The development of ESEU's new carbon-based CPD workshop is described, to give a flavour of the experience it might provide to science teachers and trainees. The revised National Curriculum for Science for key stages 3 and 4 (ages 11 16) in England provides the opportunity to develop a new coherent approach to teaching about the carbon cycle, the use of carbon as a fuel and the resulting issues. The Earth Science Education Unit (ESEU) intends to develop a new workshop to support the teaching of this topic. The format will mirror ESEU's successful methodology whereby teachers rehearse activities and demonstrations in a workshop and then receive additional materials to support classroom activity. Like all other ESEU workshops,'The carbon question cycling, releasing, capturing' workshop will be available free to science departments and teacher training institutions.