TE 408: Three-day Lesson Plan and Report

Name: Ping Wang Mentor Teacher: Brandy Butcher Class and grade level: Grade 7 Partner: Dominic Lis School: Haslett Middle School Date: 03-19-14

Part I: Information about the Lesson and Unit

Topic: The Atmosphere Abstract
During the three day sequence the students will learn about the composition of the atmosphere and its importance. By plotting data about atmospheric pressure on a graph the students will find how the pressure changes with altitude. The students will also create a graph of temperature and a model of Earths atmosphere to develop understanding of how the atmosphere is divided into four layers based on temperature and of the physical and chemical phenomena of each layer.

Part II: Clarifying Your Goals for the Topic

A. Big Ideas
The atmosphere is a mixture of gases and particles that surrounds the Earth. Many of the atmospheric composition are essential to human and the Earth. Nitrogen is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere and makes up 78% of the air. The second most common gas in the atmosphere is oxygen, which accounts for about 21% of the air. The remaining 1% consists of argon, carbon dioxide, water vapor and other gases or small particles. The atmosphere has different physical and chemical composition at different elevations. Air pressure is the measure of the force with which the air molecules push on a surface. Air pressure changes through the atmosphere. As the altitude increase, air pressure deceases. Air temperature also changes as altitude changes. The temperature differences result mainly from the way solar energy is absorbed as it moves downward through the atmosphere. Based on temperature changes, the Earths atmosphere is divided into four layersthe troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere closest to the Earth. It is also the shallowest and the densest atmospheric layer, containing 90 percent of the atmospheres total mass. Conditions in this layer are more variable than in other layers. This is where the Earths weather occurs (rain, snow, storms, and most clouds.) As altitude increases the temperature decreases. The atmospheric layer above the troposphere is called the stratosphere. The air is very thin. The temperature rises with increasing altitude. This occurs because of ozone. Ozone is a molecule that is made up of three oxygen atoms. Ozone absorbs solar energy in the form of

ultraviolet radiation, warming the air. By absorbing the ultraviolet radiation, the ozone layer also protects life at the Earths surface. Mesosphere is above the stratospheric layer. As in the troposphere, the temperature drops with increasing altitude. Thermosphere is the uppermost atmospheric layer. The temperature increases with altitude because many of the gases are absorbing solar radiation. The temperature can reach 1700 Celsius.

B. Student Practices
1. Naming key practices Using mathematics and computational thinking: students will plot data points and determine where layers begin and end from the reading material. Developing and using models: students will develop a model of Earths atmosphere to visualize and understand the physical and chemical phenomena in the different layers.

C. Performance Expectations for Student Learning

Performance Expectation Michigan Standards (GLCE)
1. Describe the atmosphere as a mixture of gases 2. Compare and contrast the atmosphere at different elevations Identifying Using SP Identifying Using SP

Associated NGSS Practice

Specific Lesson Objective(s)

1. Describe the composition of Earths atmosphere 2. Develop and use a model of Earths atmosphere to explain the physical and chemical phenomena occurring in the atmosphere 3.

Part III: Classroom Activities

A. Storyline for the Lesson Sequence
Stage
Lessons before your sequence Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lessons after your sequence

Role in Storyline
Connect this sequence to previous unit Photosynthesis and Respiration The composition of the atmosphere and air pressure Make a graph and define the layers of the atmosphere Create a model of the atmosphere and develop understanding of the physical and chemical characteristics of the atmosphere The content covered in the three days will be later on the exit slip or quiz

The unit immediately before this sequence was about Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration, so students already had ideas about the role some gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, play in life processes. These gases could come from the atmosphere. This sequence lessons will first cover the composition of the atmosphere and its importance to a larger scale context: human and the Earth. Air pressure and temperature are two important features of the atmosphere and change with altitude. This sequence lesson will greatly focus on developing an understanding of the physical and chemical characteristics of the atmosphere, particularly atmospheric pressure and temperature. Hopefully, this sequence will lay a ground for students to further learning about weather and climate.

