Where in the Air Classroom Activity Educator Guide

Overview

In this lesson, students learn about the layers of the atmosphere and discover what kinds of objects can be found in each one.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Identify the layers of the atmosphere, including where each layer sits compared to the others
• Figure out which layer of the atmosphere different objects can be found in

Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

Disciplinary Core Ideas

• MS-ESS2: Earth's Systems

Crosscutting Concepts

• Systems and system models

Science and Engineering Practices

• Developing and using models

Preparation

• Print out a worksheet for each student, plus enough informational sheets so every student gets a copy describing their group's assigned object.
• The object descriptions vary in difficulty, so different students can read material suited to their level.

Materials

• One worksheet per student
• One informational sheet per group or student

Other Resources

"Earth's Atmospheric Layers" diagram, available at:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/science/atmosphere-layers2.html

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Steps

1. Use a warm-up activity or another method to teach (or review) the layers of the atmosphere. Searching online will turn up plenty of activities or videos to help engage students. You can also connect this topic to Earth's other "spheres," such as the cryosphere (ice), hydrosphere (water), and biosphere (living things).

1. Divide students into groups of two or three. Depending on class size, students could also work alone instead of in small groups.

1. Assign each group an object to research so they become "experts" on it. Give every group member a copy of the informational sheet that describes their object. Groups that finish early can be given a second object to research. Students may also use a digital version of the guide.

1. Part 1 of the worksheet helps students collect information about their assigned object, which they will later share with the rest of the class. Groups should fill this out while reading their assigned informational sheet(s).

1. To complete Part 2, each group presents what they learned about their object to the class. While one group presents, everyone else should write down the shared information on their own worksheet.

1. Once Part 2 is finished, students will have all the information they need to complete the atmospheric diagram in Part 3.

1. Students should complete Part 3 on their own, using the information gathered from their classmates.

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"Where in the Air?" Student Worksheet

Part 1

(Answers will vary)

Part 2

Now that you've learned about one object in Earth's atmosphere, it's time to learn about the rest. Other groups have researched different objects — as they share what they found, write it down on your worksheet. Don't forget to fill in the details about your own object, too! (Note: a few objects on the list might not get covered.)

Object	Altitude	Layer of the Atmosphere	What Is It? What Does It Do?
1. Armstrong Line	62,000 ft (19 km)	Stratosphere	This is the height at which liquids boil at normal human body temperature. A full pressure suit is required above this altitude.
2. Birds	500–29,000 ft (0.15–8.8 km)	Troposphere	Birds fly at different heights depending on their size and where they're headed.
3. Clouds	0–60,000 ft (0–18 km)	Troposphere & Lower Stratosphere	Clouds are made of tiny droplets or ice crystals floating in the air. Different types of clouds form at different heights.
4. Commercial Jetliner	32,000–39,000 ft (9.8–11.4 km)	Troposphere	These planes carry passengers and cargo over long distances. They fly high enough that passengers need supplemental oxygen systems on board.
5. Communication Satellite	100–22,000 miles (160–36,000 km)	Thermosphere & Exosphere	These satellites receive, boost, and send electronic signals so people can communicate over long distances.
6. ER-2 (research aircraft)	65,000–70,000 ft (20–21 km)	Stratosphere	This aircraft acts as a platform for high-altitude science missions because it can fly slowly at great heights.
7. Fighter Aircraft (F-35)	60,000 ft (18 km)	Stratosphere	These jets are extremely fast and maneuverable. Pilots wear special "g-suits" to handle the strong forces of flight.
8. Hang Glider	12,000–15,000 ft (3.7–4.6 km)	Troposphere	These are aircraft with no engine, allowing people to glide long distances using only air currents.
9. Helicopter	0–25,000 ft (0–7.6 km)	Troposphere	Helicopters use spinning wings called rotors to create lift, allowing them to take off and land straight up and down.
10. Hot Air Balloon	1,200–2,000 ft (0.4–0.6 km)	Troposphere	These balloons are filled with hot air, which is lighter than cool air. This makes them rise and carry passengers upward.
11. Hubble Space Telescope	340 miles (450 km)	Thermosphere	This powerful telescope orbits Earth and observes distant objects in space.
12. International Space Station	250 miles (400 km)	Thermosphere	This space station, home to astronauts, orbits Earth while conducting scientific research.
13. James Webb Space Telescope	930,000 miles (1,500,000 km)	Beyond Exosphere	Scheduled to launch in 2021, this telescope will be able to observe extremely distant objects in space.
14. Lunar Gateway	239,000 miles (384,000 km)	Beyond Exosphere	This structure will orbit the Moon and serve as a stopping point for missions heading to the Moon's surface.
15. Meteors (Shooting Stars)	40–60 miles (65–97 km)	Mesosphere	Meteors are meteoroids — small pieces of asteroids or comets — that burn up as they enter Earth's atmosphere.
16. Model Rockets	190–1,000 ft (0.06–0.3 km)	Troposphere	These are small rockets that people can build and launch themselves.
17. Mount Everest	29,029 ft (8.8 km)	Troposphere	This is the highest point on Earth's surface.
18. Ozone Layer	10–30 miles (15–50 km)	Stratosphere	Found in the stratosphere, this layer absorbs some of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.
19. Parachutist	13,000 ft (4 km)	Troposphere	High-altitude parachutists have jumped from as high as 135,908 ft (41.1 km), which is actually in the mesosphere. Parachutes use air resistance to slow the fall of people and objects.
20. Small Airplane (Cessna)	2,500–9,500 ft (0.8–2.9 km)	Troposphere	These small aircraft carry only a few passengers at a time.
21. Small UAV (drone)	400 ft (0.1 km)	Troposphere	Drones and other small unmanned aerial vehicles fly below 400 ft and perform many jobs, such as delivering packages or taking aerial photos.
22. Sounding Rocket	75 miles (12 km)	Thermosphere	These rockets don't reach orbit; instead, they're built to carry science experiments briefly into the upper atmosphere.
23. Weather	0–9 miles (0–14 km)	Troposphere	Weather describes the conditions of the atmosphere at a specific place and time.
24. Weather Balloon	25 miles (40 km)	Stratosphere	After launch, these balloons rise while collecting weather data. Eventually they pop and fall back to Earth.
25. X-57 Maxwell	8,000–14,000 ft (2.4–4.3 km)	Troposphere	This battery-powered plane was built by NASA to test whether electric propulsion could work for aircraft.
26. X-59 QueSST	55,000 ft (16.8 km)	Stratosphere	This NASA plane is designed to test whether aircraft can break the sound barrier without creating a loud, damaging sonic boom.

