Layers of the Atmosphere

Lab Brief #5

🎯 Your mission

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

⚡ The twist

Today's mountain was yesterday's ocean floor.

What you'll learn

The atmosphere has several layers. The troposphere (closest to Earth) contains our weather. The stratosphere contains the ozone layer that protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Key words

weathering
When rocks slowly break apart from wind, water, and weather.
atmosphere
The layer of air and gases surrounding a planet.
weather
What the air and sky are like outside each day.

Make a hypothesis first

Guess: where will the water go first?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

sand
clay
water

Get ready

⚠️ Safety first

Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and keep the material away from your face.
Mop up spills straight away so nobody slips, and keep liquids away from sockets.
Check glassware for chips before use and carry it with both hands.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Investigate soil layers: fill a jar with soil and water, shake it, and let it settle overnight. Identify the layers of clay, silt, sand, and organic matter.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Use your senses (except taste) to describe what you notice.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a summary of your findings in 3-5 sentences.

Question 1 of 3

What is the ozone layer?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 3

What is the atmosphere?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 3 of 3

Which layer of Earth is the thinnest?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🌋 There are 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth right now.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 3 right.

Next: Understanding Climate Change All lessons

🎯

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✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: This is shaping the ground you walk on, slowly, every single day.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Find a rock outside and try to guess how old it is.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “What's the slowest change you can think of?”

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