Department of Education Region

III – CENTRAL LUZON Schools

Division of Tarlac Province CAPAS
NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL Dolores,
Capas, Tarlac

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE STE

7
SECOND QUARTER

Prepared by: JOANNA

M. SIRON T-III
 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REGION III
CAPAS NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL Dolores,
Capas, Tarlac

Environmental Science
Quarter 2 - (Week 1)

Composition and Layers of the Atmosphere

 INTRODUCTION

This module is intended for Grade 7 learners in their Environmental Science subject. It talks about the atmosphere, the
gaseous portion of the earth. It focuses on the composition and layers of the atmosphere specifically the occurrences on each layer.
It aims to develop learners’ awareness on the importance of atmosphere especially to organisms.
The module was designed to give customized instructions to learners. Several activities are provided and are put in order
of complexity to develop self-paced learning.

Objectives:
1. Enumerate the composition and layers of the atmosphere.
2. Discuss each layer of the atmosphere.
3. Give the importance of the atmosphere.

PRE-ASSESSMENT

I. Direction: Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. We live in which layer of the atmosphere?
a. exosphere b. ionosphere c. troposphere d. mesosphere
2. Which part of the atmosphere is actually made up of two layers?
a. Mesosphere b. stratosphere c. thermosphere d. exosphere
3. Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?
a. Mesosphere b. stratosphere c. thermosphere d. exosphere
4. What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere:
a. carbon dioxide b. methane c. water vapor d. nitrogen
5. Which is not a greenhouse gas?
a. carbon dioxide b. methane c. water vapor d. nitrogen
6. In which layer of the atmosphere do meteors burn up?
a. troposphere b. mesosphere c. stratosphere d. exosphere
7. Which of the following makes up 21% of the atmosphere?
a. methane b. carbon dioxide c. oxygen d. nitrogen
8. Which of the following is not true about ozone?
a. It is just like regular oxygen. b. It protects us from UV light.
c. It contains three oxygen atoms. d. It makes up the layer in the atmosphere found in the stratosphere.
9. It is where weather changes occur.
a. exosphere b. ionosphere c. troposphere d. mesosphere
10. The two most common gases in the atmosphere.
a. oxygen and nitrogen b. nitrogen and methane c. oxygen and water vapor d. methane and neon
11. It is the hottest layer of the atmosphere.
a. thermosphere b. ionosphere c. mesosphere d. stratosphere
12. This is the layer where airplanes fly.
a. thermosphere b. ionosphere c. mesosphere d. stratosphere
13. It is the coldest layer of the atmosphere.
a. troposphere b. mesosphere c. stratosphere d. exosphere
14. Satellites orbits in this layer of the atmosphere.
a. troposphere b. mesosphere c. stratosphere d. thermosphere
15. In which layer do auroras occur?
a. troposphere b. mesosphere c. stratosphere d. thermosphere

LESSON PROPER
For you to relax yourself, practice inhale exhale 5 times. Now, try to hold your breath for 10 seconds. What do you
feel? What is missing when you hold your breath? Yes, air. Do you think you can survive without air?
For this module, you will learn all about air, its composition and importance. But how important is air to
us? Activity 1 will enlighten you to answer this question.
Activity 1
Direction: Put a check (/) on the pictures that show the uses of
air.

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4 5 6

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LET’S DISCUSS..

Air is the invisible mixture of odorless tasteless gas that surrounds the earth and forms its atmosphere.
It consists one of the main life-sustaining gas called oxygen. Almost all living things breathe in and breathe out this air.
Nitrogen and carbon dioxide are also other gases that are vital for plants and their growth. Air is very essential
especially to organisms. Experts apply the rule of threes with regards to the basic needs of man . According to
the experts, a person can’t survive for so long without food, water, shelter, and air. He /she can go about three
weeks without food, three days without water, three hours without shelter, and three minutes without air.
The blanket of air that surrounds the earth is the atmosphere. It is mainly composed of about 78% nitrogen,
21% oxygen, and 1% other gases like water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide and more. It is believed that a body is more
likely to retain an atmosphere over time if gravity is high and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. There are five
layers of the atmosphere which are based on temperature. These are troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere,
thermosphere, and exosphere. Refer to the picture below for the layers of the atmosphere.
Graphicriver.net

Troposphere
The troposphere is the lowest layer of our atmosphere. Starting at ground level, it extends upward to about
10 km (6.2 miles or about 33,000 feet) above sea level. We humans live in the troposphere, and nearly all weather
occurs in this lowest layer. Most clouds appear here, mainly because 99% of the water vapor in the atmosphere is
foun d in the troposphere. Air pressure drops, and temperatures get colder, as you climb higher in the troposphere.