Part 3

On the atmospheric diagram, label each layer of the atmosphere in the blanks provided. Then write in the name of each object you learned about from your classmates, making sure to place it in the correct layer. If there's time, draw a small picture for each object.

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Layer of the Atmosphere Information Sheets

Troposphere

Altitude: Sea level to 5 miles (8 kilometers) — this height changes with weather and the seasons

• This is the most complicated layer of the atmosphere because it's a system with many different variables that all affect conditions:
• Temperatures change due to the seasons, weather patterns, and the uneven way sunlight heats and cools Earth's surface
• Air temperature drops as altitude increases
• Temperature, air pressure, and air density are all connected to one another
• All of the water vapor in the atmosphere exists within the troposphere
• The height of the troposphere shifts with the seasons — it extends higher in summer and lower in winter
• Made up of nitrogen (78 percent), oxygen (21 percent), and small amounts of other gases
• As altitude increases, air pressure decreases because gravity's pull weakens and there's less air pushing down from above
• This is the densest (most tightly packed) layer of the atmosphere:
• About 75 percent of the atmosphere's total mass is found in the troposphere
• At sea level, air pressure equals 14.7 pounds per square inch

What objects are found here?
A. Birds
B. Clouds
C. Commercial Jetliner
D. Hang Glider
E. Helicopter
F. Hot Air Balloon
G. Model Rocket
H. Mount Everest
I. Parachutist
J. Small Airplane (Cessna)
K. Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
L. Weather
M. X-57 Maxwell

How far from Earth's surface are they?
A. 500 feet (0.2 km)
B. 0–20,000 feet (0–6 km)
C. 32,000–39,000 feet (9.8–11.4 km)
D. 5,000–10,000 feet (1.5–3 km)
E. 11,000 feet (3.4 km)
F. 2,000 feet (0.6 km)
G. 1,000 feet (0.3 km)
H. 29,029 feet (8.8 km)
I. 13,000 feet (4 km)
J. 9,500 feet (2.9 km)
K. 400 feet (0.1 km)
L. Throughout the troposphere
M. 8,000–14,000 feet (2.4–4.3 km)

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Stratosphere

Altitude: 5–31 miles (8–50 kilometers)

• Contains the ozone layer (31,600–105,600 feet, or 6–20 miles) — a section of the atmosphere with relatively high concentrations of ozone gas
• This layer soaks up some of the Sun's ultraviolet-B rays, keeping them from reaching Earth's surface
• Temperatures actually rise as altitude increases, because the ozone layer absorbs radiation from the Sun
• Conditions here are very stable, with little air turbulence
• Almost completely free of clouds or other weather

What objects are found here?
A. Armstrong Limit
B. ER-2
C. Fighter Aircraft (F-35)
D. Ozone Layer
E. Weather Balloon
F. X-59 QueSST

How far from Earth's surface are they?
A. 62,000 feet (19 km)
B. 70,000 feet (21.3 km)
C. 60,000 feet (18 km)
D. 10–30 miles (24–48 km)
E. 25 miles (