How to explain to a child what atmosphere is. Earth's atmosphere - explanation for children

The atmosphere is the gaseous shell of our planet, which rotates along with the Earth. The gas in the atmosphere is called air. The atmosphere is in contact with the hydrosphere and partially covers the lithosphere. But the upper limits are difficult to determine. It is conventionally accepted that the atmosphere extends upward for approximately three thousand kilometers. There it smoothly flows into airless space.

Chemical composition of the Earth's atmosphere

The formation of the chemical composition of the atmosphere began about four billion years ago. Initially, the atmosphere consisted only of light gases - helium and hydrogen. According to scientists, the initial prerequisites for the creation of a gas shell around the Earth were volcanic eruptions, which, along with lava, emitted huge amounts of gases. Subsequently, gas exchange began with water spaces, with living organisms, and with the products of their activities. The composition of the air gradually changed and was fixed in its modern form several million years ago.

The main components of the atmosphere are nitrogen (about 79%) and oxygen (20%). The remaining percentage (1%) is made up of the following gases: argon, neon, helium, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, krypton, xenon, ozone, ammonia, sulfur and nitrogen dioxides, nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide, which are included in this one percent.

In addition, the air contains water vapor and particulate matter (pollen, dust, salt crystals, aerosol impurities).

Recently, scientists have noted not a qualitative, but a quantitative change in some air ingredients. And the reason for this is man and his activities. In the last 100 years alone, carbon dioxide levels have increased significantly! This is fraught with many problems, the most global of which is climate change.

Formation of weather and climate

The atmosphere plays a critical role in shaping the climate and weather on Earth. A lot depends on the amount of sunlight, the nature of the underlying surface and atmospheric circulation.

Let's look at the factors in order.

1. The atmosphere transmits the heat of the sun's rays and absorbs harmful radiation. The ancient Greeks knew that the rays of the Sun fall on different parts of the Earth at different angles. The word “climate” itself translated from ancient Greek means “slope”. So, at the equator, the sun's rays fall almost vertically, which is why it is very hot here. The closer to the poles, the greater the angle of inclination. And the temperature drops.

2. Due to the uneven heating of the Earth, air currents are formed in the atmosphere. They are classified according to their sizes. The smallest (tens and hundreds of meters) are local winds. This is followed by monsoons and trade winds, cyclones and anticyclones, and planetary frontal zones.

All these air masses are constantly moving. Some of them are quite static. For example, trade winds that blow from the subtropics towards the equator. The movement of others depends largely on atmospheric pressure.

3. Atmospheric pressure is another factor influencing climate formation. This is the air pressure on the surface of the earth. As is known, air masses move from an area with high atmospheric pressure towards an area where this pressure is lower.

A total of 7 zones are allocated. The equator is a low pressure zone. Further, on both sides of the equator up to the thirties latitudes there is an area of ​​high pressure. From 30° to 60° - low pressure again. And from 60° to the poles is a high pressure zone. Air masses circulate between these zones. Those that come from the sea to land bring rain and bad weather, and those that blow from the continents bring clear and dry weather. In places where air currents collide, atmospheric front zones are formed, which are characterized by precipitation and inclement, windy weather.

Scientists have proven that even a person’s well-being depends on atmospheric pressure. According to international standards, normal atmospheric pressure is 760 mm Hg. column at a temperature of 0°C. This indicator is calculated for those areas of land that are almost level with sea level. With altitude the pressure decreases. Therefore, for example, for St. Petersburg 760 mm Hg. - this is the norm. But for Moscow, which is located higher, normal pressure is 748 mm Hg.

The pressure changes not only vertically, but also horizontally. This is especially felt during the passage of cyclones.

The structure of the atmosphere

The atmosphere is reminiscent of a layer cake. And each layer has its own characteristics.

. Troposphere- the layer closest to the Earth. The "thickness" of this layer changes with distance from the equator. Above the equator, the layer extends upward by 16-18 km, in temperate zones by 10-12 km, at the poles by 8-10 km.

It is here that 80% of the total air mass and 90% of water vapor are contained. Clouds form here, cyclones and anticyclones arise. The air temperature depends on the altitude of the area. On average, it decreases by 0.65° C for every 100 meters.

. Tropopause- transition layer of the atmosphere. Its height ranges from several hundred meters to 1-2 km. The air temperature in summer is higher than in winter. For example, above the poles in winter it is -65° C. And above the equator it is -70° C at any time of the year.

