CHAPTER 8
Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension

What Is It?

The strategies in this chapter represent engaging ways to read and work with the many texts found in science classrooms in order to increase reading comprehension.

Why We Like It

Being able to read and comprehend informational text is a skill all students will need in life. Science classrooms provide opportunities to incorporate informational text into lessons. Reading can provide an opportunity for students to build background knowledge around new content. It can also help to extend knowledge after labs and other interactive activities.

The strategies highlighted in this section involve active learning and interaction among students. Additionally, the strategies can give students a purpose for their reading and maintain student engagement. All of the strategies require students to interact with the text multiple times, which can result in an increased understanding, especially of more complex texts.

Supporting Research

Studies have shown that literacy is a key factor in student achievement in science (Education Endowment Foundation, 2017).

Comprehending complex informational text is a challenge for many students. The use of reading strategies during multiple readings of the text can assist with comprehension (Frey & Fisher, 2013, pp. 57–58).

Skills for Intentional Scholars/NGSS Standards

The strategies shared in this chapter use the skills of thinking critically and communicating effectively. Students may think critically when they engage with a text multiple times for a given purpose. We rarely read a text in our classes without discussing it orally or in writing, which also helps students build communication skills.

Reading informational text for details and arguments is also an essential part of the Next Generation Science Standards. This requirement is embedded throughout many of the standards in every grade level (Achieve, Inc., 2017a).

Many of the strategies mentioned in this chapter reinforce the Next Generation Science Standards' crosscutting concepts (National Science Teaching Association [NSTA], n.d.). For example, the crosscutting concept of Systems and System Models requires students to understand how organized groups of objects are related to one another. Students deepen their understanding of systems when they complete various graphic organizers, which we explain in this chapter.

Application

We highlight four strategies for incorporating reading into science classrooms: close reading, graphic organizers, 4 × 4, and jigsaw.

CLOSE READING

Close reading is a strategy we use with complex texts. According to the Common Core Standards, the complexity of a text is determined by three things: (1) qualitative factors, such as levels of meaning, structure, and background knowledge required; (2) quantitative factors, which include grade level, lexile level, and overall measurable readability; and (3) reader and task factors, which consider reader motivation and experience, as well as purpose for reading (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2019a, 2019b, 2019c). As we expose our students to increasingly complex texts, we need to provide effective strategies they can use to understand them.

Close reading can help students increase their comprehension and application of text because it requires a deeper dive into text to determine purpose, analyze meaning, and make inferences (Dakin, 2013, pp. 56–57). Note that you will not find the term “close reading” in the Common Core Standards; however, it is commonly used to describe the process we discuss in this section.

Our process of close reading starts with choosing a complex text and developing text-dependent questions. Next, we help students gain text annotation skills through multiple readings. Then, students are guided to use textual evidence to support their answers to the text-dependent questions. Finally, we show students how to put it all together through the steps of a “close read.”

1. Choosing a Complex Text and Developing Text-Dependent Questions

When we plan for a close reading activity, we first find rich text (one that is complex and will build a deeper understanding) on a science concept. The text does not need to be an entire article. We have found that it works best if it is no longer than a page for younger readers and no more than two pages for older students. It could be an even smaller section of the text containing details we want to emphasize with students.

We next write text-dependent questions. These questions require students to return to the text to find not just the answer, but also evidence to support their response. Text-dependent questions should not ask students for simple facts, but, instead, require them to make inferences (educated guesses based on the text and background experiences) or draw conclusions. See Table 8.1 Examples of Text-Dependent Questions and Non-Text-Dependent Questions for concrete examples. Using text-dependent questions is a key part of meeting the English Language Arts Common Core standards at all levels (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2010, p. 7).

2. Helping Students Gain Text Annotation Skills Through Multiple Readings

Before we can begin to follow the close reading process, we must first teach students what it means to annotate the text. Annotations are an essential part of close reading because they allow students to focus more deeply on a text (Fisher & Frey, 2013, p. 1). See Figure 8.1: Annotations, for the ones we use in our classrooms. They include noting unfamiliar words or phrases, writing questions, and making connections.

