One of the things I love most about being a teacher is that each day I get to see the direct impact of the work I do. Over the past four years, I have seen just how high the stakes are for my students. But every skill or life-lesson I teach them can open the door for opportunities and put them on the life path to becoming engaged global citizens in an every changing society. Humans significantly affect and alter the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere through our release of chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and carbon dioxide. These chemicals deplete our precious ozone layer and cause changes to the Earth’s temperature.
This curriculum unit focused on the physics and chemistry of the Earth’s atmosphere and climate will foster the creation of more global students and citizens capable of making informed decisions about our planet. This unit fosters transformational change by impacting all areas of my students’ lives, from academic growth to problem solving and career development. Academically, students will gain exposure to real world scientific connections. They will engage in cutting edge work of the discipline, through topics such as the balance of thermal energy from the sun, the ozone layer, and the effects of increasing carbon dioxide levels. Also, this unit will focus on problem solving. My students, like scientists, will practice thinking critically and creatively to solve problems that relate to the world around them and other fields of science and mathematics. And finally, this unit will provide students with a deeper understanding of STEM careers and hopefully spark their interest in pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics so show others the importance of protecting Earth so it can continue to protect us.
The New Haven 6th grade general science curriculums focus heavily on the energy in the earth’s systems. The 8
th
grade curriculum includes a unit on solar system motion. This unit invites students to examine how the position of the Earth in the solar system affects conditions on our planet such as, seasons and Earth’s temperature.
Students will explore the blanket of gases that the surround the Earth, called the atmosphere. The atmosphere is made up of 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and the remaining 1 percent is composed of argon, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases. This will also tie in connections to a previous unit where the students learned elements on the periodic table and the states of matter. The unit will also cover the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere. Students will compare and contrast the different layers based on their temperature, location, and characteristics. The five layers the students will investigate are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. One of the essential questions the students will investigate is: What would happen if the layers of gas around Earth absorbed all of the sun’s energy?
The “Planet Protectors” curriculum unit will address the balance of thermal energy from the sun in determining the Earth’s temperature, the ozone layers and their destruction by CFCs. I want students to create a culminating project in which they each produce a public service announcement that urges citizens to become “Planet Protectors” and ways that we can help ensure the Earth’s atmosphere provides Earth with protection for years to come.
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