. Stratosphere- this is a layer whose upper boundary lies at an altitude of 50-55 kilometers. Turbulence here is low, the content of water vapor in the air is negligible. But there is a lot of ozone. Its maximum concentration is at an altitude of 20-25 km. In the stratosphere, the air temperature begins to rise and reaches +0.8° C. This is due to the fact that the ozone layer interacts with ultraviolet radiation.

. Stratopause- a low intermediate layer between the stratosphere and the mesosphere that follows it.

. Mesosphere- the upper boundary of this layer is 80-85 kilometers. Complex photochemical processes involving free radicals occur here. They are the ones who provide that gentle blue glow of our planet, which is seen from space.

Most comets and meteorites burn up in the mesosphere.

. Mesopause- the next intermediate layer, the air temperature in which is at least -90°.

. Thermosphere- the lower boundary begins at an altitude of 80 - 90 km, and the upper boundary of the layer runs approximately at 800 km. The air temperature is rising. It can vary from +500° C to +1000° C. During the day, temperature fluctuations amount to hundreds of degrees! But the air here is so rarefied that understanding the term “temperature” as we imagine it is not appropriate here.

. Ionosphere- combines the mesosphere, mesopause and thermosphere. The air here consists mainly of oxygen and nitrogen molecules, as well as quasi-neutral plasma. The sun's rays entering the ionosphere strongly ionize air molecules. In the lower layer (up to 90 km) the degree of ionization is low. The higher, the greater the ionization. So, at an altitude of 100-110 km, electrons are concentrated. This helps to reflect short and medium radio waves.

The most important layer of the ionosphere is the upper one, which is located at an altitude of 150-400 km. Its peculiarity is that it reflects radio waves, and this facilitates the transmission of radio signals over considerable distances.

It is in the ionosphere that such a phenomenon as the aurora occurs.

. Exosphere- consists of oxygen, helium and hydrogen atoms. The gas in this layer is very rarefied and hydrogen atoms often escape into outer space. Therefore, this layer is called the “dispersion zone”.

The first scientist to suggest that our atmosphere has weight was the Italian E. Torricelli. Ostap Bender, for example, in his novel “The Golden Calf” lamented that every person is pressed by a column of air weighing 14 kg! But the great schemer was a little mistaken. An adult experiences pressure of 13-15 tons! But we do not feel this heaviness, because atmospheric pressure is balanced by the internal pressure of a person. The weight of our atmosphere is 5,300,000,000,000,000 tons. The figure is colossal, although it is only a millionth of the weight of our planet.

The atmosphere is the gaseous envelope of the planet. The gases that make up the Earth's atmosphere are called air. Air surrounds us everywhere. Air is invisible to humans and often we don’t even feel it. But if, for example, we wave our hand, we will feel that something is in contact with the hand. Another example: stick your hand out of the window of a speeding car, and it will immediately seem that the air has become dense and elastic. Those who have had the misfortune of being caught in a hurricane will confirm that the air can knock you down, rip roofs off houses, turn cars upside down and even uproot thick trees.

Air consists of tiny particles called molecules. They cannot be seen even with the most powerful microscope. And the distances between molecules in the air are much greater than the sizes of the molecules themselves. Therefore, it is not surprising that we cannot see the air.
Air molecules are in continuous random motion. But why don't they fly away from Earth? After all, there are no obstacles from space that could stop them. The fact is that the Earth attracts air molecules to itself in the same way as all other bodies. Therefore, most of the molecules in the atmosphere are located at the surface of the Earth.

An aneroid barometer is a compact device for measuring atmospheric pressure. For a long time, he also served as the main weather forecaster, indicating “great dryness” or “rains and thunderstorms.”

The higher above the Earth, the fewer molecules remain in the air - it becomes rarefied. In the mountains, at an altitude of 3000 m above sea level, it is already difficult to breathe. Even trained climbers climb the highest peak of the planet Everest (8848 m) with oxygen masks. If a passenger on an airplane flying at an altitude of 10 km breathes air overboard, he will lose consciousness. That's why there are always oxygen masks in the cabin of airplanes. After all, if even a tiny hole appears in the fuselage of an airplane, the air from the cabin will rush out, where the molecules are located much less densely. (For example, train passengers will do exactly the same thing if, during rush hour, an empty car is connected to a crowded carriage). As a result, the air on the plane will become almost unbreathable. The further from the Earth's surface, the fewer molecules remain in the air. It is impossible to say definitely where the atmosphere ends. It is generally accepted that the thickness of the Earth's atmosphere reaches several thousand kilometers.

On the world's highest peak, Everest (8848 m), the air is so thin that almost all climbers who managed to reach this record point used oxygen masks.