Table 8.1 Examples of Text-Dependent Questions and Non-Text-Dependent Questions

Examples of text-dependent questions	Examples of non-text-dependent questions
Based on what the paleontologist found at the dig site, what can we guess about the people who used to live there?	Was what the paleontologist found at the dig site interesting to you?
Using the article, explain why some people want to go to space.	Do you want to go to space?
The author discusses differences of living on Earth versus in space. What details are used to show this?	Based on the movies you've seen, what is one difference between living on Earth and living in space?

To teach these annotating strategies, we usually go through a text paragraph-by-paragraph with the students. We start by modeling this process through a think aloud, explaining why we are using each annotation. Figure 8.2: Annotations Model Think Aloud Example shows our annotations and the “think aloud” comments we shared with the class (seen in bold). Then, we have students work with a partner to annotate the next paragraph and ask a few to share what they wrote with the entire class. We find that students may favor one annotation and generally only use that one. For example, they may feel comfortable underlining important ideas, but don't use many of the other annotations. To increase their usage of other annotations, we specifically model how to use the “less popular ones.”

3. Guiding Students to Use Textual Evidence to Answer Text-Dependent Questions

Once we have practiced the annotations with students, we also take time to model what it looks like to use textual evidence when answering text-dependent questions. We start by explaining why these questions require textual evidence and how the questions are different than others they may see elsewhere. We tell students that these types of questions usually do not ask for their opinions and will require them to understand the text. Text-dependent questions are important because they reinforce the idea of rereading something to ensure comprehension and reveal ideas students may have missed. We further explain that as they grow older, in either the workplace or college, they will need to have a more complete understanding of topics before engaging in important discussions or completing work.

We then model how to answer text-dependent questions by using the following process:

1. Read the question.
2. Re-read the text to find the information (text evidence) that best answers the question.
3. If the parts of the text that answer the question haven't yet been annotated, underline or highlight them.
4. Answer the question by using the quoted textual evidence.

When first writing with textual evidence, it can be helpful to provide students with sentence stems to get them started. Our favorite stems include:

• According to the text…
• In the text it states…
• The author of the text writes…

Once we model the process of answering text-dependent questions, we provide students with examples of questions and appropriate responses. For example, after reading an article about the history of how an intellectual chain reaction (one scientist has an idea that causes other scientists to have additional ideas) discovered fission and how fission itself is another type of chain reaction, we asked our students this text-dependent question: “Which of the two chain reactions in the article is the most important in today's world?” See Figure 8.3: Example of a Text-Dependent Question and Answer for an example of a student's answer. After reading and annotating the text, she made the decision that intellectual chain reactions were more important than fission. Her answer includes a quote regarding Albert Einstein's research that she chose as evidence to support her opinion.

4. Putting It All Together for the Close Reading Process

The close reading process we like to follow is:

1. First Read: gather information and annotate text.
   • During this time students are reading the text on their own and marking it with annotations. We are walking around to see if students need help.
2. First Impressions: students write down their first thoughts and/or the main idea.
   • Students are expected to write down the main idea of the article and their initial opinion either on the back of the text or a separate sheet of paper. They answer “who, what, where, when, why, and how” to help determine the main idea.
3. Discussion: share first impressions with a partner for 2 min.
   • While students are taking turns discussing what they wrote, we walk around to check for main ideas.
4. Teacher Read: students listen and make note of what is new to them.
   • We read the text aloud to the students so they can hear it while they are following along. We tell them to make note of new important information they may not have noticed when they read it on their own. We may highlight important parts of the text by either explicitly pointing it out or by emphasizing the words or phrases aloud as we are reading.
5. Add to first impressions: students add to their writing from step 2.
   • Students are given a few minutes to add to their initial writing and to adjust any of the “who, what, where, when, why, and how” answers, as well as modify their main ideas, if needed.
6. Answer text-dependent questions: students must re-read and support their answers using evidence from the selection either by highlighting or writing it down.
   • Students answer the questions using the process explained in step 3.
7. Optional: students respond, in writing, to a prompt that is based on the text.
   • If teachers would like students to respond to the text with a longer written response, they can present an additional prompt for the students. This prompt should be linked to the text-dependent questions and require students to use textual evidence. For example, a prompt that might relate to the first example in Table 8.1 could be: “Using textual evidence, describe three characteristics that can be inferred about the people who used to live where the paleontologist was digging.” The written response could be anywhere from a few sentences to a few paragraphs depending on student writing levels and the overall purpose. See Chapter 9: Strategies for Teaching Writing for more ideas on incorporating writing into science lessons.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

