Climate Change WALT: Can I understand that the atmosphere surrounds the Earth and that the ozone layer is a part of that?

Success criteria: I can understand that the Earth’s atmosphere is made up of many layers I can understand that the ozone layer is a part of that I can understand what is happening to the ozone layer and why

Climate Change Alaska’s climate is changing. Over the past 60 years, most of the state has warmed three degrees (F) on average and six degrees during winter. As a result, Arctic sea ice is retreating, shores are eroding, glaciers are shrinking, and insect outbreaks and wildfires are becoming more common. In the coming decades, these effects are likely to accelerate. Why is this happening? Let’s have a look at the Earth’s atmosphere and why global climate is changing…

The Earth’s Atmosphere The Earth is surrounded by a layer of gases called the atmosphere. The atmosphere is very important to life on Earth and does many things to help protect life and help life to survive. A Big Blanket The atmosphere protects Earth like a big blanket of insulation. It absorbs the heat from the Sun and keeps the heat inside the atmosphere helping the Earth to stay warm, called the Greenhouse Effect. It also keeps the overall temperature of the Earth fairly steady, especially between night and day. So we don't get too cold at night and too hot during the day. There is also a portion of the atmosphere called the ozone layer. The ozone layer helps to protect the earth from the Sun's radiation. This big blanket also helps to form our weather patterns and climate. The weather keeps too much hot air from forming in one place and causes storms and rainfall. All of these things are important to life and the Earth's ecology.

Air The atmosphere is the air that plants and animals breathe to survive. The atmosphere is made up of mostly nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). There are lots of other gases that are part of the atmosphere, but in much smaller amounts. These include argon, carbon dioxide, neon, helium, hydrogen, and more. Oxygen is needed by animals to breathe and carbon dioxide is used by plant in photosynthesis.

The Earth's atmosphere is divided up into 5 major layers: Exosphere - The last layer and the thinnest. It goes all the way to 10,000 km above the Earth's surface. Thermosphere - The thermosphere is next and the air is very thin here. Temperatures can get extremely hot in the thermosphere. Mesosphere - The mesosphere covers the next 50 miles beyond the stratosphere. This is where most meteors burn up upon entry. The coldest place on Earth is at the top of the mesosphere. Stratosphere - The stratosphere extends for the next 32 miles after the troposphere. Unlike the troposphere the stratosphere gets its heat by the Ozone Layer absorbing radiation from the sun. As a result, it gets warmer the further away you get from the Earth. Weather balloons go as high as the stratosphere. Troposphere - The troposphere is the layer next to the ground or surface of the Earth. It covers around 30,000-50,000 feet high. This is where we live and even where planes fly. Around 80% of the mass of the atmosphere is in the troposphere. The troposphere is heated by the surface of the Earth.

Chromatography Atmosphere Task One: Stick an Earth sticker onto the middle of your filter paper Draw a black circle around the Earth with a felt tip pen Use a pipette/syringe to drop water onto the line and wait Discuss what is happening with your partner Why do you think we have done this investigation? What does it represent?

The separated colours (chromatography) represent the different layers of the Earth’s atmosphere. Task Two: 6ST/CB Complete your own diagram of the Earth’s atmosphere and answer the questions 6GC/EH Complete tasks 2 and 3

What is the ozone layer? ://www.ducksters.com/science/environment/ozone_layer.php

Observing the Earth from Space EO Detective Observing the Earth from Space

WALT: Can I investigate the effects of climate change on environmental changes in the Polar regions using satellite images?

Success criteria: I can use black and white and colour images to identify physical features I can use satellite images to monitor environmental changes in the Polar regions I can understand why environmental changes are happening in the Polar regions

Astronauts have been taking photographs of the Earth from space for over 50 years and Earth observation scientists have used satellite images for a similar amount of time. A vantage point in space, such as the International Space Station (ISS), provides a unique perspective from which scientists can monitor environmental processes and change.

Watching a glacier Investigating ice at the top of the world This is a satellite photograph of the Columbia Glacier in Alaska but what is a glacier? Let’s watch the video. June 2000

Watching a glacier This video shows you what the Columbia Glacier looks like from Earth… June 2000

Columbia glacier is located in Prince William Sound in Alaska Columbia glacier is located in Prince William Sound in Alaska. At over 550 meters thick at some points and covering an area of 400 square miles, this glacier is a sight to behold, whether from a boat or the sky. It snakes its way 32 miles through the Chugach Mountains before dumping into the Columbia Bay.

Let’s look at the satellite photographs of the Columbia Glacier in more detail Scientists use computers to make coloured images from data sent from satellites. Task One: Can you work out some of the physical features from the false-colour image? June 2000

snow and ice plants sea clouds rocky ground rocky ice June 2000

Task Two: Can you identify: A square with lots of clouds? A square that is mostly ocean? A square with lots of plants? A square that is mostly glacier? Write the coordinates for each square. June 2000

How big is the Columbia Glacier?

Measuring area of land The size of land and is measured by how much space, or area, it covers. In the diagram below the shaded represents a piece of land. If each square represents 1m x 1m, how many square metres is the area of the piece of land? Top Tips: Firstly, count how many whole squares are shaded Next, count any squares that are ‘almost’ completely shaded Match the remainding, partly shaded squares with each other to make as many wholes as you can Finally,you can now estimate the area of the shaded area. What did you estimate the area of this shape to be?

Measuring area of land Task Three: Draw an irregular shape, to represent a piece of land, on your squared paper and colour it in. Cut it out and glue it into your book. Find the area, in square cms of your shaded shape.

With your talk partners, can you explain what you think has happened to the Columbia glacier over time? Why do you think this is happening? 1989 2005 2015

Task Four: Work out how much of the glacier’s area has been lost over the past 25 years? 1989 2005 2015 Each square is 4 km × 4 km