LAYERS OF THE

ATMOSPHERE
READ & APPLY
For reading comprehension & science content knowledge
 Product Use
As a science AND reading teacher, I know first hand that reading information text and comprehending what the
text says is DIFFICULT for most students! That is why I wrote & designed these “Read and Apply” daily lessons. The
passages for each topic are small, not overwhelming, and breaks the concept down as simply as possible. Students
can read these silently (although that is typically most difficult for them to comprehend), as partners, groups, or as
a whole class. I highly recommend having students use highlighters to highlight important vocabulary and concepts.
It’s important that they do not highlight the ENTIRE passage (as some students will) !

Along with each passage, I have included an “apply” activity for students to apply what they have learned in the
reading passage, helping them to comprehend what they have read. I have also included a short writing prompt for
students to practice their writing skills along with knowledge of content.

USING IN INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOKS

If you plan to use these in interactive notebooks, have students glue in the reading passage on the left side and the
apply activity & writing prompt on the right side. That way ALL the information is there for them to re-read, study,
and refer to! If you are not using “official” interactive notebooks, the pages can still be glued to a sheet of paper in
a binder, notebook, or piece of construction paper.

Considering the content & design of this product, it would be best to use with grades 4-6, but would be a GREAT
supplement to an upper grades reading intervention class or 7-8 special education. This would also be a great tool to
use for differentiation if you have students in your regular science class that really struggle comprehending the
textbook reading
©J.Smith,*2015*
 Be sure students
Encourage
“lay out” their
students to take
apply before gluing
notes in the margin
to be sure they
as they read.
have even spacing!

This example is JUST a suggestion for

use add or omit ANYTHING in the
example to make it your own!
 Make this your own! Remember this is only an
example. Have students use certain colors, label
in certain ways, and include whatever
information you want! Have them add additional
information or illustrations to the extra space
on the page or on the underside of the flaps!
 Layers of the Atmosphere
Do you ever look at the sky and into space and wonder what it’s made of?
There is a whole world of science surrounding our Earth to help us survive and thrive.
Our Earth is surrounded by a mixture of gases called the atmosphere. The Earth’s
atmosphere reaches from the Earth’s surface to more than 600 kilometers (that’s
approximately 370 miles) into space! Earth’s atmosphere is made up of gases that are
important to living things.
Gases that make up the Earth’s atmosphere (like oxygen and carbon dioxide)
are not harmful to living things in fact, they support and protect the living things on
Earth! Our atmosphere is made up of 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, and 1% other gasses
such as hydrogen, methane, helium, argon, and carbon dioxide. Humans and animals take
in oxygen to breathe while some bacteria can change nitrogen into a substance plants
can use to build proteins. Higher in the atmosphere, a form of oxygen called ozone works
as a shield for living things, protecting them from a lot of the harmful radiation given
off by the sun.
As you travel farther from the Earth, air temperature and air pressure both
change. Our atmosphere has been organized by scientists into five layers with various
properties. As altitude (distance from Earth) increases, air pressure decreases, but
temperatures vary. The layer nearest to the Earth (0-16km or 0-9 miles from the
surface) is called the troposphere. This is where all weather happens and is where more
than half of the air in the total atmosphere is. As altitude increases in this layer,
temperature drops. The stratosphere (16-50km or 9-31 miles from Earth’s surface) is
where most airplanes fly and is where the protective ozone layer lies. Temperature
increases with altitude in this layer. The third layer from the surface is called the
mesosphere (50-90km or 31-55 miles from Earth). In the mesosphere, temperatures drop
resulting in this being the coldest layer of the atmosphere. This is also where meteors
burn up and radio waves are reflected to Earth.
The farthest two layers from the Earth’s surface are the thermosphere and
the exosphere. The thermosphere (90-300km or 55-186miles from the surface) is the
hottest layer of the atmosphere as temperature increases with altitude. Beautiful
curtains of light called auroras occur in this layer. Finally, the exosphere (300-600km or
186-372miles from the surface) is the outermost layer of the atmosphere where
temperature increases with altitude. This is the layer where satellites orbit the planets.
Each layer of our atmosphere serves a specific and important purpose in maintaining
life on Earth. The next time you look into the sky, you should appreciate the complexity
and protection Earth’s atmosphere provides.
©J.Smith,*2015*
Layers of the Atmosphere
Do you ever look at the sky and into space and wonder what it’s made of?
There is a whole world of science surrounding our Earth to help us survive and thrive.
Our Earth is surrounded by a mixture of gases called the atmosphere. The Earth’s
atmosphere reaches from the Earth’s surface to more than 600 kilometers (that’s
approximately 370 miles) into space! Earth’s atmosphere is made up of gases that are
important to living things.
Gases that make up the Earth’s atmosphere (like oxygen and carbon dioxide)
are not harmful to living things in fact, they support and protect the living things on
Earth! Our atmosphere is made up of 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, and 1% other gasses
such as hydrogen, methane, helium, argon, and carbon dioxide. Humans and animals take
in oxygen to breathe while some bacteria can change nitrogen into a substance plants
can use to build proteins. Higher in the atmosphere, a form of oxygen called ozone works
as a shield for living things, protecting them from a lot of the harmful radiation given
off by the sun.
As you travel farther from the Earth, air temperature and air pressure both
change. Our atmosphere has been organized by scientists into five layers with various
properties. As altitude (distance from Earth) increases, air pressure decreases, but
temperatures vary. The layer nearest to the Earth (0-16km or 0-9 miles from the
surface) is called the troposphere. This is where all weather happens and is where more
than half of the air in the total atmosphere is. As altitude increases in this layer,
temperature drops. The stratosphere (16-50km or 9-31 miles from Earth’s surface) is
where most airplanes fly and is where the protective ozone layer lies. Temperature
increases with altitude in this layer. The third layer from the surface is called the
mesosphere (50-90km or 31-55 miles from Earth). In the mesosphere, temperatures drop
resulting in this being the coldest layer of the atmosphere. This is also where meteors
burn up and radio waves are reflected to Earth.
The farthest two layers from the Earth’s surface are the thermosphere and
the exosphere. The thermosphere (90-300km or 55-186miles from the surface) is the
hottest layer of the atmosphere as temperature increases with altitude. Beautiful
curtains of light called auroras occur in this layer. Finally, the exosphere (300-600km or
186-372miles from the surface) is the outermost layer of the atmosphere where
temperature increases with altitude. This is the layer where satellites orbit the planets.
Each layer of our atmosphere serves a specific and important purpose in maintaining
life on Earth. The next time you look into the sky, you should appreciate the complexity
and protection Earth’s atmosphere provides.
4*
 Instructions:: Cut out the layers of the atmosphere foldable and glue down on the anchor tab that says ‘Layers of the Atmosphere.’ Then, layer the flip flaps into your
notebook in correct order based on distance from the Earth’s surface. Fill in the distances on the front and write 1-2 pieces of information from the text under each layer
flap. Add any additional information your teacher instructs and respond to the writing prompt.

Exosphere

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________
Layers of the Atmosphere
Air pressure ________________ as altitude increases

Describe the Earth’s atmosphere using the reading passage to support and enhance your answer.
Distance from surface: _________________

Thermosphere
Distance from surface: _________________

Mesosphere
Distance from surface: _________________

Stratosphere
Distance from surface: _________________

Troposphere
10
Distance from surface: _________________ ©J.Smith,*2015*
5*
 CREDITS
Teachers
Clipart
Glitter Meets Glue
KG Fonts
The Painted Crow
The Cher Room
Sciencesaurus Reference Guide
©J.Smith,*2015*