Graphic organizers are tools that help students visually organize information. Research has found that they are effective in helping students identify and recall main ideas from their reading and may increase comprehension (Manoli & Papadopoulou, 2012, p. 351). There are various types of graphic organizers that can be used in all subject areas, but in science class, our favorites are Venn Diagrams, Cause and Effect Organizers, and Concept Maps.

Venn Diagrams are used to compare and contrast two concepts, while Cause and Effect graphic organizers illustrate how causes lead to specific effects. Concept Maps show how concepts are related to each other.

Here are some specific examples of how we use these graphic organizers in our classes:

• Students can be given an article or text, which discusses two types of smog. They fill in the Venn Diagram on their own or with a partner. Figure 8.4: Photochemical and Industrial Smog Venn Diagram is a student example.
• Students can be given several reading selections about the effects humans have on the climate. They then use the information from those texts to fill out a Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer, which is a requirement of the crosscutting concepts published in the Next Generation Science Standards (NSTA, n.d.). Figure 8.5: Cultural Eutrophication Cause and Effect is a teacher's model of how students can complete a Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer.
• Students can be given a text on the water cycle and create a Concept Map during a class discussion. The Concept Map outlines each step of the cycle and how the steps are connected. Figure 8.6: Water Cycle Concept Map is an example of a Concept Map created by one of our students. When students are learning about the biogeochemical cycles, such as the water cycle, they are practicing the crosscutting concept of Systems and System Models (NSTA, n.d.).
• Students can be provided with a text, such as a story about the carbon cycle, found in Figure 8.7: Carbon Cycle Story. We have them read the story individually, underlining any time carbon changes the state of matter or location. Then we take them outside and give each student a piece of sidewalk chalk. Students work in pairs to draw a Concept Map of the carbon cycle. They are instructed to use arrows to depict when and how carbon changes. See Figure 8.8: Example of the Carbon Cycle for an example of what our students created with their chalk. This activity can be accomplished with any of the biogeochemical cycles. This can also be done in the classroom on paper or whiteboards, but going outside and using sidewalk chalk to do it makes it more engaging. It is another opportunity for students to practice the crosscutting concept of Systems and System Models.
• Students can be supplied with hints about a structure and then challenged to draw the structure, which is another example of a Concept Map. As an example, we give our students Figure 8.9: Hints for Drawing the Atmospheric Layers—High School. Students read the hints with a partner and draw the Earth and its five main layers of the atmosphere with details. This particular example was written for high school students so we shuffled the order of the hints in order to increase the rigor. When working with younger students, the hints are written in an order that doesn't require as much reading comprehension, which is provided in Figure 8.10: Drawing the Atmospheric Layers—Elementary and Junior High School. See Figure 8.11: Drawing the Atmospheric Layers—Answer Key for the teacher's answer key. This activity can easily be adapted to teach the layers of the Earth, the organization of a body system, and the structure of a plant or animal cell. When students are learning about structures such as these, they are practicing the crosscutting concept of Structure and Function (NSTA, n.d.), which requires students to understand that the shape of an object often determines its function and properties.

Students can also use Venn Diagrams, Cause and Effect Graphic Organizers, or Concept Maps to capture notes and reference while they are performing research. Students can also refer to their graphic organizers in preparation for assessments and writing projects.

See the Technology Connections section for online resources that offer free “blank” graphic organizers.

4 × 4

The 4 × 4 reading strategy we like requires students to read a text four times for four different purposes.

