As the carbon dioxide concentration of our atmosphere increases and our climate warms, the hay fever season seems to be getting longer and more severe. In this case study, students assume the a role of a public relations specialist contracted to communicate the link between climate change and pollen allergies. The activity focuses on the importance of scientific skills to careers outside science, and is most suitable for a lower-level introductory biology, human health, or environmental science course.

This activity (on page 2 of the PDF) is a full inquiry investigation into aerial imagery. Learners will use the internet to gather free aerial imagery of nearby points of interest (or use laminated images prepped by educator). Then, they will imagine they are traveling in a spaceship to visit Earth for the first time and explore how their view changes as they approach Earthäóťs surface. Relates to linked video, DragonflyTV GPS: Earthquakes.

In this activity (page 1 of PDF), learners will construct an air cannon by cutting a hole in the bottom of a bucket and stretching a garbage bag over the other end. Then, they aim the cannon at a paper target and try to knock it over by giving the plastic bag a good whack. Learners also experiment with hole size to make the cannon more effective. Relates to the linked video, DragonflyTV: Forecasting.

This is a series of activities demonstrating that air has mass, takes up space, and can exert a force on objects enough to lift them.

By watching and performing several simple experiments, students develop an understanding of the properties of air: it has mass, it takes up space, it can move, it exerts pressure, it can do work.

Air pressure is pushing on us all the time although we do not usually notice it. In this activity, students learn about the units of pressure and get a sense of just how much air pressure is pushing on them.

In this activity, learners simulate Otto von Guericke's famous Magdeburg Hemispheres experiment. In this modern, low cost version, a pair of learners try to pull apart two suction cups (dent pullers). Learners then calculate the amount of force holding the dent pullers together.

This is an inquiry activity that relies of pervious understanding of balancing and weighing to introduce a properties of air.

Students are introduced to air masses, with an emphasis on the differences between and characteristics of high- versus low-pressure air systems. Students also hear about weather forecasting instrumentation and how engineers work to improve these instruments for atmospheric measurements on Earth and in space.

In this informational text, elementary school readers learn about the difference between weather and climate and about components of the climate system. The text can be used to practice visualizing and other comprehension strategies. Available in K-2 and 3-5 grade bands and as an illustrated book as well as a text document, the story appears in the online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle.

This lab exercise provides students with activities utilizing vector operations within the context of the atmospheric and oceanic environments.

In this video segment adapted from KUAC, find out why the horizon in Alaska is sometimes shrouded in pollution and what it means for climate change in the Arctic. ***Access to Teacher's Domain content now requires free login to PBS Learning Media.

In this engineering activity, learners will get acquainted with the basics of wind energy and power production by fabricating and testing various blade designs for table-top windmills constructed from one-inch PVC pipe and balsa wood (or recycled materials). This lesson plan is divided into three parts. In Part I, learners explore outdoors and examine where wind comes from. In Part II, learners review the power equation and wind as an energy resource. Finally, in Part III, learners work in groups to construct and test their wind turbines. During each section, learners can view video segments that are linked to this resource.

In this activity, learners create a model using metric measuring tapes and atmosphere composition data. Learners will investigate the major components of the atmosphere (nitrogen and oxygen) as well as the minor components which raise questions about global warming and greenhouse gases.

In this feature, adapted from Interactive NOVA: "Earth," students explore the relationship between oxygen concentration and the well-being of various organisms by simulating a change in oxygen levels and observing what happens.

Did you know that air has weight? This illustrated essay from the NOVA Web site explores conditions that affect air density and atmospheric pressure.

This set of homework problems is intended to help students begin to discover the importance and utility of conservation principles derived from the First Law of Thermodynamics and provide a first step in evolving from the p-V diagrams the students have seen in their physics coursework toward the thermodynamic diagrams used in meteorology.

This Astronomy Picture of the Day captured an aurora from the ground in Antarctica. Also in the frame are buildings housing scientific instruments. Text and links provide further information.

Let's imagine a scale model of the Earth and use a basketball to represent the Earth. Now, let's get ourselves some packages of fruit roll-ups and start covering the basketball with layers of fruit roll-ups. How many layers would we have to cover the basketball with in order to make the stack of fruit roll-ups as thick as the Earth's atmosphere, to scale?

Air is our most precious resource. Without food, we can live for weeks and without water, we can live for days. But without air to breathe, we survive about 4 minutes! If you visit the top of Mt. Lemmon in Arizona, you will probably notice a shortness of breath due to the thinner atmosphere at 8,000 ft. At the top of Mt. Everest at 29,000 ft. about 99% of the earth's atmosphere is below you. In a commercial jet, traveling across country, you would be dead in minutes without the pressurized cabin and supply of oxygen to breathe.Relative to the planet earth, the atmosphere we survive in is extremely thin. Most people live at or close to sea level since most of the major cities of the world are along coastlines. Some cities and villages in Mexico, South America and China are at higher elevations from 8,000 to 12,000 ft. Few, if any, people actually live above 15,000 ft. Mt McKinley in Alaska is about 20,000 ft high and climbers do get to the top without oxygen tanks but they need tremendous determination due in part to the thin atmosphere.Given that most people live below an altitude of 15,000 ft., calculate the thickness in miles of the atmosphere in which humans effectively live.