All life on our planet is concentrated in the lower, densest layers of the atmosphere - the troposphere. Its thickness varies from 8 km at the poles to 17 km at the equator. Of course, the troposphere is not separated from the upper layers by boundary pillars. But in the troposphere, air temperature decreases with altitude - the higher it is, the colder it is, and in the upper layers of the atmosphere the temperature changes somewhat differently.

Annotation: In the 2008 – 2009 academic year, an experimental site was opened in the North-Western Educational District of Moscow on the basis of school No. 1191 (Moscow) on the topic: “Development of theoretical imaginative thinking in children of primary school age in the context of educational dialogues of various types.”
We bring to your attention a project of positive-manipulative didactic dialogue with children aged 6-7 years on the topic: “Atmosphere”, developed in the 2010-2011 academic year. These materials can be used by teachers and parents to convey to children the essential (theoretical) features associated with the concept of power.
You can find popular information about positive-manipulative didactic dialogue in the book by M.V. Telegin “The Birth of Dialogue: A Book about Pedagogical Communication.” We also recommend that you first familiarize yourself with the PMDD on the topics “Power” and “Living Cell”, published on the pages of our website.

Content
The goals of the lesson, its intention, the main idea, activity methods for achieving goals and objectives have already been outlined by us in relation to the organization of dialogue on the topic “Living Cell” (see the draft lesson on the topic “Living Cell”). Therefore, we will immediately begin to identify the specifics (for all the universality of the theoretical model of PMDD, some individual traits certainly exist) of educational dialogical interaction on the topic “Atmosphere”; presentation of practice-oriented methodological development on this topic. To ensure continuity with the previous lesson, we will use a storyline already familiar to the children and continue communication with Professor Mikroskopkin.

Features of the implementation of PMDD on the topic “Atmosphere”
The specifics of the implementation of PMDD on the topic “Atmosphere” are limited to several points.
1. Content changes. Naturally, the central content of the dialogue will be the children’s acquaintance and appropriation of theoretical knowledge related to the scientific concept of “atmosphere”.
2. The sequence of stages of dialogue undergoes a significant transformation. The dialogue begins with the creation of a classic problem situation. This is followed by the actualization of spontaneous concepts associated in the minds of the participants in the dialogue with one of the agents of the basic metaphor. At the third stage, the content of the dialogue changes (transition to the topic of discussion), a situation of request for new knowledge is created, or the problem situation is modified, recreated on a more complex dialectical circuit. On the fourth, educational smart images are introduced. At the final stage, the material covered is consolidated and the results of the PMDD are summed up.
3. Unlike the previous dialogue, we want to convey to the students’ consciousness only one essential, theoretical feature. It is popular to explain to children that the atmosphere is the “protective shell of the Earth.”
4. To dialogically translate this feature to recipients, we are going to use a whole battery of metaphors, among which it is right to single out the leading metaphor (“greenhouse”) and a number of auxiliary ones (“space suit,” “shield,” “blanket”).

Pedagogical model of PMDD on the topic “Atmosphere” for children of primary school age

First stage

Context: the lesson begins with the creation of a classic problem situation, overcoming which students gradually, imperceptibly for themselves, will begin to exteriorize, pronounce, generalize, saturate, and realize their own ideas about the functions and purpose of a greenhouse (this experience has already been updated in part during the previous dialogue). Subsequently, the basic metaphor “a greenhouse is similar to the atmosphere in the sense that both agents of comparison provide protection for life, are protective shells” will serve as a key, a psychological tool, a reference point for students to understand the functions of the atmosphere at the level of theoretical figurative thinking.

Specific content of the first stage

Teacher: Hello, dear guys.
Children: Hello.
Teacher: Have you forgotten our good old friend, Professor Ivan Ivanovich Mikroskopkin? Do you want to meet him again?
Children: We want.
Teacher (reincarnated as Mikroskopkin): Here I am, friends, hello, I must admit, I really miss you.
Children: Us too.
Mikroskopkin: Thank you, friends. However, let's not waste precious time, a dire necessity brought me to you, and I urgently need your help. Can I rely on you?
Children: Yes.
Mikroskopkin: You probably heard that the harvest this year was low due to extreme weather conditions.
Children: We heard it, they said it on TV.
Mikroskopkin: I think it won’t be difficult for you to list what natural phenomena could ruin the harvest, what could harm the plants?
Children: Drought, lots of precipitation, frost, strong wind. (If necessary, you can prepare appropriate illustrations and “disassemble” each factor in more detail.)
Mikroskopkin: Absolutely right. So, the harvest is small, humanity needs food, which means we need to save and germinate every...
Children: A grain so that it doesn’t get lost.
Mikroskopkin: Now imagine, each of you has ten grains. And everyone is faced with the task of getting the greatest harvest. Think about what threats hang over your tiny grains, what can destroy the fragile sprouts when they barely hatch from your treasured seeds. And, most importantly, think about how you can secure, protect your plants and ultimately get an excellent harvest.
(We must stop attempts to answer right away, give time to think. You can divide the audience into small groups and organize, according to the latest fashion, a project competition: “Protect the grain, get an unprecedented harvest.” From all the answer options, you should choose and support the idea as the most promising with the protection of plants using a greenhouse. We are sure that your interlocutors and students will definitely, among other moves, mention and even convincingly prove all the advantages of a greenhouse.)

