Atmosphere Model / Poster – 50 points

Purpose:

§ Students will gain an understanding of the structure of our atmosphere

§ Students will show the importance of each layer of the atmosphere to human activity and life on earth

Method:

Students will construct a model or poster of the atmosphere showing and describing the following layers, including their heights above ground, in kilometers and atmospheric pressure at that elevation (in millibars):

· Troposphere

· Tropopause

· Stratosphere

· Stratopause

· Mesosphere

· Mesopause

· Thermosphere

· Ionosphere

· Exosphere

Students will also show where each of the following phenomenon occur and explain (where appropriate) why each layer is important to life on earth:

· Ozone layer

· Weather

· Where planes fly (commercial jets)

· Auroras

· Where most meteors burn up

· Satellites / space shuttle

Students must show how the temperature changes as one increases in altitude through the layers and explain why the temperature changes.

Students must also differentiate between a “pause” and a “sphere”