Thermal Inversions is a common, yet tricky, concept covered in most environmental science, Earth science, and Geology courses. This topic may seem simple. It might be glossed over or handed over to the students without class coverage. However, I use the following graphic organizer/coloring sheet to help student understanding. This is a concept you should pause and review. It tends to be a hot spot for confusion, like many Earth science topics.
Link to Download Coloring Sheet
Implementation
I always include a filled-in version of the notes I create. Sometimes I use the template I created to look at. I just throw a blank copy under the documentary camera. Then, I lecture while filling in a blank copy in front of the class. Alternatively, you might not want to lecture. In that case, this short YouTube video could serve as a good source to take notes from.
Even though many students don’t find coloring a page interesting, many students find it cathartic. I sometimes use this activity when students become more exhausted as we get closer to exam day (when it feels like trying to get water from a stone).
Avoid These Common Misconceptions
1. Some students believe inversions are unusual or only caused by human activity, when in fact, they are natural atmospheric phenomena that occur regularly under the right conditions (e.g., clear nights, calm winds, valleys).
2. Students may think a thermal inversion causes surface temperatures to increase, when it actually traps cooler air near the ground and prevents surface warming during the day.
3. While more common in colder months, especially in valleys or basins, students might not realize that inversions can happen year-round under the right atmospheric conditions.
4. Many thermal inversions occur during hot summer months. Many students have a hard time understanding, that though the air may feel very warm to us at the surface, a thermal inversion could still be occurring. ‘Cooler’ air is relative to the surrounding air even if it doesn’t feel ‘cool’ to us.
