About Carbon TIME

The Carbon TIME project is a collaboration of scientists, teachers, graduate students, and IT specialists with the overarching goal to refine current K-12 frameworks and assessments based on learning progressions that lead to environmental science literacy. Given the above, we have developed a series of six teaching units that can be used at the middle school or high school level. Each of these learning modules are nested within this website along with assessments for each learning module.

What is Carbon TIME? Carbon: Transformations in Matter and Energy (Carbon TIME) is a set of teaching units for middle and high school science classes focusing on processes that transform matter and energy in organisms, ecosystems, and global systems: combustion, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, digestion, and biosynthesis. Students use these cellular and chemical processes to explain the functioning of organisms – plants, animals, decomposers - as well as ecological and global carbon cycling.

  Carbon TIME includes six units. Systems and Scale, Plants, Animals, and Decomposers examine matter and energy in flames and individual organisms. Ecosystems and Human Energy Systems focus on carbon and energy at ecosystem and global scales. The units each require about three weeks of classroom time.

Carbon TIME resources include: Online units that include a suite of teaching and assessment tools: formative assessments, hands-on investigations supported by videos, molecular modeling activities, animations and simulations of carbon-transforming processes and carbon cycling, posters, and graphic organizers. Carbon TIME also provides, professional development experiences and personal support networks for teachers that support rigorous and responsive teaching.

The NGSS connection: The Next Generation Science Standards require new approaches to science teaching that are rigorous and responsive: engaging students actively in science and engineering practices and providing students with specific targeted coaching. All Carbon TIME units, lessons, and activities are aligned with NGSS practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas.

The citizenship connection: Carbon TIME units prepare students to be productive and well-informed citizens as they make decisions about their personal health and consumption and as they consider public issues associated with our carbon footprints and climate change.

Carbon TIME materials are developed by the Environmental Literacy Project at Michigan State University.

The Carbon TIME project has been a decade-long collaboration among education researchers, teachers, school administrators, scientists, graduate and undergraduate students, and IT specialists. We would like to acknowledge some of the people who have played important roles in making Carbon TIME happen. Though we cannot name everyone here, we would also like to acknowledge and thank the 145 teachers and over 25,000 students from across the country who have participated! If you see an omission or error on this list, please let us know.

Role Last Name First Name Current Affiliation
PI Anderson Charles W. Michigan State University
           
Co-PI Covitt Beth A. University of Montana
Co-PI Getty Thomas Michigan State University
Co-PI Spiegel Samuel Colorado School of Mines
Co-PI Welch Mary Margaret Seattle Public Schools
                      
Sr. Researcher Bodbyl Sarah Colorado School of Mines
Sr. Researcher de los Santos Elizabeth University of Nevada-Reno
Sr. Researcher Dauer Jenny University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Sr. Researcher Doherty Jennifer University of Washington
Sr. Researcher Draney Karen University of California-Berkeley
Sr. Researcher Edwards Kirsten Michigan State University
Sr. Researcher Frank Ken Michigan State University
Sr. Researcher Gonzalez Marcos Michigan State University
Sr. Researcher Haverly Christa Northwestern University
Sr. Researcher Holste Ellen Pierce Cedar Creek Institute
Sr. Researcher Johnson Wendy Kentwood Public Schools
Sr. Researcher Jordan Deborah Colorado School of Mines
Sr. Researcher Lin Quinyun University of Chicago
Sr. Researcher Marshall Stefanie University of Minnesota
Sr. Researcher Miller Hannah Northern Vermont University
Sr. Researcher Morrison Thomas Christie Michigan State University
Sr. Researcher Parker Joyce Michigan State University
Sr. Researcher Penuel William University of Colorado
Sr. Researcher Scott Emily University of Washington
Sr. Researcher Thomas Jay ACT
Sr. Researcher Zhao Pingping Hebei Normal University
             
Lead Teacher Chapoten Colleen
Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center
Lead Teacher Estes Kelly Boulder Valley Public Schools
Lead Teacher Fox Jen Seattle Public Schools
Lead Teacher Gaspar Jeremy Kentwood Public Schools
Lead Teacher Hach Cheryl
Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center
Lead Teacher McDonald Helena Midland Public Schools
Lead Teacher Newell Jenny Bend Public Schools
Lead Teacher Ratashak Liz Vicksburg Public Schools
Lead Teacher Wilson Jacqueline Seattle Public Schools
             
Web, Graphics, Video Clapp Francis Neely Colorado State University
Web, Graphics, Video Douglas Craig University of Washington
Web, Graphics, Video Holfelder Kirstin Twenty Pines Resources, Inc.
Web, Graphics, Video Michel Farmer Alison Strayer University
Web, Graphics, Video Newman Greg Colorado State University
Web, Graphics, Video Newman Sarah Colorado State University
Web, Graphics, Video Oonk David Colorado State University
Web, Graphics, Video Scarpino Russell Colorado State University
Web, Graphics, Video Villafuerte Rhiannon Saurus
             
Project Administrator Baruah Samantha University of Wisconsin- Madison
Project Administrator Starck Staci Michigan State University
             
Research Assistant Bathia Shruti University of California - Berkeley
Research Assistant Freed Allison University of the Ozarks
Research Assistant Hancock Brian Alma College
Research Assistant Kim Jinho University of Seoul, South Korea
Research Assistant Kohn Craig Michigan State University
Research Assistant Lannen Courtney Michigan State University
Research Assistant Lee May
University of Groningen, Netherlands
Research Assistant McGill Bonnie Kansas Biological Survey
Research Assistant Oleszkowicz Kathryn GreenPath Financial Wellness
Research Assistant Seeterlin Carly Battle Creek Public Schools
Research Assistant Shin HyoJeong Educational Testing Service
Research Assistant Tompkins Elizabeth Okemos Public Schools
Research Assistant Usoro Etiowo Seattle Children's Hospital
Research Assistant Van Deurs David CLEAResult
Research Assistant Verbanic Nicholas Lake Washington School District
Research Assistant Walus Alexandria Michigan State University