Second phase

Context: In almost every group of children there are “young agronomists” who are well aware of all the advantages of growing plants indoors, in a greenhouse. These experts are the best assistants to the teacher. Don’t be stingy with praise, don’t be too careful with time, seek out all the available ideas, involve as wide a circle of guys as possible, leading, “partial”, clarifying questions and repetitions are acceptable. Students must learn a few simple truths: a greenhouse protects from the sun, heat, frost, flooding, and provides comfortable conditions for plant life; The greenhouse has its own “weather”, its own microclimate, optimal water and temperature balance. It is not at all necessary that children use the specified terms (water, temperature balance, climate); they can be replaced with everyday equivalents, words of everyday language. The main criterion for the success of the stage is that students achieve an understanding of the “protective” function of the greenhouse.

Specific content of the second stage

Children: We need to build a greenhouse, like grandma’s, everything grows better there.
Mikroskopkin: What will we build a greenhouse from? Made from cellophane film or glass?
Children: The more reliable, the better. You need glass to better protect and let in light, plants need light.
Mikroskopkin: What if it hails and breaks the glass.
Children: You need to take strong glass, impenetrable. Or arrange the glass in several layers.
Microskopkin: Glass, multi-layered, and so that light passes through. Will we provide heating?
Children: We will grow cucumbers in winter.
Mikroskopkin: Shall we provide electricity and install artificial light lamps?
Children: Well, it’s cloudy outside, but it’s bright here. The grains grow faster.
Mikroskopkin: Shall we put some water through the pipes for irrigation?
Children: Yes, so as not to carry watering cans, and plants need water.
Mikroskopkin: So, we have a reliable, heated, illuminated greenhouse with a multi-layer roof, with irrigation. We are in such a greenhouse in winter...
Children: We'll wear shorts.
Mikroskokin: It’s cold, winter outside.
Children: It’s hot here, it’s summer.
Mikroskopkin: Let's check what harmful effects our miracle greenhouse can protect plants from?
Children: The sun has very hot rays.
Mikroskopkin: That's right, from the scorching rays of the sun...
Children: When it’s hot, the water quickly dries up, goes away, and the earth cracks.
Mikroskopkin: Yes, in the open air, in the heat, water turns into steam, like in a boiling kettle, and evaporates.
Children: But it’s always stuffy in the greenhouse, where the water doesn’t evaporate so quickly, and the plants feel better.
Mikroskopkin: Yes, that’s right, the greenhouse allows you to maintain the humidity required for plants so that the plants receive the amount of water they need. But what if it rains all the time?
Children: Then you need to close the greenhouse. Drought is bad. And it rains all the time - nothing good either. It can flood the plants and they will rot and not produce a harvest.
Mikroskopkin: Correct. The greenhouse protects against both drought and excess moisture. Water in moderation, this is called balance, balance. Do you know what frost is?
Children: This is when frost falls out in the morning. When it gets cold at night. My grandmother’s tomatoes in the garden beds were frozen, but not in the greenhouse. Frost is when frost returns or comes, especially in spring or fall.
Mikroskopkin: That's right. So you’re saying that a greenhouse can also save you from frost?
Children: Of course, we’re telling you that in the garden beds...
Mikroskopkin: In the open ground, without protection...
Children: In open ground, our sprouts will freeze. You can’t do without a greenhouse here; a greenhouse will protect you from the cold.
Mikroskopkin: Like a blanket, like a person’s clothing, a greenhouse will protect you from the cold, so what?
Children: Yes, the greenhouse is like a blanket for our grains. It's cold outside, but they don't care. And frost - the red nose will not reach the plants. The greenhouse will reliably hide the sprouts and protect them from frost.
Mikroskopkin: And when it’s too hot, plants probably have a hard time too.
Children: Yes.
Mikroskopkin: Probably, plants are comfortable, it’s good when the temperature is normal, not too hot and not too cold, suitable for these plants. Balance is also needed, balance is necessary, temperature balance.
Children: That's right.
Mikroskopkin: Let's repeat, what does the greenhouse provide?
Children: Make sure there is a normal amount of water and the right temperature. Such a balance is useful and pleasant for plants, so that they get more yield.
Mikroskopkin: Correct, the greenhouse provides the optimal, best water and temperature balance for plant growth. The weather is the same outside, but in the greenhouse...
Children: Another, preserving plants.
Mikroskopkin: Does the greenhouse have its own weather?
Children: Great. A greenhouse is needed to create special weather...
Mikroskopkin: Its own microclimate. And this microclimate, this weather of its own, protects the plants. A greenhouse is...
Children: The best protection for plants.

