Layers of the Earth--lesson and activities

Today for coop, our lesson was about the layers of the Earth.

He started with a cool idea we got from HERE. You make a model of the Earth out of clay. He and mija made a model at home, and he sliced it open in the class to show the layers of the earth.

The continents were a little "abstract."

Here's the Earth cut in half.

We used this little chant I came up with previously but is now 2.0. 

Inner Core, Outer Core, Mantle, Crust,

Four layers on the Earth is a must.

Inner Core, Outer Core, Mantle, Crust,

You live here with rest of us!

Then we made some layers of the earth collector cards of the Earth layers using this site. For time's sake, we cut out the picture and label side as one piece and pieces of construction paper as the backing prior to class. It was only a matter of gluing one piece to the other to make them.

One proud little fella's set of cards!

Lastly, we did the coolest thing to learn the layers of the Earth! I came up with it all by myself! That's right. I get the credit for this one! ;-)

You'll need: 

Chocolate kiss or other solid piece of chocolate candy

Chocolate Syrup

Whipped Topping

Graham Crackers

Clear Cups

Plastic Spoons

First you put the piece of solid chocolate in the bottom of the cup to represent the solid, inner core.

The next layer is the outer core. We used chocolate syrup since the out core is made of the same material as the inner core except it is fluid.

Of course, the mantle is up next. The mantle is not solid but not as liquid as the outer core. We used whipped topping for this layer.

We used a piece of graham cracker as the crust!

Yummy lesson!

You might even get a little mantle on your face or outer core on your face.





Here are a few other cool resources I found you could add to your lesson.

• Layers of the Earth out of paper
• Layers of the Earth using Oreo cookies
• Presentations in PowerPoint format
• Online lesson and quiz.
• Earth Layers Test Maker
• Earth Layers Worksheets
• Diggin' to the Earth game
• Inside the Earth worksheet
• Ins and Outs of the Earth Worksheet

Now excuse me as I review the layers
of the earth again...pass the whipped
topping please!!

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