Download LAYERED EARTH

EARTH SCIENCE/COMMON CORE:
INTEGRATING VISUAL INFORMATION, p. 1
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LAYERED EARTH
The article “Mission to the Mantle” (p. 12) includes a diagram showing Earth’s layers. Use this skills sheet to analyze the
infographic.
EARTH’S LAYERS
CRUST:
4.4 billion years ago, Earth was born from a mass
of rubble and gases whirling through space. As
the pull of gravity brought this material together,
heavier materials like iron sank to the center, and
lighter materials like granite ended up toward the
outside. Like an eggshell, Earth’s crust is thin:
only about 3 to 5 miles thick beneath the ocean.
MOHO BOUNDARY:
Scientists have never seen this border, thought
to separate the crust from the mantle. They’ve
detected it by studying seismic waves caused
by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. If the
drilling project is successful, scientists will get
a first-ever look at the Moho boundary.
UPPER MANTLE:
This layer contains rocks made of
elements like silicon, magnesium, and
aluminum. The region can reach
scorching temperatures of 5,000°F—hot
enough to melt rock. As rock melts, it
moves upward. This motion is critical to
how the ocean flows and how air in the
atmosphere circulates.
LOWER MANTLE:
The lower mantle is a solid layer of
rock from 400 to 2,000 mi thick.
OUTER CORE:
Temperatures of 4,000° to 9,000°F melt
the iron and nickel that make up the outer
core. The liquid metal flows around Earth’s
center, creating the planet’s magnetic field.
INNER CORE:
The pressure here is so great that it
squeezes the iron and nickel in the inner
core into a solid metal ball 1,500 mi wide.
MAGICTORCH
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MARCH 21, 2016
EARTH SCIENCE/COMMON CORE:
INTEGRATING VISUAL INFORMATION, p. 2
Name:
LAYERED EARTH
questions
1. Why do you think the author chose to include a diagram
4. What is the main difference between the materials in the
in the article?
inner and outer core?
2. Beneath the ocean, about how thick is Earth’s crust on
5. How many years ago did Earth form?
average?
3. How does temperature change as you move away from
Earth’s center?
Permission granted by Science World to reproduce for classroom use only. ©2016 by Scholastic Inc.
MARCH 21, 2016
biology: PAIRED TEXT
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LIVING IN THE DEEP
In “Mission to the Mantle” (p. 12), you read about a project to drill through Earth’s crust to reach the mantle. In the following
passage, you’ll learn about organisms that have been discovered deep underground. Read the article “Mission to the
Mantle” and the passage below. Then answer the questions that follow.
SURVIVING BENEATH EARTH’S SURFACE
Scientists have long known that single-celled organisms like bacteria can survive the
harsh conditions found deep underground. The discovery of a new species of roundworm
called Halicephalobus mephisto proves that more-complex life-forms can also inhabit extreme
subterranean habitats.
A team of scientists from Princeton University in New Jersey unearthed the previously
unknown roundworm, or nematode, species in a gold mine in South Africa. The tiny
0.5 millimeter (0.02 inch)-long roundworm lives in fluid-filled cracks up to 3.5 kilometers
(2.2 miles) beneath Earth’s surface.
Most other multicellular life on Earth is found above ground or within 9 meters (30 feet) of
the surface. The conditions at the depths where H. mephisto was found were thought to be
too harsh for complex life. No sunlight reaches the cramped spaces. There is little oxygen, and
temperatures rise higher than most other nematodes are able to handle.
The discovery of deep-living multicellular life may influence the search for extraterrestrial
life. Scientists now think it’s possible that hardy, complex life-forms could be slithering beneath
the surface of other planets.
QUESTIONS
1. What new species was discovered in South Africa? 4. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the
A a type of bacteria
B a roundworm
C a meter-long nematode
D a single-celled organism
2. Use context clues to determine the BEST definition
for subterranean.
A h ot
B u nderground
C fl uid-filled
D dark
3. Based on what you read, under what conditions do
most multicellular life-forms live?
A in areas with little oxygen
B areas deeper than 9 meters beneath the surface
C in places with abundant sunlight and oxygen
D harsh environments
passage?
A to explain that scientists have discovered complex life
deep underground
B to propose that complex life may live on other planets
C to introduce readers to nematodes
D to describe the different environments in which organisms
live
5. Consider what you learned about the drilling
project in “Mission to the Mantle.” Explain how the
conditions where they are drilling will compare with
where Halicephalobus mephisto was found. Do you
think they will find multicellular organisms there?
Why or why not?