Stratosphere
The next layer up is called the stratosphere. The stratosphere extends from the top of the troposphere to about
50 km (31 miles) above the ground. The infamous ozone layer is found within the stratosphere. Ozone molecules in
this layer absorb high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light from the Sun, converting the UV energy into heat. Unlike the
troposphere,
the stratosphere actually gets warmer the higher you go! That trend of rising temperatures with altitude means that
air in the stratosphere lacks the turbulence and updrafts of the troposphere beneath. Commercial passenger jets fly in
the lower stratosphere, partly because this less-turbulent layer provides a smoother ride. The jet stream flows near the
border between the troposphere and the stratosphere.

Mesosphere
Above the stratosphere is the mesosphere. It extends upward to a height of about 85 km (53 miles) above our
planet. Most meteors burn up in the mesosphere. Unlike the stratosphere, temperatures once again grow colder as you
rise up through the mesosphere. The coldest temperatures in Earth's atmosphere, about -90° C (-130° F), are found near
the top of this layer. The air in the mesosphere is far too thin to breathe; air pressure at the bottom of the layer is well
below 1% of the pressure at sea level, and continues dropping as you go higher.

Thermosphere
The layer of very rare air above the mesosphere is called the thermosphere. High-energy X-rays and UV
radiation from the Sun are absorbed in the thermosphere, raising its temperature to hundreds or at times thousands of
degrees. However, the air in this layer is so thin that it would feel freezing cold to us! In many ways, the thermosphere
is more like outer space than a part of the atmosphere. Many satellites actually orbit Earth within the
thermosphere!
Variations in the amount of energy coming from the Sun exert a powerful influence on both the height of the top of this
layer and the temperature within it. Because of this, the top of the thermospher e can be found anywhere between
500 and 1,000 km (311 to 621 miles) above the ground. Temperatures in the upper thermosphere can range from
about
500° C (932° F) to 2,000° C (3,632° F) or higher. The aurora, the Northern Lights and Southern Lights, occur i n
the
thermosphere.

Exosphere
Although some experts consider the thermosphere to be the uppermost layer of our atmosphere, others
consider the exosphere to be the actual "final frontier" of Earth's gaseous envelope. As you might imagine, the "air"
in
the exosphere is very, very, very thin, making this layer even more space-like than the thermosphere. In fact, air in the
exosphere is constantly - though very gradually - "leaking" out of Earth's atmosphere into outer space. There is no clear-
cut upper boundary where the exosphere finally fades away into space. Different definitions place the top of the
exosphere somewhere between 100,000 km (62,000 miles) and 190,000 km (120,000 miles) above the surface of Earth.
The latter value is about halfway to the Moon!

Ionosphere
The ionosphere is not a distinct layer like the others mentioned above. Instead, the ionosphere is a series of
regions in parts of the mesosphere and thermosphere where high-energy radiation from the Sun has knocked electrons
loose from their parent atoms and molecules. The electrically charged atoms and molecules that are formed in this way
are called ions, giving the ionosphere its name and endowing this region with some special properties.

Activity 2 (Enrichment
Activity)
Pinterest.com
 The atmosphere plays a vital role not only to organisms but on the differences processes that occur on
earth. We are very lucky that we have the atmosphere because along with its different gases, it allows life to survive on
earth. Without it, the world will become unproductive and cruel. But how important is atmosphere to us?
The atmosphere supports life and is also needed for the water cycle and weather. The gases of the atmosphere
even allow us to hear.

The Atmosphere and Living Things

Most of the atmosphere is nitrogen, but it doesn't do much. Carbon dioxide and oxygen are the gases in the
atmosphere that are needed for life. Plants need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. They use sunlight to change
carbon
dioxide and water into food. The process releases oxygen. Without photosynthesis, there would be very little oxygen
in the air. Other living things depend on plants for food. These organisms need the oxygen plants release to get energy
out of the food. Even plants need oxygen for this purpose.

