Maggie’s
Activity Pack
Name __________________________
Date ___________________________
Up, Up, and Away!
Did you know the air around Planet Earth has layers? There are
four main layers of our atmosphere. Read the postcards to learn
more about this important part of our planet.
Before you read, see what you know. Write T (true) or F (false)
on the lines. Then check back.
______1. The higher you go up in our atmosphere, the colder it gets.
______2. Most of the lowest layer is made up of oxygen.
______3. The ozone layer can hurt the Earth.
Dear Kuma,
The first layer of the atmosphere is the
troposphere. This is where hurricanes start.
Clouds form here, too. The gases we need for life
on Earth mix in this layer. Nitrogen makes up about
78% of the air. 21% of the air is oxygen. Plants and
trees need nitrogen. They take it in. They give off
oxygen. Animals take in oxygen. They give off
nitrogen. The troposphere is very balanced.
Maggie
Dear Jenny,
The second layer of our atmosphere is the
stratosphere. The temperature here can get very
warm, about 80°C (176°F). The helpful ozone layer
is located here. This protects us from the sun’s
harmful rays. But the ozone layer is thinning. That
means more radiation is reaching the Earth. We
need to protect this part of the stratosphere.
Maggie
Kuma______
Quicama____
National Park
Angola. Africa
Jenny______
West Avenue
Marquette, MI
© Maggie's Earth Adventures, LLC 2012. Teachers may reproduce for classroom use.
Dear Olga,
The third layer of our atmosphere is called
the mesosphere. The higher you go into the
mesosphere, the colder it gets. Millions of meteors
burn up in this layer every year. When you see a
shooting star, think of the mesosphere.
Weather balloons can’t fly here. Satellites
orbit above it. This is a difficult part of the
atmosphere to study.
Maggie
Olga_______
Borok Village
Russia_____
Just the Facts!
Write the correct atmosphere layer on each line.
1. Hurricanes are formed here.
__________________________
2. Shooting stars are found here. __________________
3. Temperatures can reach 1400°C here. ______________________
4. The ozone layer is here. ________________________
Dear Yoshi,
The fourth layer of our atmosphere is called
the thermosphere. This is the beginning of outer
space. The space shuttle flies here.
The temperatures here can vary from 130°C
(300°F) at night to 1400°C (2500°F) in the day.
Radio waves bounce off the lowest part of this
layer. They travel back to Earth. This is important
for communication.
Maggie
Yoshi_______
Kyoto______
Japan______
5. The space shuttle flies here. __________________________
6. This layer is difficult to study. ________________________
© Maggie's Earth Adventures, LLC 2012. Teachers may reproduce for classroom use.
Dear Maggie Colleague,
Time for Earth Science! And for SMART activities. You can use this
repurposed WAP as a traditional paper and pencil offering or you can use it as a
SMART activity. In constructing the SMART activity, begin with the usual Maggie
offering. Break it into pieces as you consider your students’ step-by-step process
of thinking through these science facts. In the SMART activity, you can stop after
each postcard to ask children to complete an “after reading” question to cement
key ideas. We think this is necessary and helpful for long-term memory. We also
love the idea of students creating their own diagram of the atmosphere as a
lesson closer. This is a great “ticket” out of the lesson and one that assures your
students’ understanding of the basic concepts. Even those of you using our
paper and pencil activity can do this step.
Of course, there are zillions of ways you can integrate these lessons with
other subject areas. For art lovers, have your students create a 3D model of the
layers of the atmosphere using different colors of clay. They can form little
clouds, space shuttles, etc. and place them in the correct layer. Those talented in
math can find out the heights of the layers. Have them write their own math
problems based on these facts. Those with a talent for creative writing could
imagine themselves an astronaut traveling through the layers. These travelers
can write a description of their observations and feelings. What a universe of
Multi-Intelligence activities there are!
Have fun with our atmosphere and don’t forget to check out A Breath Of
Fresh Air in our You Must Be Choking unit for loads of nonfiction articles on
positive ways people and companies are helping our air. It will be just right for
improving reading skills before the standardized testing “push” begins!
Happy teaching,
Kathy
Answer Key:
All of the answers to the first three questions are false. See if the students can “correct”
them by making them true!
1. troposphere
2. mesosphere
3. thermosphere
4. stratosphere
5. thermosphere
6. mesosphere
Goals:
Students will read “postcards” describing the different layers of our atmosphere.
Students will begin with activating background knowledge by answering true and
false questions. They will then “check” their answers by reading the postcards;
after which, they will use their knowledge to answer factual questions. This
activity is available on the intermediate, primary, and emergent levels. Ideas for a
SMART activity are included. This correlates with Content Standard D, Earth and
Space Science, of the National Science Standards.
© Maggie's Earth Adventures, LLC 2012. Teachers may reproduce for classroom use.