B. Activity Sequence Details

Focus Objective Objective Key Objective: Developing and using a model of Earths atmosphere to explain the physical and chemical phenomena occurring in the atmosphere NGSS Practice Developing and using model

TOPE Inquiry Cycle

Stages in Your TOPE Cycle Stage Techniques Observations Patterns Explanations Teaching Activities Introduce techniques or tools used to measure temperature and pressure Plot data points to create graphs of temperature and atmospheric pressure Look for the trends in temperature and pressure and define the layers of the atmosphere Discuss or explain the trends in temperature and pressure

C. Lesson Plans
Lesson 1 Materials Textbook: Holt Science & Technology Weather and Climate PowerPoint presentation: the composition of the atmosphere and its importance Handout: table of pressure data and worksheet with a graph on

Lesson 1 Activities Lesson 1 Introduction (10 minutes) Connect to previous unit by asking What are the four basic necessities of life? and recall the role oxygen and carbon dioxide play in living things. Watch a video by Science Guy Bill Nye about atmosphere and talk about how the atmosphere influences us (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz4fgG9ZCIc, 0- 3:35) Introduce the topic of this lesson: the composition of Earths atmosphere

2. Main Teaching Activities (40 minutes) Use a pie graph or table to present students the composition of Earths atmosphere Explain the importance of some gases in the atmosphere, such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, ozone, and water vapor Plot data points of pressure on a graph 3. Conclusion (5 minutes) Summarize the characteristics of the atmosphere: the composition and air pressure Next class will continue the topic about air pressure Lesson 2 Materials Textbook: Holt Science & Technology Weather and Climate Handout: table of temperature data and worksheet with a graph on

Lesson 2 Introduction (10 minutes) Recall what we did last lesson about the data plotting Lesson 2 Main Activities (40 minutes) Students will continue plotting temperature data on the worksheet and find the pattern of temperature with altitude. We will define the layers of the atmosphere based on the pattern Explain the physical and chemical characteristics of each layer. Lesson 2 Conclusion (5 minutes) Summarize what we talked about each layer of the atmosphere Collect students graphs for use for next class Inform students that we will create a model of atmosphere using information from this lesson and other resources. Lesson 3 Materials Textbook: Holt Science & Technology Weather and Climate Handout: A Model of Earths Atmosphere Handout: Cut and paste

Lesson 3 Introduction (5 minutes) Hand out the graph the students made last class and review it Inform the students we will use the information to create a model of atmosphere Lesson 3 Main Activities (40 minutes) Draw a model of the four layers of Earths Atmosphere Cut and paste: cut signs, words or sentence from a worksheet and paste them to where they belong at each layer of the atmosphere. Lesson 3 Conclusion (10 minutes)

Summarize what we learned in the three days lessons: the characteristics of the atmosphere, air pressure and the features of layers of atmosphere

Part IV: Assessment of Focus Students

A. Focus Objective
Develop and using a model of Earths atmosphere to explain the physical and chemical phenomena occurring in the atmosphere

B. Developing Assessment Tasks

My question: Based on the graph you drew and the model of the atmosphere you developed, explain how the different trend in temperature happens in the troposphere and stratosphere.

Attachments
1. PowerPoint Presentation (to be decided) 2. Handout: Pressure at Various Altitudes (Ill redesign it to make it easier for students to read and use, maybe take integers and use some of the data, not all)

3. Handout: Layers of the Atmosphere

Make a graph and find how the atmosphere can be divided into layers based on temperature changes at different heights, by making a graph. TABLE 1 Average Temperature Readings at Various Altitudes Altitude (km) Temperature (C) Altitude (km) 0 15 52 5 -18 55 10 -49 60 12 -56 65 20 -56 70 25 -51 75 30 -46 80 35 -37 84 40 -22 92 45 -8 95 48 -2 100 4. Handout: Cut and Paste

Temperature (C) -2 -7 -17 -33 -54 -65 -79 -86 -86 -81 -72

5. Handout: A Model of Earths Atmosphere given by my mentor