Global Ozone
Educator Resources for "Global Ozone"
For general information about using Science Bulletins in your classroom, refer to the Science Bulletins Educator's Guide.Exploring In-Depth
Ozone gas (O3) in the upper atmosphere shields Earth from the Sun's dangerous ultraviolet radiation. Since the early 1980s, scientists have been aware that manmade chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) destroy atmospheric ozone worldwide. The greatest losses have occurred at the poles. Provided here are questions to help guide a discussion about the ozone layer.
- How does ozone in the stratosphere function and why is it important?
- What information does the NASA's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) gather?
- Since 1980, scientists have been gathering data on the ozone layer. What does the data show?
- Ozone is naturally created and destroyed. How have humans contributed to the destruction of the ozone layer?
- The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica was 20% smaller in October, 2004 than in the previous year. What do scientists attribute this to?
Related Links from NASA
- Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer – Educational Resources
http://toms.gsfc.nasa.gov/teacher/teacher.html
Analyze real ozone data in the exciting classroom activities offered here. - Stratospheric Ozone Depletion Tutorial
http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Education/Ozone/
This site provides a variety of web and print resources to further your study of ozone. - The Ozone We Breathe
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/OzoneWeBreathe/
This series of articles from NASA Earth Observatory provides a comprehensive introduction to ozone. - Ozone Comparison, October 1979 vs. October 2000
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Laboratory/Datasets/ozone_globe.html
Use these additional images and questions to explore ozone with your class.