Third stage

Context: now from the discussion of the advantages of the greenhouse it is necessary to smoothly, as naturally and effortlessly as possible, without losing pace, channelize and direct the dialogue in a new direction. We must move from the greenhouse closer to the topic, try to lead the children to talk about the atmosphere. After a “turn”, a change of direction, the third stage can occur (both scenarios are quite acceptable) in the form of a classic problem situation or unfold as a situation of a request for new knowledge. The first option will arise if the students’ spontaneous experience already has ideas about the atmosphere, if the children themselves, without prompting, overcome the difficulty that has arisen and say that the earth is protected by the atmosphere, or “air.” An alternative way of organizing dialogue (a request to the teacher for help, to provide new knowledge) will appear if information about the atmosphere is not included in the zone of students’ actual development or the children are unable to extract this information from memory and connect it with the solution of the problem facing them. In any case, do not rush to suggest, give the opportunity to fantasize, argue, discuss various hypotheses coming from different students, you can help with leading questions, act in the logic of the problem-search method of teaching. The virulence and variability of this stage is extremely high and directly depends on the parameters of the audience, on the level of awareness and creativity of children, so our description is very approximate and partial.

Specific content of the third stage

Mikroskopkin: Great, you guys came up with a great plan for getting a gigantic harvest and saving humanity from hunger. A greenhouse is reliable protection.
Children: Yes.
Mikroskopkin: An interesting thought came into my head, but I just can’t think it through well, can you help?
Children: Yes.
Mikroskopkin: Look (shows a photograph of the Earth), the first cosmonaut of the planet, our compatriot Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin, when he saw Mother Earth, our planet from space, he thought how beautiful she is and at the same time how small, defenseless our planet is. How fragile life is. The Earth flies in outer space at enormous speed, rotates around the Sun, and the Solar system flies, rotates around the center of the Galaxy. There is no air in space; space is permeated with dangerous radiation that is destructive to all living things. If a person, without protection, without a special spacesuit, finds himself in outer space, he will die immediately. Astronomers have studied millions and millions of planets and have not yet found life anywhere. Planets look like hot rocks or blocks of ice. They are subject to unbearable heat or wild cold (shows a photograph of lifeless planets).
Compare the Earth and lifeless planets. Earth is a blue planet, the cradle of life... The blue waters of the ocean, high mountains and peaks, the emerald green of forests and fields, the sugar tops of the poles, the yellow sands of deserts, and everywhere there is a riot of life, everywhere the seeds of life have given good, abundant shoots. But life has not yet been discovered on other planets.
Children: Only in science fiction films there are aliens, but in reality, they have not yet been found.
Mikroskopkin: Correct. And here’s another question: what will happen to a person if he finds himself in outer space without a special protective suit, without a spacesuit.
Children: Without a spacesuit, a person will die, astronauts must have a spacesuit, it provides air and warmth, and protects from harmful rays.
Mikroskopkin: So, all life in space, humans or living organisms on the surface of the planet, need protection?
Children: Of course, otherwise they will die and will not survive.
Mikroskopkin: What can kill living organisms?
Children: Harmful rays, heat, cold, lack of water.
Mikroskopkin: Cosmonauts have a spacesuit for protection, plants have a greenhouse, but what protects our planet?
Children: Maybe the air protects you, tell us.
Mikroskopkin: The earth is surrounded by a dense shell that protects all living things.
Children: What kind of shell is this, maybe the sky and clouds?
Mikroskopkin: Sky, clouds, air, do you know what the shell of the Earth is called?
Children: No. Tell me what it's called.
Mikroskopkin: Remember, the atmosphere. Repeat...
Children: Atmosphere.

