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Science lesson plan · 9th grade (Year 10 in England) · 45 minutes

The Earth's atmosphere

Earth and rocks

CCSS NGSS.HS-ESS2-6CCSS NGSS.HS-ESS2-7England: KS3 Chemistry: Earth and atmosphereEngland: KS4 Combined Science: Earth and atmospheric science

Objective and success criteria

Students will: The Earth's atmosphere.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: The rock cycle

Leads to: How Earth's atmosphere changed over time

Materials: Rock samples, Hand lenses, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 5 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (The rock cycle). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. In the path from igneous to sedimentary rock, what comes straight after "layers of sediment build up"? (weathering breaks it into pieces / compaction and cementation form sedimentary rock / erosion carries the sediment to the sea / igneous rock at the surface) → compaction and cementation form sedimentary rockPrompt: Think about heat, pressure, melting, weathering and erosion.
  2. Molten rock beneath the Earth's surface is called… (marble / sediment / lava / magma) → magmaPrompt: It gets a different name once it erupts.
  3. In the path from sedimentary to igneous rock, what comes straight after "becomes metamorphic rock"? (magma cools to form igneous rock / sedimentary rock / buried deep and heated under pressure / melts to form magma) → melts to form magmaPrompt: Think about heat, pressure, melting, weathering and erosion.

Hook · 5 min

  • Pass round different rocks and ask how each one might have formed.
  • Share the objective: The Earth's atmosphere. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 10 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Where did most of the oxygen in today's atmosphere come from?
  • Step 1: Algae and later plants released oxygen by photosynthesis.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: photosynthesis by algae and plants over billions of years
  • Answer: photosynthesis by algae and plants over billions of years
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 10 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Which gas makes up most of the air we breathe? (carbon dioxide / hydrogen / oxygen / nitrogen) → nitrogenPrompt: It is about four-fifths of the air.
  2. Air is about 21% oxygen. About how many cm³ of oxygen are in 500 cm³ of air? → 105 cm³Prompt: Find 21% of 500.

You do: independent practice · 10 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Air is about 21% oxygen. About how many cm³ of oxygen are in 100 cm³ of air? → 21 cm³Prompt: Find 21% of 100.
  2. Early Earth's atmosphere was mostly… (argon / carbon dioxide, with water vapour, released by volcanoes / oxygen / helium) → carbon dioxide, with water vapour, released by volcanoesPrompt: Volcanic activity was intense.

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: The rock cycle.
  • Use concrete materials: rock samples.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: How Earth's atmosphere changed over time.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-9.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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The Earth's atmosphere

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Early Earth's atmosphere was mostly…

    • A. helium
    • B. carbon dioxide, with water vapour, released by volcanoes
    • C. oxygen
    • D. argon

  2. Question 2

    Air is about 21% oxygen. About how many cm³ of oxygen are in 500 cm³ of air?

    Answercm³

  3. Question 3

    The bar chart shows the composition of dry air (%). About what percentage is oxygen?

    Dry air (%)0102030405060708078nitrogen21oxygen1argon and other gases

    Answer%

  4. Question 4

    What happened to much of the carbon dioxide in the early atmosphere?

    • A. It escaped to the Moon
    • B. It dissolved in oceans and was locked up in rocks and fossil fuels
    • C. It turned into nitrogen
    • D. It is all still in the air

  5. Question 5

    Where did most of the oxygen in today's atmosphere come from?

    • A. volcanoes
    • B. the oceans boiling
    • C. photosynthesis by algae and plants over billions of years
    • D. the Sun

  6. Question 6

    Air is about 21% oxygen. About how many cm³ of oxygen are in 100 cm³ of air?

    Answercm³

  7. Question 7

    The bar chart shows the composition of dry air (%). How many percentage points more nitrogen than oxygen is there?

    Dry air (%)0102030405060708078nitrogen21oxygen1argon and other gases

    Answer%

  8. Question 8

    Air is about 21% oxygen. About how many cm³ of oxygen are in 200 cm³ of air?

    Answercm³

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Answer key: The Earth's atmosphere

  1. 1. B. carbon dioxide, with water vapour, released by volcanoes

  2. 2. 105 cm³

  3. 3. 21 %

  4. 4. B. It dissolved in oceans and was locked up in rocks and fossil fuels

  5. 5. C. photosynthesis by algae and plants over billions of years

  6. 6. 21 cm³

  7. 7. 57 %

  8. 8. 42 cm³