We start planning a 4 × 4 activity by choosing four topics that could be discussed within an article. For example, after teaching students the drawbacks of nuclear power plants, we have them read an article entitled “The Benefits of Nuclear Power.” Four topics from the article that can be discussed are:

1. Cost
2. Land
3. Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
4. Radiation

After we find the article and identify the four topics, we follow these steps during the lesson:

1. Students are divided into groups of four. See later in this section for an explanation of how to divide an uneven class size.
2. Each group is given a large piece of paper or whiteboard and each group member receives a different colored writing utensil so we know the identity of the writer.
3. On the classroom board, we model what we want students to draw on their paper. We begin by drawing a square in the middle, which is where the theme of the article is written. In this case, “The Benefits of Nuclear Power” is written in the middle box. Students are instructed to duplicate this middle square on their paper.
4. Then, on the board, we draw four equal sections (see Figure 8.12: 4 × 4 for an example). Students do the same on their large papers.
5. Once everyone has the basic format written on their paper, we add the four section titles on the board to model how students should label their four sections. In our example, the four sections are titled, “cost,” “land,” “CO₂,” and “radiation.” We walk around to ensure students are following directions and correctly constructing their 4 × 4 papers. Note that to save time, these papers can be premade.
6. Each group member receives a copy of the article. They are instructed to read the text searching for any detail that pertains to the section's topic they have in front of them. They receive 2 min to read the text and write down at least one detail.
7. After 2 min, students are instructed to stand up and rotate clockwise so they are sitting in front of a new section. In other words, four students are sitting around one piece of paper and they are rotating around that piece of paper.
8. Students receive 30 s to read what the previous student wrote because they cannot duplicate it.
9. Students then receive 2.5 min (30 s more than the previous time) to read the article a second time, and search for an additional detail that pertains to this new topic.
10. This continues until every student has read the article four times—each time in search of a detail that hasn't yet been written down. And every time students switch seats, they receive an additional 30 s because they'll need this extra time to find the more obscure details their peers didn't find.

For difficult or long texts, students can rotate through the four topics more than one time. Also, the time limits can be flexible.

We provide an example of a completed 4 × 4 board in Figure 8.12: 4 × 4, which is a student-completed example for the Benefits of Nuclear Power.

Students subsequently have a small group discussion answering the following four standard questions, as well as deciding on a spokesperson:

1. What was something that you learned from the article?
2. What was something that surprised you while you read the article?
3. What are questions you have about one of the topics?
4. What was something that confused you during your reading?

In addition, we usually include a fifth question that is specific to the article's content. In this case, it might be “Why do cities choose to use nuclear power?”

They document the answers to these five questions on the backside of their 4 × 4 paper or article. We then discuss the answers as a class. We begin with the first question and have the spokesperson from each group share out their group's answer. All students have the opportunity to alter their answers based on reports from the other groups.

We love this technique because it allows students to read the text multiple times and work together to expand their understanding.

To extend this particular activity, students could follow the same steps while reading another text about the negative effects of nuclear power. Then, they can take a position and defend it using evidence from the readings either in writing or in an oral debate. This can be done for two sides of any topic using this process. Chapter 10: Strategies for Discussions includes resources for holding a friendly classroom debate.

If class size doesn't permit an even division of four students per group, this activity also works well with three students. Each student still reads the article four times and adds their comments to each of the four sections. And, they still benefit from the five questions they discuss after the activity, just like a group of four would. The only difference is that when the activity is complete, their four sections will have only three details from the article instead of four.

JIGSAW

Jigsaw reading is another strategy we often use in our classes. It requires each student to become an expert in one section of a text. They then teach what they learned to other students who have become experts on different portions of the text. Research has shown that the jigsaw technique can increase engagement and student learning (Tewksbury, n.d.).

To use the jigsaw method, we first divide the text into sections based on concepts or natural breaking points. We attempt to make each section about the same length. However, in order to differentiate for ELL students or students with reading challenges, we often create more accessible sections of text for them (see the “Differentiation for Diverse Learners” section for ideas on how to “engineer” texts to increase their accessibility).

Once we have sectioned the text, the steps are as follows:

1. Inform students which sections they will be reading—if differentiating, we always decide ahead of time so students get the appropriate sections.
2. Students then read their sections to themselves, annotate, and take notes on important ideas—we point out that their goal is to answer the “who, what, where, when, why, and how” for their section.
3. Students meet with other students who read the same section to review notes and add other ideas they may have missed. They may also each create a poster to assist with their teaching.
4. While they are in these groups, students are handed a letter based on the section of the text they read—for example, if there were five sections, the letters A, B, C, D, and E would be used.
5. Students then must get into their letter groups. In other words, each group would have an A, B, C, D, and E representative. Note: if there are not enough group members for each to be represented, the teacher may need to sit in.
6. Students then take turns teaching their section of the text to the other students, while they take notes. The notes can follow the format of answering the “who, what, where, when, why, and how” questions to get the main points of the section. They can use these notes during the following whole-class discussion and refer back to them throughout the unit.
7. We come together as a class and review the key concepts as a whole.

