Hello! My name is Captain Carbon, the man of steel... well, I'm only 1.5% of steel, but
you know what I mean. My days are full of exciting adventures such as defending atoms
and saving the world from those darn cubic zirconia (I know they look like the real thing,
but they're just not). Chemical Carousel is a web site designed to illustrate the nature
of the carbon cycle by taking you on an amazing adventure. On this adventure, we will explore
both the traditional, scientific side of the carbon cycle as well as enjoy an inside
tour through every process. The particular carbon cycle that we will explore employs many known
processes such as photosynthesis, digestion, and combustion. In addition, some of the sites will
contain information not widely known, such as the hows and whys of wheat processing and even
decomposition of the human body! Most importantly, I want to show you that carbon recycles and
that your daily life is an integral part of the carbon cycle. So that this site will be easier
to understand, let's look over some of the objectives in creating this site as well as the
different parts that make this site so extensive.
Create a site that is educational for the middle school, high school, and college levelsIllustrate the dynamic role of carbon and its compounds in daily lifeDemonstrate that biology and chemistry are interrelated rather than separate studiesDemonstrate that individual atoms "live" forever and can become part of many living and nonliving materialsPortray the dynamic nature of chemical changePresent commonly studied topics such as photosynthesis and glycolysis as part of the larger scheme of life rather than isolated processesShow how science can be FUN and interesting through the adventures of Captain CarbonBefore you dive into this site, let me tell you a little about what I have collected here
for you. First, there is a small introduction that explains what the carbon cycle is and why
it is so important to life on Earth. After the introduction, you can explore my carbon cycle.
Each process is explained and illustrated along with my commentary. The Captain knows best.
Also, you can check out some of the interesting postcards that I wrote to my family
during these adventures. After exploring my adventures, take a look
Behind the Scenes where my friends tell you about creating this site. If you have questions
about a particular topic, you can find more information from the sources listed in my
Works Cited List or ask me yourself. Otherwise, click on the arrow below to board the Chemical Carousel.
This page was created for Thinkquest, a contest for students ages 12 to 18. Click on the
image to see their home page.
Special Thanks to Huong Ngo for the original concept sketch of Captain Carbon.
This page best viewed by Netscape 3.0 or better.