6th Grade · Science · Activity · shared by Luke Morgan
Free 6th Grade Science activity: students sort facts from opinions about marine snow and the microbial carbon pump's role in ocean carbon.
📋 Fact vs. Opinion Sort
Name: _________________________ Date: _____________
Topic: Marine Snow and the Microbial Carbon Pump
Before you begin, it is important to understand the difference between a fact and an opinion. A FACT is a statement that can be proven true or false using evidence, data, or observation. An OPINION is a statement that expresses a personal belief, feeling, or judgment that cannot be proven.
Key Facts: The Ocean's Deep Secret
The global ocean plays a fundamental role in regulating Earth's climate through a complex process identified as the microbial carbon pump. Within the sunlit surface layers, microscopic organisms like Prochlorococcus utilize photosynthesis to capture carbon dioxide from the water. When these tiny organisms expire or generate waste, they aggregate into organic particles recognized as marine snow. This marine snow gradually descends from the surface toward the dark, abyssal ocean floor. This sinking phenomenon is significant because it effectively sequesters carbon away from the atmosphere for several centuries.
Oceanographers classify marine snow based on its physical dimensions, descent velocity, and the specific chemical nutrients it contains. Large particles generally gravitate much faster than smaller fragments, reaching the deep sea before they can be decomposed by resident bacteria. The microbial carbon pump describes how these microscopic biological entities transform carbon into stable forms that remain dissolved in deep water. Without this natural mechanism, the Earth's atmosphere would undoubtedly contain significantly higher concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases.
Directions: Read each statement below. Write F for Fact or O for Opinion on the blank line.