Stratospheric Ozone Lesson Plans
Summer Scarlatelli
Grade Level
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8th grade Physical Science, 9th Grade Earth Science or 11th grade Environmental
Science
Objectives
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Students will be able to describe where in the atmosphere the ozone layer is located.
Students will be able to differentiate between O2 oxygen and 03 ozone.
Students will be able to identify a chlorofluorocarbon and describe how they cause
ozone depletion.
Students will be able to describe how volcanoes affect the ozone layer
Students will be able to identify how the depletion of the ozone layer is letting in harmful
radiation and how this is affecting humans and other organisms.
Students will be able to use the UV index and describe how to better protect themselves
from harmful UV radiation.
Through research and discussion the students will be able to give an accurate and
detailed description of how the lithosphere and the biosphere affect stratospheric ozone
and how the depletion of stratospheric ozone layer is affecting the biosphere and
hydrosphere.
Key Words
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Ozone or O3, Oxygen or O2, Chlorofluorocarbons, UV-A radiation, UV-B radiation, UV-C
radiation, atmosphere, stratosphere, ozone layer, skin cancer, UV Index, catalyst,
triatomic molecule, diatomic molecule
Teaching Time
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Five 45-minute class periods (to allow time for research and rehearsals) and one 30
minute class period for class play.
Curriculum and Instructional Strategy
1. Have students take a “Pre-test” survey and grade themselves on how much they think
they know about change and the terminology that encompasses it. They will rate
themselves 4 – 1, four feeling they know a lot through one meaning they feel that they
know very little. The questions will look like the following.
a. How well can you explain ozone depletion?
b. Can you identify what the molecule O2 is?
c. Can you identify what the molecule O3 is?
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
Can you locate the ozone layer in the atmosphere?
Can you identify human made products that are harming the ozone layer?
Can you identify natural causes that are affecting the ozone layer?
Can you describe UV radiation and can you identify the three major types of it?
Can identify how UV radiation reaches Earth and can you identify how they affect
organisms.
Can you describe the UV Index?
Can you list five ways to protect yourself from UV radiation?
i.
j.
2. Hook
a. When students come into the class they will be shown the picture below and
asked to comment on it. They will also hear the following statistics from
www.skincancer.org:
i. “As much as 80 percent of UVR can pass through thin clouds that appear
to block the sun, so that you can sunburn even on an apparently cloudy
day.”
ii. “Typically, it takes about 15 minutes for a fair-skinned person to develop
perceptible sunburn in mid-summer”.
b. Next the students will be split into groups of five and they will write what they
know about the ozone layer and what they know about the hole in the ozone
layer.
i. As a class the students will combine the information they have compiled
and separate them into facts and fiction.
1. This will hopefully dispel any misconceptions.
ii. Next the class will be given the following facts
1. The ozone layer is found in the stratosphere
a. It protects Earth and its inhabitants from harmful UV
radiation.
b. It is found most often between six and thirty miles above
Earth’s surface.
c. The ozone absorbs UV radiation and helps trap in heat.
i. Without the filtering of the ozone layer, more
harmful UV-B radiation would reach Earth’s
surface.
ii. In humans overexposure to UV radiation can cause
cataracts, skin cancer, premature aging and the
weakening of the immune system.
2. The ozone layer is getting thinner primarily because of human
made chemicals called CFCs.
a. Winds carry CFCs into the stratosphere where they are
broken apart by UV radiation and release chlorine
i. Every atom of chlorine can attack and destroy as
many as 100,000 ozone molecules
b. CFC’s can be found in aerosols, Styrofoam products, fire
extinguishers, and refrigerants just to name a few.
c. As the ozone layer is depleted more harmful radiation can
penetrate through the layer and reach the Earth.
d. In 1985 the Montreal Protocol decided to end all
production of halocarbons by 1994 and
chlorofluorocarbons in developed countries by 1996. If
CFC’s had not been banned, “by 2060, the levels of
stratospheric chlorine would have been 16 times above
1980 levels and average global ozone levels would have
decreased by two thirds.” (www.skincancer.org)
3. Ozone is made up of three oxygen molecules
4. Even though volcanoes produce small amounts of aerosols, major
volcanic eruptions can speed up ozone depletion.
iii. Now the class will split back into groups and create posters on what they
were surprised to learn.
