Earth’s Layers and Soil Composition Lesson Plan

***Each child/student needs to bring a shovel or trowel from home.***

1. Stretch & Pray. Discuss Genesis 1 and Psalm 24:1-2

2. Look at photo of Earth taken from space. What can you learn about Earth just from the photo?

3. Read The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth. (Change "millions" to "thousands" of years.)

4. Ask: "What do you think is inside Earth? Is it hot or cold? Solid or liquid? How far do you think it is to the center of the Earth?

5. Make an edible model of the Earth
(Tip: One 10.5 oz of marshmallows, 3 Tbsp. butter, and 6 c. Rice Krispies makes enough for 6 children.)

-Moms use a sharp knife to pre-poke a hole in the middle of each marshmallow.
-Children insert the red candy into the center and try to fold the marshmallow around it so it completely surrounds the spice drop. (The spice drop is the inner core and the marshmallow is the outer core.) Set aside.
-Divide into 2 groups and each group makes a batch of 3 Tbsp. butter and a 10.5 ounce bag of marshmallows in the mixing bowl. Microwave on high for 1 ½ minutes.
-Stir in 6 cups of cereal.
-Spray children's hands with non-stick cooking spray and give them each a sheet of wax paper. They roll the cereal mixture (mantle) into a ball around the core marshmallow. It might help to spread out the mixture, place the core in the center, and fold the mixture around it. Pack it tightly into a ball.
-Teacher/Mom pours the chocolate shell sauce over the ball and places them on their wax paper onto baking sheets and place in the freezer for 5 at least minutes.

***Move on to the next couple of activities while waiting for chocolate shell to freeze.***

-Moms use a serrated knife to slice ONE "Earth" in half. Check out the layers of inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust.
-Save the others to eat as a snack later.

TEACHER/MOM 1: YOU WILL NEED: Two 10.5 oz bags of large marshmallows, 6 Tbsp. butter, mixing spoon, measuring cup, & mixing bowl
TEACHER/MOM 2: YOU WILL NEED: 12 c. Rice Krispies type cereal, 12 small red candies in a circle shape, chocolate shell syrup (used as an ice cream topping), cooking spray, wax paper, mixing spoon, measuring cup, & mixing bowl

6. While waiting for chocolate shell to harden in freezer, read a few pages from Planet Earth/Inside Out by Gail Gibbons about Earth's Layers. (Not a great book but I didn't have a better one.)

11. (Video/record this!) While waiting for chocolate shell to harden, have children move like the Earth (from Geology: The Active Earth by National Wildlife Federation): Child #1 stands in middle and flexes muscles and says, "I am the dense, solid metal inner core." Children #2 & #3 slowly move counterclockwise around child #1 and say, "I am the liquid and moving outer core." Children #4 & #5 stand around children #2 & #3 chant, "Hot rock, hot rock in the deep mantle." Children #6 & #7 slowly sway back and forth around children #4 & #5 and say, "I am the slow moving asthenosphere." Children #8 & #9 face outward and slowly walk around children #6 & #7 while saying, "Moving plates in the lithosphere." (You can simply put a ball in the middle and assign a single child to do each of layers if you have fewer children or you can add more children to each layer if you have more children.)

12. Make layers of earth books: "This is the Earth that God Made." Print each page (removing the WORDS IN CAPS first) and have children write in the underlined word and paint a watercolor picture (a circle with increasing circle layers) to go along with each page. Staple pages together.
TEACHER/MOM 3: YOU WILL NEED: 12 paintbrushes, 6 watercolor containers, 4 small bowls for water, 12 printed off books, 12 pencils, staplers

The Earth that God Made

Here is the EARTH that God made.

Here is the INNER CORE made of solid iron and nickel resting inside
the Earth that God made.

Here is the OUTER CORE made of very hot liquid iron and nickel that slowly moves around
the inner core made of solid iron and nickel resting inside
the Earth that God made.

Here is the DEEP MANTLE made of hot rock that surrounds
the outer core made of very hot liquid iron and nickel that slowly moves around
the inner core made of solid iron and nickel resting inside
the Earth that God made.

Here is the OUTER MANTLE (ASTHENOSPHERE) made of molten rock that slowly moves around
the deep mantle made of hot rock that surrounds
the outer core made of very hot liquid iron and nickel that slowly moves around
the inner core made of solid iron and nickel resting inside
the Earth that God made.

Here is the EARTH'S CRUST (LITHOSPHERE) made of plates that move across
the outer mantle (asthenosphere) made of molten rock that slowly moves around
the deep mantle made of hot rock that surrounds
the outer core made of very hot liquid iron and nickel that slowly moves around
the inner core made of solid iron and nickel resting inside
the Earth that God made.

