Earth's atmosphere protects the planet from meteoroids and ultraviolet rays, and provides Earth with air that humans can breathe. Without it, humans, plants and animals could not survive. Students will learn what makes this layered blanket of gases so uniquely important to the future of the planet.

A Year Ten module from the Salters’ double award science course. The first section of the module introduces the formation, composition and structure of the atmosphere. The Sun is our main source of energy. Students consider why sunlight is more intense near the equator...

This item is one of over 25,000 physical resources available from the Resources Collection. The Archive Collection covers over 50 years of curriculum development in the STEM subjects. The Contemporary Collection includes all the latest publications from UK educational publishers.

In this activity developed by the Institute of Physics, students use simple diffraction gratings to observe the spectra from different sources, and deduce how scientists can work out which chemicals are present in an exoplanet’s atmosphere. When an exoplanet passes in front of its star, some of the starlight is...

A Catalyst article about how the study of ancient rocks and sediments can help deduce how the Earth's atmosphere has changed over billions of years. There used to be much less oxygen than there is today. This article describes how the composition of the atmosphere has changed through history; it also explains the...

The jet streams are bands of fast winds high in the atmosphere which are driven by pressure differences. Stormy weather follows the jet stream. In this film, Tim Woollings from the University of Oxford shows how, as the lower atmosphere gets warmer, we need to understand how the patterns of pressure and the jet...

This series of seven videos gradually build on the concepts that lead to an understanding of air pressure and contain clips of some interesting demonstrations to show its effects which could be replicated in a classroom.The demonstrations...

This item is one of over 25,000 physical resources available from the Resources Collection. The Archive Collection covers over 50 years of curriculum development in the STEM subjects. The Contemporary Collection includes all the latest publications from UK educational publishers.

How does the Earth compare to the other planets in the solar system? This book explores the science and history of our home, showing how it is different from the other planets - and perfect for life.

Aims to provide complete coverage of the Earth Sciences component of the English and Welsh National Curriculum up to Level 10. The illustrated text explores weather and the atmosphere, rock formation, the Earth's resources, the formation of the Universe, the planets and continental drift.

'Pathways through science' provides strategies for tackling the problem of differentiation through a versatile series of activities. The resources have been designed to match the proposed NEA/WJEC/ULEAC modular GCSE, but can also be organized for use with any other GCSE programme.

Each of the 13 modules...

This Science upd8 resource is set in the context of astronomy. Astronomers have found the most Earth-like planet outside our Solar System. Through analysing data students justify whether or not they believe the 'new' planet to be Earth-like.