We've often found it helps to have directions up on the board while students are using Jigsaw. Figure 8.13: Jigsaw Instructions is a list of instructions we put on the screen in our rooms and reveal one by one as we are going through the process.

DIFFERENTIATION FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS

In order to “amplify the text” instead of simplifying it, we often take the same text and “engineer it” to increase its accessibility (Billings & Walqui, n.d.). We can “engineer” it by:

• chunking the text into smaller sections
• creating wider margins (i.e., more white space) for annotations
• adding headings
• providing vocabulary definitions
• including focus questions to help guide student reading

For example, if we have an eight-paragraph article, we would break it down into sections of one to two paragraphs with a heading based on the topic of the smaller section. We would also add definitions for any unfamiliar vocabulary words, as well as a focus question for each section. Adding in white space can allow for students to write notes in the text while reading. These steps make longer texts more accessible to students who may have reading challenges.

Some students, however, may require alternative or modified texts. While we want students to feel challenged, we do not want to frustrate them. We will either find a similar text at a lower reading level or only ask them to focus on specific sections. Another tool we have found that is helpful is called Rewordify, https://rewordify.com. This website instructs teachers to place their chosen text into a box and then it will simplify the language. See the Technology Connections section for more online resources.

When using graphic organizers, students who may have difficulty writing can be given premade copies to fill in. We also draw out Concept Maps ahead of time for students who may need the extra help and just have students fill in labels as we go over them.

To help readers facing challenges or ELL students, we often give them the text the day before we read it in class so they can preview it. If available, we can also provide ELL students with the text in their home language (see the Technology Connections section for resources). Another idea for these students is finding videos (in English or in their home language) that are related to the content in the text. The students view the videos prior to the lesson to build necessary background knowledge (see the Technology Connections section for suggested resources).

Student Handouts and Examples

• Figure 8.1: Annotations
• Figure 8.2: Annotations Model Think Aloud Example (Teacher Model)
• Figure 8.3: Example of a Text-dependent Question and Answer (Student Example)
• Figure 8.4: Photochemical and Industrial Smog Venn Diagram (Student Example)
• Figure 8.5: Cultural Eutrophication Cause and Effect (Teacher Model)
• Figure 8.6: Water Cycle Concept Map (Student Example)
• Figure 8.7: Carbon Cycle Story (Student Handout)
• Figure 8.8: Example of the Carbon Cycle (Student Example)
• Figure 8.9: Hints for Drawing the Atmospheric Layers—High School (Student Handout)
• Figure 8.10: Drawing the Atmospheric Layers—Elementary and Junior High School
• Figure 8.11: Drawing the Atmospheric Layers—Answer Key
• Figure 8.12: 4 × 4 (Student Example)
• Figure 8.13: Jigsaw Directions

What Could Go Wrong?

While we find close reading to be an excellent strategy for deeper learning, it can take the fun out of reading if used too often. When Mandi first learned of the strategy, she used it several weeks in a row on all texts read in class before realizing the student grumblings were due to her overuse. Reading a text over and over again can begin to get monotonous for students and teachers and is not necessary with all texts. We would suggest that—at most—close reading be used once per month.

Technology Connections

When looking for articles and other science texts, there are many online resources out there. One of our favorites is Newsela: www.newsela.com, which allows you to search by science content, provides multiple written texts, different lexile levels, and contains text-dependent questions. On Newsela, teachers can also set up classes (at a cost) for their students to join and they can access the text and questions online, which is useful practice for online assessments.

Another favorite is CommonLit; www.commonlit.com. While CommonLit is more English-content focused, there are also articles based on science topics. This website allows teachers to create classes and select texts based on lexile levels that come with text-dependent questions.