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MARCH 21, 2016
CHEMISTRY: ANALYZING DATA
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ELEMENTS IN EARTH’S LAYERS
In “Mission to the Mantle” (p. 12), you learned about a project that aims to drill through Earth’s outer crust to reach the
underlying mantle. Scientists have already estimated the composition of the mantle based on rock samples that have
reached Earth’s surface. The tables below show the estimated composition of the mantle and the crust. Use the data to
complete the skills sheet.
ELEMENTS IN EARTH’S CRUST
ELEMENTS IN EARTH’S MANTLE
Element
Abundance by Weight
Element
Abundance by Weight
Oxygen
46%
Oxygen
45%
Silicon
28%
Magnesium
23%
Aluminum
8%
Silicon
21%
Iron
6%
Iron
6%
Calcium
4%
Calcium
2%
Sodium
3%
Aluminum
2%
Magnesium
2%
Other
1%
Other
3%
Source: Allegre et al. (1995) Earth and Planetary Science Letters:
“The Chemical-Composition of the Earth.”
Source: CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 77th Edition
graph it: On a separate sheet of paper, use the data to create a circle graph showing the composition of crust and
another circle graph showing the composition of the mantle.
Tips to creating a circle graph:
1. Convert the percentages into angle degrees. Example:
3. Use a protractor to draw wedges inside the circle using the
If 45% of the mantle is made of oxygen, the pie wedge for
“oxygen” would be 45% of the 360 degree circle, or 162
degrees (360 × .45 = 162).
2. Draw a circle. Mark the middle point and draw a straight
line from the middle to the outside of the circle.
angles you calculated in Step 1. Measure each edge from the
edge of the one before. When finished, the entire circle should
be filled and the wedges should add up to 360°.
4. Be sure to give your chart a title and label each section,
including the percentage.
analyze it
1. What percentage of Earth’s crust is made up of silicon?
4. Describe two major differences between the compositions
of the mantle and the crust.
2. What percentage of the Earth’s mantle is made up of silicon
and oxygen combined?
5. The periodic table contains 91 naturally occurring elements.
Only 6 of these elements make up the majority of the mantle.
What percent of naturally occurring elements on the periodic
table do these 6 elements represent?
3. Which element(s) is present in the same abundance in the
crust and the mantle?
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march 21, 2016
physics: CARRYING OUT INVESTIGATIONS
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SEISMIC RECORD
In “Mission to the Mantle” (p. 12), you read that scientists have learned about Earth’s layers by studying seismic waves.
These vibrations are caused by the sudden breaking of rock within Earth and are often the result of earthquakes and
volcanic eruptions. Seismic waves are measured by devices called seismometers. To learn about earthquakes and Earth’s
interior, scientists analyze the time it takes for seismic waves to reach different seismometers around the globe and the
shapes of lines recorded on the devices. Try this activity to create your own seismometer. Then test it to see how it records
different types of vibrations.
PREDICT: Will vibrations originating closer to or farther from a seismometer create smoother lines on the device? (Write down
your prediction.)
MATERIALS: paper cup • scissors • marker • piece of string, 45 centimeters (18 inches) long • large empty cardboard box, with
the top flaps cut off • meter stick • dried beans • long table • paper
PROCEDURE:
1. U se the tip of a pair of scissors to carefully poke three holes in
a paper cup: one in the center of the bottom of the cup and two
holes opposite one another along the cup’s rim.
2. P oke a marker through the hole in the bottom of the cup. The
writing end should stick out of the bottom.
3. T hread the piece of string through the two holes in the rim of the
cup.
4. P lace the empty box on a table so that the open end faces you.
5. P oke two holes in the middle of the top of the box. The holes
should be spaced 25 centimeters (1 inch) apart.
6. T hread the ends of the string from the cup through the holes in
the box.
7. P osition the string so that the marker in the cup is just touching
the bottom of the box. Tie the string.
CONCLUSION
8. Fill the cup half-full with beans to weigh it down.
9. Check the level of the cup again to make sure that the marker
is just touching the bottom of the box. It should be able to move
when you shake the box. Adjust the string as needed. This is
your seismometer.
10. Place a piece of paper on the bottom of the box. Slowly pull
the paper out of the box while a partner bumps the table at a
place that’s 60 cm (24 in.) from the seismometer. Observe the
line created on the paper.
11. Place a clean piece of paper on the bottom of the box. Slowly
pull the paper out of the box. Have your partner bump the
table with the same amount of force as before, this time
at a place that’s 1.8 meters (6 feet) from the seismometer.
Observe the line created on the paper.
1. What happens to the line created on a seismometer
3. How would you expect a line to look that was created by
when a vibration reaches the device?
a vibration made 3 m (10 ft.) from the seismometer? Support
your answer with evidence from your experiment.
2. How did the records created by the two vibrations
compare?
4. How do your findings compare with the prediction you
made at the beginning of this project?
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MARCH 21, 2016