Topic: Our Planet Earth in our solar system Grades 8 to 11

Lesson overview (science focus)
Essential question: How does the amount of sunlight at a place relate to the local air conditions we can measure (light intensity, air temperature and relative humidity)?
Learning objectives (by the end of the session, learners can):

• Describe how Earth’s position and an atmosphere help make conditions suitable for life.
• Explain why direct sunlight can deliver more energy per unit area than oblique sunlight.
• Plan and carry out a fair test with clearly defined variables and repeats.
• Record measurements with units, calculate averages, and present results using an appropriate graph.
• Write or present a conclusion using claim–evidence–reasoning (CER), including limitations and possible sources of error.
  

Key vocabulary: Solar System, atmosphere, troposphere, stratosphere, ozone, ultraviolet (UV), greenhouse effect, direct rays, oblique rays, light intensity, temperature, humidity, relative humidity, variable, control, repeat, average, anomaly, limitation.

Presentation slides
Facilitator and Teacher Guide
Learner handout and experiment worksheet

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