Lesson 1: The Sky's the Limit

Background:
Lower atmosphere is the part of the atmosphere that we live in. Humans live at altitudes up to about 4 km. The troposphere extends 6 to 11 km. The troposphere is located 10 to 15 km above the earth's surface.

The stratosphere and the mesosphere make up the middle atmosphere. The stratosphere extends to 50 km above the earth. The ozone is located in this mesosphere begins just above the stratosphere and extends to 85 km above Earth. At about 100 km, primary ingredients in the atmosphere, such as nitrogen and oxygen, become less well mixed. The middle atmosphere is the region studied by investigators during the ATLAS Space Shuttle mission.

The thermosphere, ionosphere and the magnetosphere are located in the upper atmosphere. The thermosphere is 600 km above the Earth. The ionosphere is in between the mesosphere and extends to the top of the thermosphere. In this region, there are many electrically charged particles called ions. Radio waves can be bounced off the negatively charged ions which can send messages around the Earth. The magnetosphere extends 9,660 km beyond Earth facing the sun and much further on Earth's dark side.

Material:
colored pencils

Procedure:

1. Make a chart of the atmosphere. On the left side of the chart write the following altitudes in kilometers vertically: 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700.
2. Draw horizontal lines to show where each atmospheric layer begins and ends, and label the layers.
3. Choose a color to represent each layer.
4. Color each layer.
5. Answer the following questions and label on the atmosphere chart.:
   1. Which layer is the warmest?
   2. Which layer is the coldest?
   3. For the ATLAS mission, the Shuttle orbits about 296 km above Earth. In which layer does it travel? Draw the Shuttle on the chart at the correct altitude.

Lesson 2: Welcome to the "O" Zone

Background:
Ozone, a gas located in the stratosphere, absorbs nearly all of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The ozone protects life on the planet by preventing too much ultra-violet radiation from reaching the earth's surface. The amount of ozone in the stratosphere is very small. This activity will help students visualize the size of ozone in the stratosphere.

Vocabulary:
Ozone, ultra-violet radiation, and stratosphere

Material:
3 m measuring tape, graph paper (60 x 60 x 60 cm), scissors, glue, calculators

Procedure:

1. Measure the length, width, and height of the classroom in centimeters.
2. The students use calculators to multiply the three numbers together to find the room's volume in cubic centimeters.
3. The students divide the cubic centimeters by one million.
4. Multiply that number by 10 to determine parts per million (ppm). (The students should model the teacher using an overhead projector.)
5. Cut the graph paper into 1 cm cubes.
6. Suspend the cubes on string around the classroom.

Remind the students that the rest of the space is not empty; it is filled with molecules and atoms of other gases.

Lesson 3: Hole in the Zone

Material:
paper, pencil

The following activities will help young children understand the Ozone and Antarctica.

1. Locate Antarctica on the map.
2. Draw a picture of Antarctica.
3. Make a list and draw pictures of things in the air.
4. Study the weather page. What is the coldest city? Compare that temperature with the average temperatures in Antarctica.
5. The seasons in Antarctica are opposite of North America. Make a chart of the seasons in Antarctica.
6. Research Antarctica to find out more about this frozen continent. Hold a press conference. Assign students to role play reporters and scientist returning from Antarctica.
7. Look through the newspaper to find stories about the environment.
8. Make a list of environmental problems for Earth. Think of solutions that students can do to help.