Geology Day 2!: Layers of the Earth
Name: _______________
Date: ________
Activity 2A: Engagement
What does the inside of the Earth look
like?
Directions:
-Label and draw what you think the inside of the Earth looks like. Make sure you
label each part.
Activity 2B: Exploration
Directions:
-As you watch this video you will be filling in the answers to the following questions:
1.
The Earth has __________________________ basic layers: the
__________________________, the __________________________ and the
__________________________.
The __________________________ is the part of the Earth that we
__________________________ __________________________, we can only see the
very top layer of crust. Underneath all that grass and dirt and water and stuff is a layer
of hard __________________________.
Below the crust, you’ll find the __________________________. The mantle is
made up of a mixture of elements including silicon, iron, magnesium, and oxygen. The
mantle makes up the bulk (most) of the Earth’s mass. Parts of the
__________________________ mantle are __________________________ and plastic.
This is
what allows the __________________________ plates that make up the Earth’s surface
to move around. The __________________________ mantle is
__________________________
and extremely __________________________.
At the very __________________________ of the Earth, you’ll find the
__________________________ .The __________________________ core is Earth’s only
totally __________________________ layer. The pressure from all those other layers pushing
down creates a solid ball in the very center of Earth called the ____________________ core.
Activity 2C: Exploration
Directions: Think about the apple you observed and drew yesterday that you compared to
the layers of the Earth. In this activity, you will be creating a diagram of the layers of
the Earth.
Materials needed:
-­‐
1 Compass
-­‐
1- 12 inch ruler
-­‐
1 Penny
-­‐
4 different colored pencils
Procedure:
1.
Using the center point on the next page, you will draw a circle that has a
radius of 8 centimeters.
2.
Using the same center point, you will draw a second circle that has a radius of
7 centimeters.
3.
For the third circle, using the same center point, you will draw a circle that
has a radius of 2.5 centimeters.
4.
Lastly, you draw a circle using the same center point that has a radius of 1
centimeter.
5.
After drawing all 4 circles, you will color each circle a different color. Use
the following information to label each layer. Be sure to make a key that
explains the colored layers in your diagram.
-­‐ The outermost layer is called the crust.
-­‐ The innermost layer is called the inner core.
-­‐ The outer core surrounds the inner core.
-­‐ The mantle lies between the outer core and the crust.
Activity 2D: Explanation
•
Now that you have learned that there are four layers to the Earth, read the
following information to learn more about the characteristics of each of the four
layers
Deep Inside our Earth
As you walk outside and look up at the sun and feel its heat on your face, you
realize that there is an enormous amount of heat that comes to us from outside our
atmosphere. Did you also know that if you dig deep through the four layers of the Earth,
you would also find some pretty extreme temperatures?
It would take a long time to do all of that digging. In fact, you would have to dig
for years to get past the first of Earth’s layers, the crust. Earth’s crust is the layer
that we walk on every day. Its temperature varies due to the heating and cooling of our
atmosphere. Our continents are part of Earth’s crust. Even though the crust is the
thinnest of the four layers, it still generally measures between five kilometers and 100
kilometers (3-62 miles). The deeper measurements are found under the continents, while
thinner measurements can be found in the rock of the ocean floor. We also find soil,
water, rock, and minerals at the top part of this layer. As you dig deeper, the earth
becomes more and more solid.
The mantle, earth’s second layer, is the thickest of all of our planet’s layers. This
layer measures approximately 2,900 kilometers thick (1,802 miles). Most of this layer
exists as solid rock. Within this layer, temperatures range from 2,800 to 3,200 degrees
Celsius.
As you make your way closer to the third layer, you would find partly melted
rock that flows like very thick hot oatmeal.
After passing through the mantle, we discover the outer core. This layer is about
2,250 kilometers (1,398 miles) thick and is made up of mostly melted iron and nickel. It is
a VERY HOT area of the earth’s layers, measuring between 4,000 and 5,000 degrees
Celsius. (Remember - water boils at 100 degrees Celsius).
Finally, you reach the inner core. Here, scientists believe that it’s almost 6,000
degrees Celsius. There is so much pressure in this area that the liquid metals that you
found in the outer core have become solid again. This inner core is about 1,280 kilometers
(795 miles) thick. Even if you could travel to the inner core, it would take you a VERY
long time to get there!
Activity 2C- Extension
Directions: Use the chart to organize the information you have learned.
Name of Layer
Thickness
Temperature
Composition
Name:________________________
Date: :_______________________
Layers of the Earth- Day 2 Evaluation
1. Which layer of the Earth is the thinnest?
A. Crust
B. Inner core
C. Outer core
D. Mantle
2. The _________________ is the innermost layer of the Earth.
A. lithosphere
B. inner core
C. crust
D. tectonic plate
3. This layer is made up of mostly melted iron and nickel.
A. Mantle
B. Magma
C. Hydrothermal vent
C. Outer core
4. Label the layers of the Earth: