions affect coral reefs.
Assessment Evidence
● Graded classwork (students will finish worksheet Commented [KT7]: Two students didn’t turn in classwork
provided) even though they were present in class. Perhaps my
instructions could have been clearer
2. The carbon dioxide emitted from burning fossil fuels in your car releases into the air and dissolves into the
oceans. CO dissolves in water and reacts with carbonate ion according to the following reaction
2
CO2 + CO32- + H2O ---> HCO3- Commented [KT13]: Students were confused about the
ionic charges, since I didn’t explain this concept
A. Identify the type of reaction beforehand
B. Balance the reaction (when balancing, ignore ionic charges)
C. For every gallon of gas a car burns, about 2.96 g of CO is absorbed by the oceans. How many moles of
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One third of carbon dioxide that enters the atmosphere dissolves into the ocean. In fact, the oceans Commented [KT17]: A handful of students felt
have absorbed about 1/3 of the carbon dioxide produced from human activities since 1800 and about 1/2 of the overwhelmed by the length of the text
carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels (Sabine et al. 2004). As carbon dioxide in the ocean increases,
ocean pH decreases or becomes more acidic. This is called ocean acidification.
Polyps that attach to corals uptake carbonate ion (CO ) to form calcium carbonate (CaCO ) according
3
2-
3
Then, corals uptake calcium carbonate (CaCO ) to form their skeletal structures. However, increases in
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oceans causes decreases in carbonate ion (CO ) concentrations according to the reaction below.
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2-
CO + CO + H O -----> 2HCO
2 3
2-
2 3
-
Without sufficient carbonate ion (CO ) polyps cannot synthesize calcium carbonate (CaCO ) for corals to
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2-
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uptake. Without enough calcium carbonate, corals are unable to build their skeletal structures.
Already, the ocean is about 30% more acidic now than it was in 1751 (SCOR 2009). If nothing is done
to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, ocean acidification will increase and more and more
corals will be damaged or destroyed.
Ocean acidification affects more than just corals. Snails, clams, and urchins also make calcium
carbonate shells and ocean acidification negatively impacts these organisms as well. Just like corals, ocean
acidification makes it harder for these organisms to absorb the calcium carbonate (CaCO ) they need to
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