Students will investigate the composition, structure, and function of the earth’s atmosphere. The students will investigate the solid, liquid, and gas components that make up the atmosphere as well as the thermal energy that occurs throughout a vertical profile of the atmospheric layers. Finally, students will investigate the various functions of the atmosphere. Having students investigate energy transfer throughout the atmosphere and atmospheric circulation as it relates to global, regional, and local weather phenomena will follow this unit.

#8The atmosphere is a mixture of gasses, suspended solids, and liquids.
#9Radiant energy from the sun creates temperature differences in water, land, and atmosphere, which drive local, regional, and global patterns of atmospheric circulation.
Optional Overarching Ideas: #24 Technological advances, such as seismic sounding and satellite remote sensing, advance Earth science knowledge.

1. Students will understand that the atmosphere is a dynamic fluid that consists of a mixture of gasses, suspended solids, and liquids organized in layers containing different amounts of thermal energy.
2. Students will understand that radiant energy from the sun reacts with various atmospheric molecules (e.g. Ozone, ions) creating differences in thermal energy.
   
3. Students will understand that the atmosphere plays a crucial role in the protection of the biosphere.
   

1. There is evidence of a layered structure to the atmosphere, but why does this occur?
2. In what ways is the atmosphere essential to life on this planet?
3. There is evidence of a thinning of the atmospheric ozone layer; why should we worry about this?
4. What happens to the radiation that strikes our atmosphere?

1. Recognize the structure of the atmosphere and be able to explain why the temperature neither increases nor decreases at a steady rate.
   
   
   
2. Identify the substances that make-up the atmosphere.
3. Relate how air pressure varies with altitude throughout the atmosphere.
4. Know that the density of air creates friction when objects pass through our atmosphere from outer space thus protecting us from some meteoroid impacts.
5. Know that the sun supplies the earth with solar radiation and that radiation is absorbed by certain molecules within the atmosphere and not by others.
   Relate the absorption of energy to the heating of objects.

•Air is mostly oxygen.
•Temperature in air increases or decreases at a steady rate.
•Ozone depletion is the cause of global warming.
•The layers of the atmosphere have definite lines or boundaries that can be “seen”.
•That there are invisible particles of matter in the air.
•Energy received by the sun “stays in one place”. Or energy is lost or used up.
•All radiation is harmful to humans.
•All objects heat up the same way and by the same amount.

To interpret and analyze atmospheric data of a celestial body and report on its characteristics related to earth's atmosphere. To determine whether funding should be provided to investigate the potential current or past existence of life on planet 'x'.

Students are working for the SETI Program

SETI Project manager

Students will receive atmospheric data from a fictitious planet. Given the data (temp, altitude, composition, pressure, greenhouses, etc.) the students will analyze and compare the data to that of planet earth. The students will use the data to determine the likelihood that the planet may be supporting/ have supported life The students will write a letter to their project leader presenting their findings and them make a presentation of their report.

A written report and presentation.

•Report must include comparisions to Earth of the following atmospheric data: atmospheric compostion and structure; thermal data; ozone levels
•Report must analyze data comparisions so that they may make predictions and inferences regarding the liklihood of current or evidence of previous life based on the comparisons of earth's atmosphere.

Preconceptions: Students make predictions in journal regarding characteristics of the atmosphere. Students will meet in groups and share predictions. Quiz: Students are given a 10 question open-response quiz midway through the unit. Prompts: • Students are asked to look for and identify examples of heat transfer in their homes. •Students are asked to identify examples of heat transfer in a lava lamp. Journal entries: Post Conception: students are asked to rethink their predictions in their journals

W: Briefly describe unit and introduce the big ideas or EU's to give context for why this unit will be investigated and inquire to why the atmosphere is deserving of our time. Post essential questions, let students know what they will be expected to do in regards to the performance assessment.


H: Students view images of varying perspectives of the earth's atmosphere. After viewing images, students were given the prompt/question: Defend and refute the following statement: The atmosphere is nothing more than a fragile 'blanket of air'. Students brainstormed and answered in their journal.
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/overview.html

E:

E-1: Investigate the thermal profile of our atmosphere. Students predict what would happen to the temperatures if they were able to ascend through atmosphere. Radiosonde data from a weather balloon was used to have the students graph a vertical temperature profile in order to compare to their predictions. (This activity also was used to collect misconception data based on their predictions.)
http://64.55.87.13/dstreme/index.html

*use Stuve diagram and select a city. Use data from Stuve diagram to give to students in a data chart and have students 'recreate' a more simplified graph. Providing students with the graph from the website would be very confusing. Also, supplying data from the temperature profile of the "U.S. Standard Atmosphere" -average temps- can be used. This is the graph that zigzags as temperatures change throughout the altitude. Students meet in small groups to discuss results and make sense of data.

E-2: Groups are given resource packets of descriptions and definitions of the layers of the atmosphere and a graph of the U.S. Standard Atmosphere (with labels of layers removed). Students were asked to predict, based on temperature changes, where the layers were located and label them on their graphs. Groups presented their predictions and their rationales and compared them to a correct labeled graph. Students were given background on what such phenomena may be responsible for changes in the thermal energy.


E-3: Used Project Image activity to introduce and provide background to ozone. Groups used still images and web-based visualizations to investigate evidence of the dynamic nature of ozone and potential concerns with varying amounts of ozone in global regions.
http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/ozwv/ozsondes/spo/index.html
http://www.awi-bremerhaven.de/MET/Neumayer/ozone.html
http://jwocky.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Check the site for below for excellent background and FAQ's
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/ozone-depletion/antarctic/

E-4: Ozone Tag game: Outside game that investigates the chemistry and time scale of ozone depletion.

E-5: Earth's Energy Budget: Displayed visualization of earth in space. Asked what happens to the small amount of sunlight that actually reaches the earth’s surface. Class discussion, notes, diagrams are used to introduce energy budget.

E-6: Black vs. Silver Can Lab: Students investigate absorption, radiation, and heat transfer by collecting data of a black and silver can being heated by a light source.

E-7: Students are then given a blank diagram of a cross section of a 'black or silver' can along with resources on definitions of heat transfer. Students then apply heat transfer by labeling where each type of heat transfer occurred in the cross-section. Afterwards, we investigated and looked for a correlation to the earth-atmosphere system and labeled a drawing (cross-section of earth/atmosphere system) with examples of where, when, and what types of heat transfer occurred.

E-8: Students receive a lesson on the Greenhouse effect and are asked to reflect on both positive and negative implications regarding the atmosphere. They are given an age appropriate article to help realize both that it is a necessity for life and the implications of global warming in the atmosphere.

R-1: Students view a lava lamp and label a diagram identifying examples of conduction, radiation, and convection. Students then meet in groups and peer-review each other’s work. After a class discussion, students are able to edit or revise their thinking.

R-2: Students attempt to answer essential questions listing evidence gathered from experiences. Students make a list in their journal of their level of confidence of each answer and a list of uncertainties.

R-3: Students revisit original statement and revise their thinking, this time stating evidence to support and contradict the statement: The atmosphere is nothing more than a fragile 'blanket of air'.

E: Students engage in performance assessment.