3. In class, students will take the Ozone Hole Tour at
http://www.atm.ch.cam.ac.uk/tour/index.html in order to better understand the ozone
layer and the progression of the hole in the ozone layer.
4. Gumdrop Science
a. The teacher will demonstrate the effects that the depletion of the ozone layer can
have on humans.
i. This lab was modified from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Sun
Wise Program
ii. Supplies
1. One bag of multicolored gumdrops, toothpicks, flashlight, blue
transparency (if you do not have one you can color a blank
transparency with a sharpie), purple transparency, clear
transparency, white piece of paper.
iii. Procedure
1. Part 1
a. Connect three or four pairs of white gum drops with a tooth
pick to simulate a diatomic oxygen molecule, which are
present in the air we breathe.
b. Have a student shine the flashlight on one of these
molecules while holding the blue colored transparency
between the two.
i. The blue transparency is demonstrating how short
UV wavelength radiation from the sun can break up
diatomic oxygen, leaving the oxygen molecules to
form triatomic oxygen or ozone.
c. In the stratosphere ozone meets up with CFCs like CFC 11
so have students make a model of CFC 11 using one black
gumdrop for fluorine and thee green gumdrops for
chlorine.
d. Stick three toothpicks into the carbon to form a three
legged stool. Put a green chlorine atom on each of the free
ends of the toothpicks.
e. With the stool standing on the desk, put another toothpick
in the carbon and attach the fluorine to it.
f. Lay the CFC molecule and the and the ozone molecule
side by side on a white piece of paper
i. The white paper represents the stratosphere
g. Bombard them with simulated UV radiation from your
flashlight.
i. The flashlight should be covered with a s purple
colored plastic sheet to represent a longer
wavelength of UV light
ii. In the end, this lab describe how CFC continue to
break apart ozone molecules, leaving the chlorine
molecules to attack and break up ozone molecules
for many years.
2. Part 2
a. Students will investigate a UV Index
i. The UV index provides a daily forecast of the
expected risk of overexposure to the sun. The scale
is numbered 1 to 11, 1 meaning the lowest risk of
exposure to 11 identifying that there is a high risk of
exposure. The UV index takes into account clouds
and other local conditions that affect the amount of
UV radiation that reaches the Earth all over the
country.
ii. Students will go to
http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html type in
their zipcode and look at the UV index for the
present date and time.
iii. Students will then interpret the results
b. The teacher will discuss several ways UV radiation can
harm humans
i. Overexposure to UV radiation can increase the
likelihood of cataracts forming in the eye of many
organisms. Cataracts cause the lens in the eye to
look milky and they give the sense of a
continuously cloudy vision. If cataracts are not
treated they could potentially lead to blindness.
ii. One in every five Americans will develop some type
of skin cancer in their life time, and that one
American dies every hour. Melanoma is perhaps
the scariest form of skin cancer and because it may
take ten to twenty years to develop, many doctors
feel that it usually occurs from sunburns obtained in
the patient’s youth. Two other forms of skin cancer
are Basal cell carcinoma and Squamous cell
carcinoma. Basal cell carcinomas are slow
spreading small and fleshy tumors that grow
around the head and neck of an individual.
Squamous cell carcinomas are red, patchy and
scaly tumors that can grow into large groups and
spread to other parts of the body.
iii. Overexposure to UV radiation can also cause our
skin to prematurely age, making it look thick,
wrinkly and leathery.
iv. Too much UV radiation can also suppress the
proper functioning of the body’s immune system.
c. Students will identify ways to protect themselves from
harmful UV radiation and make posters to post around
school.
i. The list will look like the following:
1. Limit you exposure to the sun, especially
between 10am and 3pm where they sun’s
rays are at their peak.
2. While out it in the sun you should always
wear: polarized sunglasses, hats (widebrimmed if possible), light weight longsleeved shirts and plants.
3. Wear sunscreen with an SPF or Sun
Protection Factor of 15 or higher. The
sunscreen should be applied before
exposure to the sun and reapplied
continuously throughout the day, especially
after swimming or any physical activity.
4. Avoid tanning beds
iv. Assigned Questions
1. Why is ozone good for the atmosphere?
2. How is the breakup of ozone in the stratosphere similar to its
formation?
