Instructional Video

How Studying Venus Saved Earth

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Scientists discovered a hole in the ozone layer in 1980, and by 2000, the hole was three times the size of the United States. Through global efforts, scientists discovered the cause and worked together to get countries to implement a solution. Now the hole shrinks a bit every year and might one day be eliminated. A video from a larger series discusses the process of chemists finding the cause and how their attempts to solve a mystery about the atmosphere on Venus ended up offering ways to save the Earth's ozone layer.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Graph the amount of CFCs used by year and discuss the sharp increase and slow decline
  • Go into more detail on the hole in the ozone layer
Classroom Considerations
  • Relies on prior knowledge of ultraviolet radiation, the ozone layer, and Earth's atmosphere
  • Part of the SciShow Space series
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • Offers hope for humans improving the environment
  • Shows the interconnections of many scientific disciplines
Cons
  • None