Fourth stage

Context: stage of comprehension of theoretical knowledge through extrapolation, symbolic transfer of spontaneous experience (knowledge about the greenhouse) into the problem area being studied (the atmosphere, its functions). Images of a greenhouse, a space suit, a shield, chain mail, a blanket, etc. should help our interlocutors talk about the functions of the atmosphere and give the desired definition of the atmosphere as a “protective shell of the earth.” At this stage, these images should acquire a symbolic meaning in the students’ minds and become “smart images”, a support for fixing and understanding important theoretical connections and relations of objective reality. On the part of the teacher, a message can be provided, interspersing additional facts on the topic of dialogue.

Specific content of the fourth stage

Mikroskopkin: Guys, remember what we talked about, how best to preserve grains, how to get a harvest?
Children: We talked about the greenhouse.
Mikroskopkin: The greenhouse protects plants and living sprouts. An astronaut in space is protected by a spacesuit. Guess what the atmosphere is for.
Children: Hurray, the atmosphere is like a greenhouse, like a spacesuit.
Mikroskopkin: Eureka, a wonderful discovery.
Children: Atmosphere from thin air.
Mikroskopkin: And the air we breathe consists of various gases. And the air seems to be transparent, weightless, but in reality...
Children: The air, the atmosphere protects the earth like a greenhouse and a spacesuit.
Mikroskopkin: What does the atmosphere protect the Earth from?
Children: From cosmic rays, they kill all living things. From everything harmful.
Mikroskopkin: What can you say about the temperature?
Children: It can be very hot in space, but Earth has its own weather that suits us.
Mikroskopkin: Correct.
Children: Not too cold and not too hot.
Mikroskopkin: The atmosphere creates the temperature balance necessary for life.
Children: Normal temperature, own weather.
Mikroskopkin: There is one climate in space, but on Earth...
Children: Another. It’s as if we are living in a greenhouse, protected by the atmosphere.
Mikroskopkin: And if the atmosphere disappears...
Children: All living things will die, there will still be a drought, and there will be nothing to breathe, because then there will be no air.
Mikroskopkin: Does the atmosphere protect against dehydration and drought?
Children: Protects like a greenhouse, maintains, as you told us, water balance.
Mikroskopkin: To prevent the water from evaporating?
Children: Yes, without the atmosphere, the oceans and rivers dried up, and all living things died, and the Earth became like a flying stone.
Mikroskopkin: And the greenhouse also protects from such ice, which sometimes falls from the sky, I forgot what they call it, round pieces of ice, the size of a pea, or even the size of a chicken egg...
Children: Hail, hail.
Mikroskopkin: Something more dangerous than hail flies in space, have you heard about meteorites?
Children: Yes, meteorites are space rocks, whole blocks.
Mikroskopkin: If there is no atmosphere or protection, then meteorites leave huge craters on the surface of the planet, which are called craters. These craters can be larger than the sea. Such hailstones fly in space (shows the moon, craters on the moon). It turns out that the atmosphere also protects from...
Children: From meteorites, we watched the program, meteorites burst into the atmosphere at great speed and burn up in it.
Mikroskopkin: Does the Earth have chain mail, a blanket, a bulletproof vest, a reliable shield?
Children: Yes, it's the atmosphere.
Mikroskopkin: What is the atmosphere, who can say better?
Children: This is the protective shell of the Earth, it consists of air. It, like a greenhouse, protects life on our planet.
Mikroskopkin: Thank you, friends.

Fifth stage

Context: repetition, consolidation, control, evaluation, correction of unfavorable options. Questions should help children concentrate on what is important.

