Teaching layers of the atmosphere?
Our atmosphere is vital to life on this planet. It protects us from radiation, supplies us with oxygen, keeps us the right temperature, and the list goes on. When NASA searches for habitable exoplanets, one thing look for are planets with an atmosphere.
The atmosphere is a topic that can be found across multiple science disciplines. In biology we learn about how producers take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, while consumers do the opposite. In earth and space science we learn about the atmospheres of planets within the solar system. In environmental science we study the impact of humans on the atmosphere. Climate change also spans across the sciences as well. Long story short- it’s an important topic! Here are some atmosphere lesson ideas to get you started:
Layers of the Atmosphere Activities and Lessons
1. While the atmosphere may seem pretty thick to us, it is actually very thin in comparison to the size of the Earth. To give students a visual of how thin the atmosphere is, you can cut an apple in half. The thickness of the skin compared to the size of the apple is comparable to the thickness of our atmosphere compared to Earth.
On that note, this powerpoint on the layers of the atmosphere also comes with a density column demo, where you can show students the thickness of each layer using liquids in a graduated cylinder. Have older students? Challenge them to figure out the thickness of each layer on their own!
2. We often show students a pie chart of the gases in the atmosphere, but it doesn’t sink in how much nitrogen there is, and how little carbon dioxide there is (even though CO2 has a BIG impact).
You can easily build an “atmosphere in a bottle” with styrofoam beads from the dollar store. In this picture, the blue styrofoam balls are nitrogen, the white balls are oxygen, and the pink are argon. It takes some effort to find the carbon dioxide! Check out this blog post for details on how to build your own.
3. Where does our atmosphere end, and space actually start? Is the international space station actually in outer space? Your students might enjoy this YouTube video!
4. Why does the sky appear blue, and sunsets red? Here is a demo you can do with students to model the scattering of light in our atmosphere.
5. If you’ve followed me for a while, you might know that I love incorporating picture books into my lessons. Read-alouds are great, even for big kids!
In “Mario and the Hole in the Sky” students will learn about Nobel prize winner Mario Molina, and how he discovered the hole in the ozone layer due to CFCs. This picture book is a low-stakes way to learn about a more complex topic.
6. Need a break from teaching for the day? (Yes, it’s ok to admit you need a sit-and-catch-up-on-grading day). My go-to assignment on those days is always a webquest. Check out this interactive diagram webquest that reviews the layers of the atmosphere. (Before purchasing, make sure your school firewall doesn’t block genially.com)
7. How much oxygen is in our atmosphere? You have probably seen the lab where students place a glass container over a lit candle in a shallow pan of water, and watch the water rise after the candle burns out. This twist on that classic lab allows students to measure the percent oxygen within the test tube.
8. Speaking of oxygen… what might happen if the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere gets too high or too low? Have students explore this interactive from PBS.
9. Another interactive option! Check out this Virtual Ballooning interactive from UCAR. Students explore how temperature and air pressure changes within each layer of the atmosphere.
10. While the atmosphere may look clear to us, it is actually full of particulate matter. Students can visit airnow.gov, type in their zip code, and see the air quality where you live. How does it compare to other cities within your state?
Want an easy way to actually SEE air pollution? Check out how I set up this lab (compound microscopes required).
I hope you can use one or two of those lessons!
Rock on,