More options for texts can be found on Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day Blog, “The Best Places to Get the ‘Same’ Text Written for Different ‘Levels’”: http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2014/11/16/the-best-places-to-get-the-same-text-written-for-different-levels.

Resources for finding texts and videos in multiple languages can be found at “The Best Multilingual & Bilingual Sites for Math, Social, Studies, & Science”: http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/10/03/the-best-multilingual-bilingual-sites-for-math-social-studies-science.

For resources to find blank graphic organizers, visit “The Best List of Mindmapping, Flow Chart Tools, & Graphic Organizers”: http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/02/09/not-the-best-but-a-list-of-mindmapping-flow-chart-tools-graphic-organizers.

Attributions

Thank you to Brianna Miller, who allowed her Venn Diagram to be used.

Thank you to Kaden Neal, Jodi Peterson, Dominic Pedretti, and Conner Anderson for the picture of their 4 × 4 on the benefits of nuclear power.

Thank you to Irelyn Humphries, who allowed us to include her answer to a text-dependent question.

Thank you to Irelyn and her learning partner, Hannah Zicafoose, for their example of the carbon cycle.

Thank you to Emma Wylie, who allowed us to use her water cycle concept map.

Figures

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Underline important ideas

⃝ words or phrases you don't understand

? next to text you are confused about or something you are wondering––write the question

! next to text that surprised you or made you say WOW!

→ next to text when you make a connection to it––write the connection

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Figure 8.1 Annotations

Figure 8.2 Annotations Model Think Aloud Example (Teacher Model)

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Which of the two chain reactions is the most important in today's world?

“An intellectual chain reaction is the reaction of one idea being triggered, which triggers more ideas and then even more, etc. In 1943, something known as the Manhattan Project resulted in the formation of the first atomic bomb. This is a perfect example of the intellectual chain reaction. In the article, “What Is Fission,” Redd states that, “Einstein noted that such research could be used to create an epic bomb of proportions” (3). To this day, the idea of the atomic bomb is still being recreated and ideas are still being added to make it better.”—Irelyn Humphries, 15

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Figure 8.3 Example of a Text-Dependent Question and Answer (Student Example)

Figure 8.4 Photochemical and Industrial Smog Venn Diagram (Student Example)

Figure 8.5 Cultural Eutrophication Cause and Effect (Teacher Model)

Figure 8.6 Water Cycle Concept Map (Student Example)

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The Carbon Cycle Story

This is a story about how carbon moves through earth systems. There are many steps of the carbon cycle and they do NOT occur in any particular order. In that way, it's very similar to the water cycle.

All living things are made of carbon; we refer to them as organic. Things that are not made of carbon, such as water, gold, and silver, are referred to as inorganic.

Carbon is a part of the ocean, air, and rocks. Because the Earth is a dynamic (ever-changing) place, carbon does not stay still. It is always on the move in a cycle called the carbon cycle!

In the atmosphere, one carbon atom is attached to two oxygen atoms, which makes a gas called carbon dioxide (CO₂). Producers use sunlight and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to make their food and grow. This is called photosynthesis. The carbon becomes part of the producer.

When producers die, one of two things can happen to them. Some producers are decomposed by bacteria and fungi. During the decomposition process, the bacteria and fungi release the producers' CO₂ into the atmosphere. Some producers do not decompose and are instead buried and turned into fossil fuels. This organic material can eventually be turned into oil or coal. Combustion is when humans burn fossil fuels to make electricity. Combustion releases the carbon that was once in the producers and places it into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Animals obtain their carbon by eating producers or other animals. Animals release carbon into the soil when they excrete waste and release carbon into the air when they fart. Farts aren't CO₂ but are instead made of methane gas, which is CH₄. Animals also exhale carbon back into the atmosphere as CO₂. This is called respiration.

The oceans are large enough to pull carbon dioxide out of the air. But be careful because as the oceans warm, they are less able to do so.

Most people believe that producers only release oxygen into the atmosphere, but producers also release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is called transpiration. And most people believe that humans only release CO₂ into the atmosphere but we also release a little bit of oxygen. When we release these gases, it is called respiration.

