Download Layers of the Earth Investigation 2

Layers of the Earth- Investigation 2
Focus
Question
How are the layers of the Earth divided and why?
Prediction
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MiniLesson and
Work
Session:
1. The Earth’s crust is made up of ______________________________.
2. The first layer under the crust is called the _______________________.
3. Mount St. Helen’s is an _____________________ volcano.
4. ___________________is pushed out of a volcano by the buildup of gas.
Build
Background
Knowledge
5. Magma is cold/ hot.
6. Earth’s ________________________plates float on the mantle.
7. When the Earth’s plates shift the result is a (an) _____________________.
8. The ____________________is the thinnest layer of the Earth.
Activity 2:
Layers of the Earth
Our Earth is much more complex than just a large mass of soil and rock. The
Earth definitely includes soil and rock, but beneath the Earth’s solid surface, it’s
quite different. Research shows that Earth is made of several materials
arranged in different layers. The deeper you travel into Earth temperature and
pressure increase. The Earth can be divided into layers chemically, based on
what the layers are made up of, or physically, based on how the layers behave.
When divided up chemically, there are 4 main layers of the Earth: the crust, the
mantle and the outer and inner core.
The crust is the outermost layer of the Earth. It is the layer that we walk
on when we step outside. The crust is the thinnest layer of the earth and it is
made up of solid rock. If the Earth were the size of an apple, the crust would
be only as thick as the apple’s skin. The crust also contains elements such as
aluminum and calcium. The crust of our Earth is broken into tectonic plates.
Think of a hard-boiled egg. When the shell is cracked, it creates broken
sections on the shell; the Earth’s crust is similar. The crust is thinnest under
the oceans and thickest under the mountain ranges. There are two types of
crust. The first is the continental crust it is found under the continents (or
land masses) and made up of granite rock. The second part is the oceanic crust
it is found under the oceans and it is made up of the rock basalt.
The mantle is the next layer that is composed of two main parts based on the
physical properties (like how the mantle parts behave). The uppermost part of
the mantle and the crust together are called the lithosphere. Physically it is
very rigid (hard) and rocky. It floats on top of the layer below it. The
remainder of the mantle is called the asthenosphere. This layer is still made of
rock, but physically the rock is a little more flexible due to the increase in heat
from the deeper you go into the Earth. This layer is able to flow and move. You
could compare the lithosphere to a piece of hard candy and the asthenosphere
to a piece of gum.
Finally, the core: The core is made up of the outer core and the inner core.
The outer core is thick and it is made up mostly of molten (liquid) nickel and
iron. The heat gets very intense. The inner core is a solid layer that is made up
of iron. It is a very dense layer. It stays solid because of the pressure put on
it from the layers above it. It is the hottest layer.
Apply
Part 1: Build Your Foldable
Part 2: Apply Questions
Name that Layer!
1. This layer is molten (liquid) iron and nickel and it surrounds another layer.
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2. We live on this layer. __________________________________________
3. This layer is a dense solid ball of metal. ____________________________
4. The uppermost part of the mantle and crust combined, it floats on another
layer. ________________________________________________________
5. This layer is the thinnest layer. __________________________________
Reflection
1. List the layers of the Earth in the correct boxes.
Chemical Layers of the Earth
Physical Layers of the Earth
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
4.
4.
2. How does the pressure and temperature change as you go deeper into the
Earth?_________________________________________________________
3. Compare and Contrast two layers. (include examples of physical and
chemical properties of layers)
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