Modeling Earth’s Atmospheric Layers
1. Start with a large piece of paper
2. Draw the Earth. Use coloring pencils to draw a half circle at the bottom of the page to
signify Earth. Color the Earth blue and green to represent the continents and oceans.
3. Draw the troposphere, which is the first layer of the atmosphere. The troposphere
extends 16 km above Earth.
a. Use the following scale: 1mm = 1 km. Put a series of dots around Earth, 16 mm
from Earth’s surface.
b. Connect the dots and label it the troposphere. Color it yellow. Draw picture to help
indicate what happens in this layer. Most weather occurs here, the jet stream is at
the top of this layer, we live in this layer.
4. Draw the stratosphere, which is the second layer of the atmosphere. It extends to 50 km
above the Earth.
a. Measure and put a series of dots around Earth, 50mm from Earth’s surface. Be
careful, do not draw it starting from the Troposphere, remember to start
measuring from Earth’s surface.
b. Connect the dots and label it stratosphere. Color it orange.
c. Draw picture to help indicate what happens here. Air planes fly here.
5. Draw the ozone. The ozone is not a main layer of the atmosphere, but plays an important
role in how it works.
a. The ozone is between the stratosphere and the mesosphere. Its symbol is O3
because it is made of three oxygen atoms.
b. Color a thin, blue line to represent the ozone. Make a small section of the line
dotted (---) to represent the “hole” in the ozone layer.
6. Draw the mesosphere. This is the third layer of the atmosphere. It extends 80 km above
the earth.
a. Measure and draw a series of dots around Earth, 80 mm from Earth’s surface.
Remember – start measuring from Earth’s surface.
b. Connect the dots and label it mesosphere. Color it purple.
c. Draw pictures to help indicate what happens here. This is the coldest layer.
7. Draw the thermosphere, this is the fourth layer of the atmosphere. It extends 50 km-300
km from the Earth’s surface.
a. Measure and draw a series of dots around Earth, 300mm above Earth. Remember –
start measuring from Earth’s surface.
b. Connect the dots and label it thermosphere. Color it green.
c. Draw pictures to help indicate what happens here. The aurora Borealis occurs here.
8. Beyond the thermosphere is the exosphere. It extends 300 mm – 600 km from the Earth’s
surface.
a. Color the remaining portion of your page gray and label it exosphere.
b. When meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere, they enter through the exosphere,
which is extremely hot. Because of the heat, most meteoroids burn up. Draw and
label a meteor entering Earth’s atmosphere.
Student Name:
Final Grade:
Category
Well Done
(40 Points)
Measurement
All layers are
accurately
measured to scale.
Three layers have
accurate
measurements to
scale.
Two layers are
accurate.
One or less of the
layers are accurately
measured.
Color Coding
All layers are color
coded correctly.
Three layers are
color coded.
Two of the layers are
color coded.
One or less of the
layers are color
coded.
Labels
All layers are
correctly labeled
-name of each
layer
-Km labeled on
each layer
-ozone layer with
hole
7 symbols are
present and located
in correct layer
-Three layers
correctly labeled
-name of each layer
-Km labeled on each
layer
-ozone layer with
hole
-two layers labeled
correctly
-name of each layer
-Km labeled on each
layer
-Two or less layers
labeled correctly
-Only a couple of
other required labels
present.
5 symbols drawn and
located correctly
45 symbols drawn and
correctly located
Less than45 symbols
drawn
The drawing is
neat. There are no
eraser marks or
redrawn lines
visible. NAME
ON THE BACK.
Layers correctly
spelled
Drawing is neat.
There are a few
eraser marks or
redrawn lines. Name
on back. Layers
correctly spelled
There is visible
evidence of several
mistakes. Paper is
wrinkled and or
ripped. Name not on
back. A layer is
misspelled.
Looks like it has
been in backpack for
a month. Lots of
mistakes. No name.
Misspelling on most
layers.
Symbols
Neatness
Meet Expectations
(30 Points)
Needs Work (20
Points)
Area of Concern
(10 Points)