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Figure 8.7 Carbon Cycle Story (Student Handout)

Figure 8.8 Example of the Carbon Cycle (Student Example)

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Hints for Drawing the Earth's Atmosphere

• Hint #1: The Earth is not a perfect sphere, but is often drawn that way.
• Hint #2: The ozone layer is not its own layer but is instead the bottom portion of the stratosphere. It's hot here because O₃, which is called ozone, absorbs the sun's radiation.
• Hint #3: The atmosphere has five primary layers.
• Hint #4: Organisms breathe the troposphere. This is also where clouds hang out.
• Hint #5: The International Space Station revolves around Earth in the thermosphere. The air here is the second to receive the sun's heat so it can be very hot in the thermosphere: positive 815 °C (1,500 °F)!
• Hint #6: The troposphere's temperature decreases as altitude increases because the higher air is thinner, so it can't hold on to the sun's heat or the Earth's heat. For example, it's colder at the top of a mountain than it is at the base of the mountain.
• Hint #7: Airplanes fly in the stratosphere, so they are above stormy weather.
• Hint #8: The mesosphere is where meteorites burn up, which we often refer to as shooting stars. The air here is thick enough to slow down meteorites before they enter the stratosphere and troposphere to bop us on the head.
• Hint #9: The exosphere is the outermost layer. It's so hot during the day that it can reach 1,700 °C (3,092 °F) and it's so cold at night that it can reach 0 °C (32 °F).
• Hint #10: The stratosphere turns the sun's UV light into heat. It acts as the Earth's sunscreen. Its temperature increases as the altitude increases. It also reflects about 95% of the sun's radiation back into space.
• Hint #11: The mesosphere is thinner than the other layers, meaning it doesn't have a lot of air molecules. The higher the altitude, the colder the temperature. This is where the atmosphere is the coldest. Negative 101 °C (-130 °F)!

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Figure 8.9 Hints for Drawing the Atmospheric Layers—High School (Student Handout)

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Hints for Drawing the Earth's Atmosphere

• Hint #1: The Earth is not a perfect sphere, but is often drawn that way.
• Hint #2: The atmosphere has five primary layers.
• Hint #3: Organisms breathe the troposphere. This is also where clouds hang out.
• Hint #4: The troposphere's temperature decreases as altitude increases because the higher air is thinner, so it can't hold on to the sun's heat or the Earth's heat. For example, it's colder at the top of a mountain than it is at the base of the mountain.
• Hint #5: Airplanes fly in the stratosphere, so they are above stormy weather.
• Hint #6: The ozone layer is not its own layer but is instead the bottom portion of the stratosphere. It's hot here because O₃, which is called ozone, absorbs the sun's radiation.
• Hint #7: The stratosphere turns the sun's UV light into heat. It acts as the Earth's sunscreen. Its temperature increases as the altitude increases. It also reflects about 95% of the sun's radiation back into space.
• Hint #8: The mesosphere is where meteorites burn up, which we often refer to as shooting stars. The air here is thick enough to slow down meteorites before they enter the stratosphere and troposphere to bop us on the head.
• Hint #9: The mesosphere is thinner than the other layers, meaning it doesn't have a lot of air molecules. The higher the altitude, the colder the temperature. This is where the atmosphere is the coldest. Negative 101 °C (-130 °F)!
• Hint #10: The International Space Station revolves around Earth in the thermosphere. The thermosphere is the second layer to receive the sun's heat, so it can be very hot here: positive 815 °C (1,500 °F)!
• Hint #11: The exosphere is the outermost layer. It's so hot during the day that it can reach 1,700 °C (3,092 °F) and it's so cold at night that it can reach 0 °C (32 °F).

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Figure 8.10 Drawing the Atmospheric Layers—Elementary and Junior High School

Figure 8.11 Drawing the Atmospheric Layers—Answer Key

Figure 8.12 4 × 4 (Student Example)

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1. Write down and mark off which section of the text you are reading.
2. Read and annotate your section.
3. Write notes about your section:
   • Main ideas
   • Important terms
   • Answer who, what, where, when, why, and how
4. Discuss your notes with the other students who read your section.
5. Add at least two new ideas to your notes.
6. Meet with your letter groups and teach your section to the other students.
7. Take notes as other students are teaching you their sections.

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Figure 8.13 Jigsaw Directions