Atmospheric carbon
I can describe how too much carbon dioxide affects Earth’s atmosphere and is leading to global warming.
Atmospheric carbon
I can describe how too much carbon dioxide affects Earth’s atmosphere and is leading to global warming.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- When fuels containing carbon are burned, it is common for carbon dioxide to be made.
- Carbon dioxide is a compound with molecules that each contain one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms.
- Less than 1% of the Earth’s atmosphere is carbon dioxide.
- Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas.
- In the atmosphere, some gases are greenhouse gases and have properties that enable its temperature to rise over time.
Keywords
Carbon dioxide - Carbon dioxide is a compound with molecules that each contain one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms.
Atmosphere - The atmosphere is a layer of gases that surround a planet. It may contain small amounts of solid and liquid particles.
Greenhouse gas - Greenhouse gases absorb infrared (IR) radiation emitted from Earth.
Global warming - An increase in Earth’s surface temperature is known as global warming.
Common misconception
Burning hydrocarbons results in harmless products.
Teach about carbon dioxide being a greenhouse gas, and the impact on global temperatures.
To help you plan your year 9 science lesson on: Atmospheric carbon, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 9 science lesson on: Atmospheric carbon, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 science lessons from the Carbon cycle and climate change unit, dive into the full secondary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
CO₂
H₂O
O₂
a layer of gases that surround a planet
absorb infrared (IR) radiation and trap ‘heat’ in the atmosphere
an increase in Earth’s surface temperature
molecules made of hydrogen and carbon atoms only