The Atmosphere and the Sun’s Rays

The atmosphere protects living things from the Sun’s most harmful rays. Gases reflect or absorb the strongest
rays of sunlight.

The Atmosphere and Earth’s Temperature

Gases in the atmosphere surround Earth like a blanket. They keep the temperature in a range that can support
life. The gases keep out some of the Sun’s scorching heat during the day. At night, they hold the heat close to
the surface, so it doesn’t radiate out into space.

The Atmosphere and Earth’s Water

The atmosphere is very important in the continuous supply of water on earth. Water vapor rises from Earth’s
surface into the atmosphere. As it rises, it cools. The water vapor may then condense into water droplets and
form clouds. If enough water droplets collect in clouds, they may come together to form droplets. The droplets will
fall as rain. This how freshwater gets from the atmosphere back to Earth's surface.

The Atmosphere and Weather

Without the atmosphere, there would be no clouds or rain. In fact, there would be no weather at all. Most
weather occurs because the atmosphere heats up more in some places than others.

The Atmosphere and Weathering

Weather makes life interesting. Weather also causes weathering. Weathering is the slow wearing
down of rocks on Earth’s surface. Wind-blown sand scours rocks like sandpaper. Glaciers of ice scrape across rock
surfaces like a file. Even gentle rain may seep into rocks and slowly dissolve them. If the water freezes, it expands. This
eventually causes the rocks to crack. Without the atmosphere, none of this weathering would happen. Rocks at the
surface would be pristine and unaltered.

The Atmosphere and Sound

Sound is a form of energy that travels in waves. Sound waves cannot travel through empty space, but they
can travel through gases. Gases in the air allow us to hear most of the sounds in our world. Because of air, you
can hear birds singing, horns tooting, and friends laughing. Without the atmosphere, the world would be a silent,
eerie place.

GENERALIZATION

Activity 3
Direction: Draw a comic strip showing how to take good care of the
atmosphere.
Activity 4
Directions:
APPLICATION
1. Color each layer of the Earth’s atmosphere according to the color scheme below.
2. Show the temperature changes of each layer of the atmosphere.
3. Draw a picture inside each layer to represent something that you would find in that layer of the atmosphere.

Teacherspayteahers.com

Troposphere – yellow mesosphere - red

Stratosphere – blue ionosphere - green
Exosphere – orange

POST-ASSESSMENT
I. Multiple Choice: Encircle the letter of the correct answer.
1. It is the blanket of air that surrounds the Earth.
a. Lithosphere b. atmosphere c. hydrosphere d. biosphere
2. Approximately what percentage of air is made up of gases other than nitrogen and oxygen?
a. 1% b. 11% c. 21% d. 99%
3. Which statement about the stratosphere is true? a.
There is no air pressure in the stratosphere. b.
Weather happens in the stratosphere.
c. The stratosphere is below the troposphere
d. The stratosphere is warmer at the top than at the bottom.
4. As you get higher off of the ground, what happens to the air pressure?
a. There is no air pressure in the atmosphere. b.
Air pressure is always the same.
c. It decreases. d.
It increases.
5. As you get higher off of the ground, what happens to the air temperature?
a. There is no air temperature in the atmosphere. b.
Air temperature is always the same.
c. It decreases. d.
It increases.
 II. Identify the layer of the atmosphere that is described. Write the LETTER only on the line before the number.

a. Troposphere b. stratosphere c. mesosphere d. Thermosphere e.

exosphere

1. Coldest layer
2. Constitutes most of the mass of the atmosphere
3. Weather changes occur.
4. Shields earth from ultraviolet radiation
_5. Hottest layer
6. Can be access by jet powered aircraft
7. Contains the ozone layer
8. Contains most of the satellites orbiting the earth
9. Where auroras occur
10. Contains roughly 80% of the earth’s atmosphere

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY

Directions:
1. Label the layers of the atmosphere.
2. Cut the pictures and paste them on the layer of the atmosphere where they belong.

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REFERENCES:
www.meriam-webster.com
Byjus.com
www.thoughtco.com
https://scied.ucar.edu/
https://flexbooks.ck12.org/
quizziz.com
reviewgamezone.com