Embedded Files
What are the dynamic components, processes and history of the air surrounding the earth?
This lesson investigates the composition, structure, history and patterns of changes in the atmosphere. It examines the gases and particulates found in the atmosphere and investigates how the atmosphere is divided both vertically and horizontally. It also begins to explore the concept of climate, a concept that is necessary to investigate both biomes and the role of climate change.
1. Composition & Structure - What materials are found in the air and how is the atmosphere arranged?
2. History - How/why have the amounts of gases changed over the history of the earth?
2. Dynamics and Processes - Identify the forces that influence weather and climate (including climate zones.)
Warm Ups:
Reading Climographs - students interpret data, with a focus on being able to "code switch" between metric and imperial units.
Instruction, Presentations, Assignments, Activities, etc:
DIB...Aerosol Components - students interpret the visualization of data regarding the geographic cause and distribution of major components of suspended materials within the atmosphere from Aug 23, 2018.
Notes - Composition of the Atmosphere
Diagram - Structure of the Atmosphere - students relate altitude, temperature and other features used to divide atmosphere into 5 layers. Students should be encouraged to put their own accurate additions (Mountains, clouds, birds, planes in troposphere/ a layer of O3s blocking UV rays in the stratosphere/ meteoroids and aurora in thermosphere/ spacecraft in the exosphere.
Activity- Atmospheric Composition and History
Part 1 - Composition
1. 10x10 grid - 1 other, 21 Oxygen, remaining 78 Nitrogen
2. from other to small 10x10 grid - 3 water, 3 carbon dioxide, 1 other, remaining 93 Argon
3. answer questions about the information
Part 2 - History
1. Students construct a stacked area graph showing historic change of composition, students add critical events
2. answer questions about the information
Handout - Weather & Climate - Guided Note Taking: fill out information regarding the features of weather and climate- identify what data is collected, the forces driving weather, and the larger image of global climate.
Demonstrate first, using Surry data on the board
1. graph data
2. interpret data - general description
Discuss as a class, using Google Earth to locate the cities used in the activity
3. identify climate zone/hemisphere (trop/subtrop/temp/subarctic/polar)
4. discuss potential impacts from climate change
Atmosphere - Ozone Watch - modified from this source - students examine patterns of historical data, and they compare it to recent data
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