Questions and tasks for repetition, consolidation, categorization of information
1. Why do people build greenhouses and conservatories?
2. What harmful environmental influences can a greenhouse protect plants from?
3. Does the greenhouse protect plants from frost?
4. Does the greenhouse protect against low temperatures?
5. Can a greenhouse protect against drought? What about excess moisture?
6. Could it be like this: it’s night outside, but it’s day in the greenhouse? Is it winter outside, but summer in the greenhouse?
7. What does the phrase “a greenhouse has its own microclimate, its own weather” mean?
8. Do you agree that the greenhouse was specially invented by people to protect plants?
9. Is the greenhouse somehow similar to a blanket, a shield, or chain mail? How?
10. If a person finds himself in outer space without a spacesuit, what will happen to him? Why?
11. What protects an astronaut in outer space?
12. How is a space suit similar to a greenhouse?
13. What did the first cosmonaut of the Earth, Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin, say when he saw our planet from space?
14. The Earth is in space, what harmful effects is it exposed to?
15. Do harmful cosmic radiation, unbearable cosmic heat, terrible cosmic cold, lack of air pose a danger to all living things?
16. Do all planets, like Earth, have life?
17. What protects the Earth from harmful radiation, from meteorites?
18. Does the Earth have a shield, reliable protection?
19. Can we say that everything living on Earth seems to live in a greenhouse?
20. What is the name of such a “greenhouse”?
21. What do the greenhouse and the atmosphere have in common?
22. What does the atmosphere consist of?
23. What does the atmosphere protect against?
24. What happens if the atmosphere disappears?
25. Why should people fight for a clean environment and a clean atmosphere?
26. What is the atmosphere?
27. Do you agree that the atmosphere is a multi-layered protective shell of the Earth, consisting of air and gases?
We deliberately included an excessive number of questions. Depending on the specific conditions of the final stage of the dialogue, the teacher must choose exactly those questions (5–7) that will help your interlocutors once again mentally reproduce the most important, key provisions and moments of the didactic dialogue. To record the results of communication, it is advisable to play out the final of the educational interaction (as in the previous dialogue) by organizing a competition of drawings, explanatory diagrams created by the children (parents’ help is possible)

The world around us is formed from three very different parts: earth, water and air. Each of them is unique and interesting in its own way. Now we will talk only about the last of them. What is atmosphere? How did it come about? What does it consist of and into what parts is it divided? All these questions are extremely interesting.

The name “atmosphere” itself is formed from two words of Greek origin, translated into Russian they mean “steam” and “ball”. And if you look at the exact definition, you can read the following: “The atmosphere is the air shell of the planet Earth, which rushes along with it in outer space.” It developed in parallel with the geological and geochemical processes that took place on the planet. And today all processes occurring in living organisms depend on it. Without an atmosphere, the planet would become a lifeless desert, like the Moon.

What does it consist of?

The question of what the atmosphere is and what elements are included in it has interested people for a long time. The main components of this shell were known already in 1774. They were installed by Antoine Lavoisier. He discovered that the composition of the atmosphere was largely composed of nitrogen and oxygen. Over time, its components were refined. And now it is known that it contains many other gases, as well as water and dust.

Let's take a closer look at what makes up the Earth's atmosphere near its surface. The most common gas is nitrogen. It contains slightly more than 78 percent. But, despite such a large amount, nitrogen is practically inactive in the air.

The next element in quantity and very important in importance is oxygen. This gas contains almost 21%, and it exhibits very high activity. Its specific function is to oxidize dead organic matter, which decomposes as a result of this reaction.

Low but important gases

The third gas that is part of the atmosphere is argon. It's a little less than one percent. After it come carbon dioxide with neon, helium with methane, krypton with hydrogen, xenon, ozone and even ammonia. But there are so few of them that the percentage of such components is equal to hundredths, thousandths and millionths. Of these, only carbon dioxide plays a significant role, since it is the building material that plants need for photosynthesis. Its other important function is to block radiation and absorb some of the sun's heat.

Another small but important gas, ozone exists to trap ultraviolet radiation coming from the Sun. Thanks to this property, all life on the planet is reliably protected. On the other hand, ozone affects the temperature of the stratosphere. Due to the fact that it absorbs this radiation, the air heats up.

The constancy of the quantitative composition of the atmosphere is maintained by non-stop mixing. Its layers move both horizontally and vertically. Therefore, anywhere on the globe there is enough oxygen and no excess carbon dioxide.

What else is in the air?

It should be noted that steam and dust can be found in the airspace. The latter consists of pollen and soil particles; in the city they are joined by impurities of solid emissions from exhaust gases.

But there is a lot of water in the atmosphere. Under certain conditions, it condenses and clouds and fog appear. In essence, these are the same thing, only the first ones appear high above the surface of the Earth, and the last one spreads along it. Clouds take different shapes. This process depends on the height above the Earth.

If they formed 2 km above land, then they are called layered. It is from them that rain pours on the ground or snow falls. Above them, cumulus clouds form up to a height of 8 km. They are always the most beautiful and picturesque. They are the ones who look at them and wonder what they look like. If such formations appear in the next 10 km, they will be very light and airy. Their name is feathery.

What layers is the atmosphere divided into?

Although they have very different temperatures from each other, it is very difficult to tell at what specific height one layer begins and the other ends. This division is very conditional and is approximate. However, the layers of the atmosphere still exist and perform their functions.

