Information for Teachers

About this lesson plan portfolio

It has been designed to facilitate teaching topics related to atmospheric science and ultraviolet radiation as they relate to ozone.

It is best suited to grade 9 secondary school science students who have some background in physics, chemistry, and biology at the introductory level.

Preparing to use these resources

Experience has shown that the best way to use these resources is to:

  1. Begin by printing out the entire portfolio. Transparency masters can be printed directly onto colour (or grayscale) transparencies, or printed on ordinary paper and then photocopied onto transparencies.
    Hint: Grayscale transparencies are helpful as they can be highlighted with colour markers when you are discussing them in class.
  2. Read over the material. Make margin notes for yourself, so that you can easily align it to your student's backgrounds and abilities.
  3. Print or photocopy the student assignments and activities so that they may be handed out to your class at the appropriate time.

Using these units as a basis for teaching optics and/or atmospheric science topics will give students an insightful understanding of concepts in physical optics and ozone chemistry.

Within each unit are 1) printable pages with explanatory notes, 2) transparency masters for overhead projectors, 3) student assignments.

What this module is not . . .

This is not a self-directed student web-search.

Expected Student Background

In order to use this unit effectively students should be familiar with the following...
  1. The ability to solve simple linear equations such as v = d/t

  2. An elementary understanding of the visible spectrum of light as it relates to the wavelength of light.

  3. An elementary understanding of introductory high school chemistry and atomic theory.

  4. An elementary understanding of the atomic/molecular structure of matter.

How to use these units

There are many possible ways to use these units. Generally however, teachers print out each set of notes, duplicate them and hand them out to the students.

After the students have read a section and written a summary in their notebooks, teachers use the transparencies as a focus for further class discussion.

Student assignments are usually printed, copied, and handed out.

After the students have had a chance to work through each assignment it should be "taken-up"

Please Note: This portfolio is designed to focus on concepts related to ozone and atmospheric science. Although it covers topics in ozone chemistry, orbital motion (of Earth surveillance satellites), and spectral analysis, it is not meant to a definitive treatment of these topics.

Curriculum Expectations

From the Common Framework of Science Learning Outcomes K-12, Pan-Canadian Protocol for Collaboration on School Curriculum, Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), 1997.

Nature of science and technology Identify major shifts in scientific world views.
Describe and explain the role of experimentation, collecting evidence, finding relationships, proposing explanations, and imagination in the development of scientific knowledge.
Relate personal activities and various scientific and technological endeavours to specific science disciplines and interdisciplinary study areas.
Explain the need for new evidence in order to continually test existing theories.
Relationships between science and technology Provide examples of scientific knowledge that have resulted in the development of technologies.
Provide examples of technologies that have enhanced, promoted, or made possible scientific research.
Describe the science underlying particular technologies designed to explore natural phenomena, extend human capabilities, or solve practical problems.
Social and environmental contexts of science and technology Explain how society's needs can lead to developments in science and technology.
Provide examples to illustrate that scientific and technological activities take place in a variety of individual or group settings.
Provide examples of how Canadian research projects in science and technology are supported.
Describe possible positive and negative effects of a particular scientific or technological development, and explain why a practical solution requires a compromise between competing priorities.
Initiating and planning Formulate operational definitions of major variables and other aspects of their investigations.
Analysing and interpreting Compile and display data, by hand or computer, in a variety of formats, including diagrams, flow charts, tables, bar graphs, line graphs, and scatter plots.
Earth and Space Science Describe the effects of solar phenomena on Earth.
Physical Science Describe changes in the properties of materials that result from some common chemical reactions.
Use models in describing the structure and components of atoms and molecules.
Identify examples of common elements, and compare their characteristics and atomic structure.
Identify and write chemical symbol or molecular formula of common elements or compounds.

Assessment

Rubric

Note: The chart that follows identifies four levels of achievement. Levels 1 and 2 describe performance that is approaching the standard for the grade; level 3 describes the standard for the grade; and level 4 describes performance that is above the standard.

The Student:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Understanding of basic concepts demonstrates limited understanding of concepts and principles demonstrates some understanding of concepts and principles demonstrates considerable understanding of concepts and principles demonstrates thorough understanding of concepts and principles

demonstrates limited knowledge of facts and terms

demonstrates some knowledge of facts and terms

demonstrates considerable knowledge of facts and terms

demonstrates thorough knowledge of facts and terms

demonstrates limited understanding of relationships between concepts

demonstrates some understanding of relationships between concepts

demonstrates considerable understanding of relationships between concepts

demonstrates thorough understanding of relationships between concepts
Inquiry applies few of the skills and strategies of scientific inquiry applies some of the skills and strategies of scientific inquiry applies most of the skills and strategies of scientific inquiry applies all of the skills and strategies of scientific inquiry
Communication communicates with limited clarity and precision communicates with some clarity and precision generally communicates with clarity and precision consistently communicates with clarity and precision
uses scientific terminology, symbols, conventions and SI units with limited accuracy and effectiveness uses scientific terminology, symbols, conventions and SI units with some accuracy and effectiveness uses scientific terminology, symbols, conventions and SI units with considerable accuracy and effectiveness uses scientific terminology, symbols, conventions and SI units with a high degree of accuracy and effectiveness
Application shows limited understanding of connections among science, technology, society and the environment shows some understanding of connections among science, technology, society and the environment shows considerable understanding of connections among science, technology, society and the environment shows thorough understanding of connections among science, technology, society and the environment

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Prepared by the YES I Can! Science Team,
Faculty of Pure and Applied Science, York University