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- In this lab activity, students will understand there were several gases present in the atmosphere of Early Earth and that these gases are currently present on Earth.
- Students will learn that the percentage composition of gases in the atmosphere has changed over time and each gas can react with substances in different ways.
- Students will learn life was present in Early Earth, it was different than the student’s current view of life and many of the life forms present during Early Earth can still be found today.
- Day 1: Start of Early Atmosphere Lab.
- Day 2: Observations on EAL.
- Day 3: Conclusion of EAL lab.
- Day 4: Creating the building blocks of life simulation.
- The lectures and activities were designed for 9th grade Earth Science students.
- The activities can also be adapted for the use in a chemistry class.
- Day 1, 3 and 4 activities were designed to be completed in a 55 min class period.
- Day 2 activities can be completed in less than 20 min and for the remainder of time students can read background information in the textbook.
- The Early Atmosphere Lab takes place over a 3 day time span. If lab materials can not be supplied for the Early Atmosphere Lab, pictures of the different treatments are made available and the lab could be completed within one class period.
- This portion of the unit was taught after the unit on the solar system.
- Students were familiar with the types of gases that could be found on the inner planets and the formation of the solar system and planets.
- No homework assignments are associated with this section of the unit.
- The students were assigned appropriate reading from the textbook during the unit.
- Each lab activity has questions at the end to aid the students in understanding key concepts.
- For each activity a vocabulary list is provided on the top page of the activity.
- A list of supplies is included for the Early Earth Activities in each of the corresponding teacher notes.
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- The first activity is a lab activity that will require the entire 55 min class period.
- A brief introduction (~15) is given to the students about oxidation and how it affects our current knowledge about life.
- The remainder of the class period is used to set up the experiment and to take observations.
- The second day observations of the lab will take ~15-20 min depending on how organized the students are. There are no planned activities for the remainder of this time.
- Background reading on the formation of Earth’s atmosphere is recommended.
- This last day is used to finish observations of the lab and discuss the results. This will take approximately 25 min.
- The remainder of the class time will be filled with a short lecture examining the fate of atmospheric gases and how we know the atmosphere has changed over time.
- This activity can be completed as a whole class or in individual groups.
- The activity is web based with a short slide show lecture after the activity.
- This activity can be completed in one 55 min class period.
- The short slide show will be used as a tool to show how different life may have looked before the rise of oxygen in the atmosphere.
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Banded Iron Formation
Hot Spring
Stromatolites
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- Grade Level: 9
- Time Frame: All the activities were designed for a 55 min class period.
- California Science Standard 7: "Each element on Earth moves among reservoirs, which exist in the solid earth, in oceans, in the atmosphere, and within and among organisms as part of biogeochemical cycles."
- California Science Standard 1C: "Students know the evidence from geological studies of Earth and other planets suggest that the early Earth was very different from Earth today."
- California Science Standard 4B: "Students know the fate of incoming solar radiation in terms of reflection, absorption, and photosynthesis."
- California Science Standard 8B: "Students know how the composition of Earth’s atmosphere has evolved over geologic time and know the effect of outgassing, the variations of carbon dioxide concentration, and the origin of atmospheric oxygen."
- Investigation and experimentation standards 1A: "Select and use appropriate tools and technology (such as computer-linked probes, spreadsheets, and graphing calculators) to perform tests, collect data, analyze relationships, and display data."
- Investigation and experimentation standards 1D: "Formulate explanations by using logic and evidence."
- Investigation and experimentation standards 1L: "Analyze situations and solve problems that require combining and applying concepts from more than one area of science."
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SIO Cafe
Scripps Pier
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Design EarthRef.org
Sponsored by NSF and NSDL
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