3. How do increases in CFC’s affect the stratosphere and more
specifically stratospheric ozone?
4. What is the UV index and why is it important?
5. Student Research and School Play
i. Now that the students have a basic understanding of the ozone layer, the
causes of ozone depletion and the effects of ozone depletion has on
living organisms the students will compose research papers and then
compose scenes for a play to present to the lower school.
ii. The teacher will divide the class into five groups.
1. Each group will represent a different way that either the ozone
layer is affected by a sphere or how the depletion of the ozone
layer affects a sphere. Each group will be labeled one of the
following:
a. Atmosphere and the ozone layer – Students will describe
and investigate where the ozone layer is located, what it is
composed of and why it is important.
b. The lithosphere and its effect of the ozone layer – Students
will investigate how volcanic eruptions affect the ozone
layer.
c. The biosphere and its effects on the ozone layer –
Students will investigate how human made
chlorofluorocarbons are affecting the ozone layer.
d. The depletion of the ozone layer and its affects on the
hydrosphere – Students will investigate how the depletion
of the ozone layer is affecting the hydrosphere in
particularly water circulation and water temperature.
Students will also go more in depth and describe how the
depletion of the ozone layer is affecting the organisms
within the hydrosphere.
e. The depletion of the ozone layer and its affect on the
biosphere – Students will investigate how the depletion of
the ozone layer is affecting organisms like humans and
plants.
2. Students will then split into groups of five, each having an expert
in one of the five fields.
a. They will then create a five to ten minute skit based on
their cumulative knowledge on the importance of the ozone
layer and how it affects and how it affected by other
spheres.
b. Before preparing the skits they will be told by the teacher
which grade level their skit needs to be modified for
(PreK/K, 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th or 5th/6th)
c. Students must emphasize sun safety in their skits.
d. Students must make their skits appropriate for the age
level they are presenting their skits to
e. After the play, students will then ask the class if they have
any questions.
6. Extra Credit
a. For extra credit students can create a school policy or a “Sunwise Policy” to
protect themselves and their fellow students at school. The policy should include
how to make students more aware of sun safety and how the students can
ensure that there is enough shade around school to protect faculty and students
from the sun.
7. Have each student retake “Pre-Test” survey and compare their results.
a. Include the following questions
i. Can you identify five ways to protect yourself from harmful UV radiation?
ii. Can you name two things you can do on your own to help stop ozone
depletion?
iii. Can you define a catalyst and can you identify one that aids in ozone
depletion?
iv. Can you define and differentiate between a triatomic molecule and a
diatomic molecule?
v. Can you describe how describe how photochermical reactions are
involved in the creation and destruction of stratospheric ozone?
Teacher Rubric
1. The teacher will evaluate the student’s depth of understanding of global climate and
class participation through the following rubric. Each category will be graded on a four to
one scale, four meaning the student became an expert in the area while a one means
that student did not actively participate in the activities or did not pay attention.
a. Knowledge of Stratospheric ozone and in-class participation
i. Students will be able to differentiate between O2 oxygen and O3 ozone.
ii. The student can explain the layers of the atmosphere and identify where
the ozone layer is located.
iii. The student actively participated in creating a poster on stratospheric
ozone
iv. The student actively watched the Ozone Hole Tour and was able to
comment on it.
v. The students helped write what they know about the ozone layer and
what they know about the hole in the ozone layer.
vi. The student is able to identify a chlorofluorocarbon and describe how they
cause ozone depletion.
vii. The student describe how volcanoes affect the ozone layer
viii. The student can describe how the depletion of the ozone layer is letting in
harmful radiation and how this is affecting humans and other organisms.
ix. The student is able to use the UV index and can describe to someone
else how to protect themselves from harmful UV radiation.
x. The student actively listed and participated in the discussion on the
Ozone Layer demonstration.
xi. The student completed the activity on Gumdrop Science and correctly
answered the assigned questions.
b. Participation in Research
i. The student actively and accurately researched how stratospheric ozone
was either affected by a sphere of how a sphere affected it.
ii. The student was able to actively put their research into kid friendly
terminology for the play for the lower school students.
iii. The student used reputable resources for their research.
c. Participation in Play
i. The student actively participated in creating the play, giving ideas on
dialogue to include and how to act the scenes out.
