The Greenhouse Effect & Carbon Cycle
📋 What it is
Greenhouse gases trap heat that keeps Earth warm; carbon moves in a natural cycle through air, life and rock.
🗣️ Coach says
Certain gases (mostly CO₂ and methane) act like a blanket — they let sunlight in but trap some outgoing heat, keeping Earth warm enough for life. That’s the natural greenhouse effect. Carbon constantly cycles between the air, plants, animals and the ground. Adding EXTRA greenhouse gas thickens the blanket.
🧠 Memory hook
Greenhouse gases = a heat-trapping blanket (natural + needed). Extra gas = thicker blanket = warmer.
😂 Giggle
Why was the recycling bin so happy?
It knew it was making a difference, one bottle at a time!
😲 Whoa!
Without ANY greenhouse effect, Earth’s average temperature would be about −18 °C — a frozen planet. The natural greenhouse effect is what makes life possible.
✅ Quick check: What do greenhouse gases do to keep Earth warm?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
They let sunlight in but trap some of the heat trying to escape, like a blanket around the planet.
Greenhouse gases trap outgoing heat, warming the surface.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
On a sunny day, feel how a closed car heats up — sunlight in, heat trapped, like a greenhouse.