Where in the Air: Classroom Activity Educator Guide

OVERVIEW

In this lesson, students learn about the layers of Earth's atmosphere and discover what kinds of objects—natural and human-made—can be found in each one.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Identify the layers of the atmosphere, including where each one sits relative to the others
• Determine 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 one worksheet per student, along with enough informational sheets so each student receives a copy describing their group's assigned object. The object descriptions vary in reading difficulty, so you can match sheets to different reading levels in your class.

Materials

• Worksheet (one per student)
• Informational sheets (one per group or student)

Other Resources

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

Steps

1. Use a warm-up activity or another method to teach (or review) the layers of the atmosphere. An internet search will turn up many activities and videos you can use to engage students. You might present this alongside Earth's other "spheres"—the cryosphere (ice and snow), hydrosphere (water), biosphere (living things), and so on.

1. Divide students into groups of two or three. Depending on your class size, students can also work individually.

1. Assign each group an object to research so they become "experts" on it. Give every group member a copy of the informational sheet (found in the student guide) describing that object. Groups that finish early can be assigned a second object. Alternatively, students may access the student guide digitally.

1. In Part 1 of the worksheet, students gather information about their assigned object, which they'll later share with the class. Groups should complete this part while reading their assigned informational sheet(s).

1. For Part 2, each group presents what they learned about their object. As each group presents, the rest of the class fills in the corresponding information on their own worksheets.

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

1. Students should complete Part 3 individually, using the information gathered from their classmates' presentations.

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"Where in the Air?" Student Worksheet

PART 1

(Answers will vary based on each group's assigned object.)

PART 2

Now that you know about one object found in Earth's atmosphere, it's time to learn about the rest. Other groups have researched different objects. As they share what they learned, write it down on your worksheet—and don't forget to fill in the information about your own object, too! Note that a few objects on the list may not be covered by your class.

ANSWER KEY

OBJECT	ALTITUDE	ATMOSPHERIC LAYER	DESCRIPTION
1. Armstrong Line	62,000 ft (19 km)	Stratosphere	This is the altitude at which liquids boil at human body temperature. A full pressure suit is required above this height.
2. Birds	500–29,000 ft (0.15–8.8 km)	Troposphere	Birds fly at different altitudes depending on their size and where they're headed.
3. Clouds	0–60,000 ft (0–18 km)	Troposphere & Lower Stratosphere	Clouds are masses of liquid or solid water floating in the air. Different cloud types form at different altitudes.
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 supplemental oxygen is needed.
5. Communication Satellite	100–22,000 mi (160–36,000 km)	Thermosphere & Exosphere	These satellites receive, boost, and transmit electronic signals, allowing communication over long distances.
6. ER-2 (research aircraft)	65,000–70,000 ft (20–21 km)	Stratosphere	This aircraft serves as a platform for high-altitude science missions because it can fly both slowly and at great height.
7. Fighter Aircraft (F-35)	60,000 ft (18 km)	Stratosphere	These jets are fast and highly maneuverable. Pilots need g-suits (pressurized suits) to withstand the intense forces of flight.
8. Hang Glider	12,000–15,000 ft (3.7–4.6 km)	Troposphere	These are non-powered aircraft that let people glide over fairly long distances.
9. Helicopter	0–25,000 ft (0–7.6 km)	Troposphere	Helicopters use spinning wings called rotors to generate 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 fill with hot air, which is less dense than cool air. This causes them to rise and carry passengers aloft.
11. Hubble Space Telescope	340 mi (450 km)	Thermosphere	This powerful telescope orbits Earth, observing distant objects in space.
12. International Space Station	250 mi (400 km)	Thermosphere	This crewed space station conducts scientific research while orbiting Earth.
13. James Webb Space Telescope	930,000 mi (1,500,000 km)	Beyond the Exosphere	Scheduled to launch in 2021, this telescope is designed to observe extremely distant objects in space.
14. Lunar Gateway	239,000 mi (384,000 km)	Beyond the Exosphere	The Gateway will orbit the Moon and serve as a stopping-off point for missions heading to the lunar surface.
15. Meteors (Shooting Stars)	40–60 mi (65–97 km)	Mesosphere	Meteors are meteoroids—small fragments of asteroids or comets—burning 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 individuals 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 mi (15–50 km)	Stratosphere	Located within 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 reached heights of 135,908 ft (41.1 km)—actually within the mesosphere. Parachutes slow a fall using air resistance.
20. Small Airplane (Cessna)	2,500–9,500 ft (0.8–2.9 km)	Troposphere	These small planes 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 (UAVs) fly below 400 ft and perform tasks such as package delivery and aerial photography.
22. Sounding Rocket	75 mi (12 km)	Thermosphere	These rockets don't reach orbit; they're built to carry science experiments to high altitudes.
23. Weather	0–9 mi (0–14 km)	Troposphere	Weather refers to atmospheric conditions at a particular place and time.
24. Weather Balloon	25 mi (40 km)	Stratosphere	These balloons collect weather data as they rise, then eventually burst 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 designed by NASA to test whether electric propulsion is a practical option for aircraft.
26. X-59 QueSST	55,000 ft (16.8 km)	Stratosphere	This NASA aircraft will test whether planes can break the sound barrier without producing 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 time allows, draw a picture to go with each object.

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LAYER OF THE ATMOSPHERE INFORMATION SHEETS

Troposphere

Altitude: Sea level to 5 miles (8 kilometers)—varies with weather and season

• This is the most complex atmospheric layer because it's a system with many interacting variables that all affect conditions.
• Temperatures shift due to seasons, weather, and the uneven heating and cooling of Earth's surface.
• Air temperature drops as altitude increases.
• Temperature, pressure, and air density are all interconnected.
• All of the atmosphere's water vapor is contained within the troposphere.
• The height of the troposphere changes with the seasons—it extends higher in summer and lower in winter.
• It's made up of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and small amounts of other trace gases.
• As altitude increases, air pressure decreases, because gravity's pull weakens and there's less air pressing down from above.
• This is the densest layer of the atmosphere.
• About 75% of the atmosphere's total mass is contained in the troposphere.
• At sea level, atmospheric pressure measures 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)—the part of the atmosphere with relatively high concentrations of ozone.
• This layer absorbs some of the Sun's ultraviolet-B radiation, keeping it from reaching Earth's surface.
• Temperatures rise as altitude increases, due to radiation absorbed by the ozone layer.
• Conditions here are very stable, with little air turbulence.
• This layer is almost entirely 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.