Atmosphere Webquest: Formation, Layers of the Atmosphere, More (Earth Science)

The Atmosphere Webquest comes with a worksheet and an answer key. Each clickable link in the webquest points to information that your students need to complete the worksheet. Besides sharing the webquest with students and printing the worksheets, no other prep is needed to conduct this earth science lesson on the atmosphere.

How to use this resource:

1.) Share the PDF webquest file with clickable links to student computers.

2.) Print the accompanying worksheets.

3.) That’s it! Students are ready to get started.

Students click the links embedded into stunning photographs in the webquest to find answers to questions on various web pages. (The questions follow the order of the links.) Students write their responses on the accompanying worksheet.

The atmosphere is an essential meteorology and earth science topic. In this webquest, students will be introduced to the following concepts and vocabulary connected to the atmosphere:

• The formation and development of the early atmosphere

• Atmospheric composition: nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases

• Layers of the atmosphere: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

• Other atmospheric features: air pressure, bioaerosols and other aerosols, the ozone layer, the hydrostatic balance, the Karman line

All Forward-Thinking Curriculum webquests meet the following stringent quality criteria:

· All links connect to very carefully-selected and modern websites.

· All linked online texts are from highly authoritative and reputable sources (specific sources for this webquest are shown below).

· Students can complete all of the included questions by accessing the online texts and the images alone. No earphones or other special technology are needed to access the information.

· The online texts are at a reading level that is accessible to middle and high school students.

· Very importantly, all links are routinely checked and maintained!

This resource includes the following:

• Webquest: Stunning images directly link students to relevant informational text from the National Weather Service, NASA, the BBC, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Click the green preview button above to preview every page. (PDF, 7 pages)

• Student worksheet (PDF, 17 short-answer questions, 4 pages)

• Answer key to student worksheet (PDF, 4 pages)

You can enjoy this and the rest of the webquest set at a fraction of the price. Click any link below for previews:

Atmospheric Science Topics:

· The Atmosphere

· Tornadoes, Thunderstorms, and Hurricanes

· Air Masses, Fronts, Weather, and Precipitation

· Air Pressure and Winds

· Clouds

Hydrology Topics:

· The Water Cycle

· Watersheds, Rivers, and Lakes

· The Ocean

· The Cryosphere

· Groundwater

Space Science Topics:

· The Universe and Our Milky Way Galaxy

· The Earth and Moon

· Planets and Space Rocks in the Solar System

· Stars and Black Holes

· The Sun

Geology Topics:

· Rock Cycle and Rock Types

· Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition

· Plate Tectonics

· Earthquakes and Tsunamis

· Volcanoes

Please remember, this is a copyright-protected resource. It is for the use of a single teacher and his/her students. It may not be otherwise distributed or posted online outside of a password-protected school environment. Thank you!

© Forward-Thinking Curriculum

All images are used legally and attributed where required within this resource.