ii. The student was able to excite the younger students and help them learn
about the ozone layer and how to protect themselves from sun damage
Individual Reflection
This sphere report and lesson plan in particular has most definitely been the hardest one
of the semester for me. I spent more time putting this sphere report than others and I ran into a
lot more mental road blacks with the Lesson Plans than any of the others. The sphere report
has helped me develop a better understanding of the ozone layer and it will allow me to better
incorporate the ozone layer into my lesson plans on the atmosphere, especially because I knew
virtually nothing about the topic. I knew from past ESSEA analysis that volcanoes can harm the
ozone layer but I was happy to learn that volcanic aerosols only remain in the stratosphere for
2-5 years and the affects of volcanic eruptions on stratospheric ozone does not help explain
why the ozone layer is depleting so quickly. I also did not initially realize that ozone was found in
two layers of the atmosphere, the stratosphere and the troposphere and that stratospheric
ozone is “good” ozone and the tropospheric ozone is the “bad” ozone.
Creating this lesson plan has allowed me to incorporate skin cancer and sun safety into
the small section I teach in Earth Science on the ozone and the ozone layer. After working at
Seacamp for a year and a half and growing up on the beach, I have most definitely learned the
importance of sunscreen and sun safety. Over the last few years I have noticed the way kids
disregard the sun and I think this my job as a teacher to dispel their myths and teach them the
real facts. I think it is especially important in south Florida in particular with my African American
student who many think that because their skin is dark they don’t have to take any precaution to
protect themselves. Humans with darker pigments or more melanin in their skin can deal with
more exposure to UV-B than humans with lighter skin because the melanin helps block it out,
yet the melanin doest protect them again skin cancer. Through my research on this topic, I have
learned that there are three main types UV radiation and that rain, air pollution, altitude, cloud
cover, time of day, season and the percentage of light that is reflected off of different land
masses all have an effect of the amount of UV-B radiation that reaches Earth.
While I was doing research for my Lesson Plan, the most impressive fact that I learned
was that if it wasn’t for the Montreal Protocol in 1985 limiting CFC’s into the atmosphere that the
“by the year 2060 the levels of stratospheric chlorine would have been 16 times above 1980
levels”. I think it pretty awesome that humans are finally doing something to protect the
environment and that countries have banned together with a common goal. Lastly because I
love marine science a lot I was impressed to learn that the depletion of the ozone layer could
cause the amount of phytoplankton to decrease which could then in turn increase global
warming, it seems to be a viscous cycle. In retrospect as much as I had a lot of mental blocks
writing my lesson plan and sphere report, I think I gained a lot more knowledge on the
stratospheric ozone than I initially realized.
Peer Reflection 1
Hi Summer,sorry for the late response-my Internet at home is not working... so here I am at
school trying to add to the discussion. It hasn't been working since Thursday! Anyhow, here's
what I have to say about your lesson:
1. I like the range of grade levels that the lesson may be used in. 2. Wow, love the class play
idea-it makes the learning fun! 3. I like your hook-it's a cute idea to use cartoon to get their
attention.-Besides commenting on the picture, what else would they do with the hook? 4. I like
how you addressed students' prior knowledge and how you have a plan for dealing with their
misconceptions. 5. What are students going to do with the facts given in Part B section II, create
a poster? What about having them do their own research. 6. I like the gumdrop activity-my
students liked labs that have anything to do with food! 7. My understanding of the lesson is that
the 1st part builds background knowledge and the 2nd discusses in details the expert groupsrubric looks great too!!
Overall, great job! Hope this helps-Lascelia
Peer Reflection 2
Hi Summer,
Thanks for reviewing my lesson plan!
I thought yours was very well done- extremely detailed! I had very few edits, I just turned the 2s
and 3s in O2and O3 into subscripts, because I have memories of losing points for that in high
school chemistry and now I'm weird about it....
Also relating high school chemistry, I liked your activity with modeling the different molecules
with toothpicks and gumdrops- I definitely remember doing that to learn molecular structures.
Should the students be breaking gumdrops off the toothpicks and rearranging once the UV
radiation hits or chlorine is introduced? That was a little unclear.
I also liked how the students would be performing a skit to teach younger students about ozone
and sun safety- good creative way to use jigsaw. - Sarah