The lowest part of the air shell is called the troposphere. Its thickness increases as it moves from the poles to the equator from 8 to 18 km. This is the warmest part of the atmosphere because the air in it is heated by the earth's surface. Most of the water vapor is concentrated in the troposphere, which is why clouds form, precipitation falls, thunderstorms rumble and winds blow.

The next layer is about 40 km thick and is called the stratosphere. If an observer moves into this part of the air, he will find that the sky has turned purple. This is explained by the low density of the substance, which practically does not scatter the sun's rays. It is in this layer that jet planes fly. All open spaces are open for them, since there are practically no clouds. Inside the stratosphere there is a layer consisting of large amounts of ozone.

After it come the stratopause and mesosphere. The latter is about 30 km thick. It is characterized by a sharp decrease in air density and temperature. The sky appears black to the observer. Here you can even watch the stars during the day.

Layers in which there is practically no air

The structure of the atmosphere continues with a layer called the thermosphere - the longest of all the others, its thickness reaches 400 km. This layer is distinguished by its enormous temperature, which can reach 1700 °C.

The last two spheres are often combined into one and called the ionosphere. This is due to the fact that reactions occur in them with the release of ions. It is these layers that make it possible to observe such a natural phenomenon as the northern lights.

The next 50 km from the Earth are allocated to the exosphere. This is the outer shell of the atmosphere. It disperses air particles into space. Weather satellites usually move in this layer.

The Earth's atmosphere ends with the magnetosphere. It is she who sheltered most of the planet’s artificial satellites.

After all that has been said, there should be no questions left about what the atmosphere is. If you have doubts about its necessity, they can be easily dispelled.

The meaning of atmosphere

The main function of the atmosphere is to protect the planet's surface from overheating during the day and excessive cooling at night. The next important purpose of this shell, which no one will dispute, is to supply oxygen to all living beings. Without this they would suffocate.

Most meteorites burn up in the upper layers, never reaching the Earth's surface. And people can admire the flying lights, mistaking them for shooting stars. Without an atmosphere, the entire Earth would be littered with craters. And protection from solar radiation has already been discussed above.

How does a person influence the atmosphere?

Very negative. This is due to the growing activity of people. The main share of all negative aspects falls on industry and transport. By the way, it is cars that emit almost 60% of all pollutants that penetrate into the atmosphere. The remaining forty are divided between energy and industry, as well as waste disposal industries.

The list of harmful substances that daily replenish the air is very long. Due to transport in the atmosphere there are: nitrogen and sulfur, carbon, blue and soot, as well as a strong carcinogen that causes skin cancer - benzopyrene.

The industry accounts for the following chemical elements: sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons and hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and phenol, chlorine and fluorine. If the process continues, then soon the answers to the questions: “What is the atmosphere? What does it consist of? will be completely different.

When we read about human exploration of the Moon and planets, we often come across questions regarding the atmosphere. Do other planets have atmospheres? As far as scientists know, no planet or star has an atmosphere similar to ours.

What is atmosphere? We can imagine it as an ocean of air surrounding the Earth and several hundred miles high. The ocean of air has the same composition throughout the Earth. It mainly consists of certain gases that always remain in the same proportion. About 78 percent is nitrogen, 21 percent is oxygen, and the remaining one percent is made up of gases called rare - argon, neon, helium, krypton and xenon.

The air that envelops the Earth has the same chemical composition up to an altitude of 18 miles, although this figure can reach up to 44 miles. When you reach the top of the atmosphere, you are at the top of what is called the troposphere. This is the layer closest to the Earth's surface. At an altitude of 18 to 31 miles from the Earth's surface there is a layer of hot air with a temperature of about 42 degrees Celsius. The reason for the heating of this layer is the absorption of heat from the sun's rays by the ozone present here.

Ozone is a special form of oxygen where the molecule consists of three oxygen atoms instead of the usual two. The hot ozone layer serves to protect us from the sun's most active rays - ultraviolet rays. Without it, we would not be able to withstand sunlight. Higher still is a layer or layers called the ionosphere, ranging from 44 to 310 miles above the earth. The ionosphere consists of particles electrified by the Sun. Air molecules are in constant motion. The atmosphere can only be maintained if the molecules constantly collide with each other and cannot escape. But the higher you go, the thinner the air becomes.

There is very little chance that the molecule below will bounce back after colliding with the molecule above. Therefore, the molecules escape into open space, and the atmosphere is completely rarefied. There is a zone called the exosphere where broken-off molecules move almost freely, and this zone starts at an altitude of 400 miles and extends to 1,500 miles.