The Ozone Hole

Name: The Ozone Hole
Item: The Ozone Hole
Rating: 2
Author: Michelle Kitt

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Poorly designed but detailed trove of ozone hole data

Subjects & skills

Grades This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.

6–12

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5 images

The site uses reliable sources for videos, images, and text.

Historical data starting in the 1980s allows analysis of the ozone hole over time.

Visual elements such as graphs, charts, and pictures help communicate technical information.

Check out the section on the Montreal Protocol, a groundbreaking international agreement to reduce the use of gases that deplete the ozone layer.

Use the site map to locate ozone-related topics of interest.

Pros: Reliable sources are used to collect data, images, and videos presented on the site.

Cons: The site's design is not user-friendly; there's lots of scrolling and it's hard to find what you want.

Bottom Line: There’s no interactivity, but the vast amounts of info can be a jumping-off point for creative activities offline.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

The site’s weakness as a reference is a lack of learning activities to help younger kids digest complicated information. Without any interactivity, it's up to you to make sense of all the info for your students. You could have kids create graphs from the data about the progression of the ozone hole from the 1980s to today and extrapolate them to predict its condition years from now. Kids could write a story or journal entry about life without the Montreal Protocol, or make molecular models of gases that harm the ozone layer such as chlorofluorocarbons and carbon tetrachloride -- there’s a list at the bottom of the Montreal Protocol page. They could also print and cut images of the ozone hole and make a flipbook to show how it’s changed over time.

What Is It?

The Ozone Hole uses images, data, and videos from reliable sources such as NASA, NOAA, and the Royal British Astronomical Society to track changes in the Earth’s ozone layer due to natural and human-made factors. It was created by The Ozone Hole, Inc., a nonprofit organization that seeks to protect the Earth’s ozone layer, climate, and environment through education.

Approach the site with specific questions like “Why was the ozone hole so big in 2006?” or “What gases harm the ozone layer?” or even “What is the ozone layer?” and click Site Map to locate specifics. Click Multimedia for a collection of videos and animations for different grade levels. At the bottom of most pages is an introductory video, “The Antarctic Ozone Hole – From Discovery to Recovery, a Scientific Journey.” The Ozone Hole separates its content into sections: News, Links, Ozone Hole History, Ozone Hole 2006, Ozone Hole 2012, Montreal Protocol, and Arctic Ozone Hole. Click one of these sections at the top or refer to the Site Map. There’s also a link to The Ozone Hole’s active Facebook page that has material not found on the website.

Is It Good for Learning?

The site’s content is thorough and scientific, but its poor design will turn kids off before they grasp the concepts it’s so eager to communicate. However, kids can learn how human and natural factors affect the ozone layer's ability to protect life on Earth. Current and historical data show the progression of the ozone hole over Antarctica from the 1980s to today and its behavior month to month in any particular year. Kids can also learn about the Montreal Protocol, a landmark agreement among countries around the world to stop using gases that harm the ozone layer. There's no interactivity here, but the information can be a jumping-off point for creative activities offline.

The Ozone Hole would benefit from some organization and a change from its long-scrolling design, but there are a few good nuggets worth the trip way, way down the page.

Rating Details

Overall Rating

Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

The Ozone Hole's staggering amount of content combined with poor design makes navigation a challenge. It's tough for kids to find things that are age-appropriate or that interest them.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

Images, video, and text do create a thorough reference for kids to learn more about the environment and international cooperation. But it's hard to appreciate the depth here.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

There's very little support for kids. Links to reputable scientific organizations and groups provide some extensions.

Common Sense Reviewer

Michelle Kitt

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Featured review by
Jessica M. , Classroom teacher

Classroom teacher

Hite Saunders Elementary School
Huntington, United States

Wealth of information, but lacking an interactive or engaging package.

I love the amount of information this site has and how it connects to a timeline, but I am not in love with how the information is displayed and the fact that it has no further learning levels attached to it.

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