AQA: Miller and Urey - The Early Atmosphere

This 'Challenge Lesson' is designed to teach the Earth's early atmosphere, using ideas and models. Students will work in groups to unravel the research of Miller and Urey. This is a student-led lesson, allowing the teacher to circulate and guide learning through questioning. It is predominantly aimed at higher attaining students, or those who are in good habits of working together to solve problems. There are also 'Challenge Questions' to test understanding.

Students work together, discussing the meaning of the 'Hint cards' and how they relate to the Miller and Urey experiment. The eventual goal is for students to write a conclusion of how the apparatus was used and the implications of this work in understanding the origin of life on Earth.