Here is the ATMOSPHERE (troposphere, tropopause, stratosphere, & ionosphere) that surrounds
the Earth's crust (lithosphere) made of plates that move across
the outer mantle (asthenosphere) made of molten rock that slowly moves around
the deep mantle made of hot rock that surrounds
the outer core made of very hot liquid iron and nickel that slowly moves around
the inner core made of solid iron and nickel resting inside
the Earth that God made.

13. What is inner core of earth made of? How can scientists tell?

14. Go outside and each child will scoop up a cup of dirt. Pour half the dirt into another cup (used the disposable opaque/clear cups) and fill the rest of the cup with water up to about ¾ full. Stir well with disposable spoons and then let sit for a minute.
TEACHER/MOM 3: YOU WILL NEED: 12 large disposable opaque/clear cups & 12 plastic spoons

15. Look at a picture of layers of dirt and briefly discuss how dirt is made and the main types of soil.

16. (If you have extra time) Scatter dirt (NOT the wet dirt from the cups) onto a paper plate and look at it using a magnifying glass. Discuss what they see.
TEACHER/MOM 3: YOU WILL NEED: 4 paper plates & magnifying lenses

17. Look at the layers of dirt as they have settled in the cups with water. If weather permits, view them in the sunshine. Briefly discuss why the layers separate (can use explanation on p. 68 of Simple Earth Science Experiments with Everyday Materials by Louis Loeschnig).

18. Cupcake Core Sampling How do scientists know about deeper layers in the earth? Have each child do a core sample of a cupcake. Give each child a napkin, cupcake, & straw. Foil baking cups and frosting will prevent the children from seeing the interior of the cupcakes in much the same way that a geologist can't see the interior of the earth. Ask children what they think the inside of the cupcake looks like. Ask how they might get more information about the cupcake without peeling the foil or cutting it open with a knife. Show them how to push the straw into the cupcake and pull out a sample. Flip the straw over and take another core sample. Now what do they think the inside of the cupcake looks like? Finally, the children should cut open the cupcakes with a knife to compare them with what they thought. Keep relating what the children are doing to what real life geologists do.
TEACHER/MOM 4: YOU WILL NEED: 12 cupcakes baked in 3 layers of colored batter (use yellow or white cake mix, divide into 3 bowls & put different colors of food coloring into each bowl) & then frosted, 12 clear straws, 12 plastic knives, 12 napkins

19. Allow children to eat cupcake and drink water.
TEACHER/MOM 4: YOU WILL NEED: 12 cups for water

20. Discuss the properties of liquids and solids by handing each child a cup of water and a cup with an ice cube. Can you put your finger through the water? The ice cube? What happens when you pour the water into a cup? Does it take on the form of the cup? What about the ice? Does it take on the form of the cup?

21. What is inner mantle made of? Make similar liquid/solid substance (oobleck/gluep) and play with it. In a sandwich bag place two tablespoons of cornstarch and two teaspoons of water. Squish them together. Add more water or cornstarch if needed. Pour the mixture out into your hand. Observe as you pour. Does it have the properties of a solid, liquid or gas? Try to roll the mixture into a ball applying pressure as you do. Does it have the properties of a solid, liquid or gas? Try to pour the substance out of your bag. Does it have the properties of a solid, liquid or gas?
TEACHER/MOM 1: YOU WILL NEED: 12 sandwich bags, cornstarch, & measuring spoons

22. (If you have extra time) Go outside and try to dig the deepest hole possible. Notice the layers. Some children will get messy, so bring plastic bags and towels!

23. Sing the first two verses of "How God Put the Earth Together" (variation from How the Earth Works by O'Brien-Palmer)
Tune: I'm a Little Tea Pot.

Earth has 4 layers inside to out.
Traveling in space, it spins about.
The inner core's a solid metal ball
Known as the center of the earth to all.

The outer core is layer number 2.
It's liquid iron and nickel all through.
A mantle of rock is layer 3.
Crust forms the surface for land and sea.

23. 5 Minute Review of what we learned.

Complete List of Units and Lessons:
Fun, FREE Hands-on Unit Studies

Science:
Astronomy (4 weeks)
Earth Science (6 weeks)
Zoology (5 weeks)
Human Anatomy (7 weeks)
Simple Machines and Inventions (6 weeks)
Floating & Flying (5 weeks)
Five Senses (4 weeks)
Weather (4 weeks)
Plant Parts (1 week)
Forensic Science/Detectives (1 week)

History:
Medieval Period (4 weeks)
Explorers (4 weeks)
Early American Settlers (4 weeks)
American War for Independence (6 weeks)
The Constitution and President George Washington (1 week)
Native Americans (4 weeks)
Westward Expansion and Pioneers (4 weeks)

Geography:
Japan (1 week)
Africa (4 weeks)
World Geography (26 weeks)

Holidays:
Christmas (2 weeks)
Thanksgiving (2 weeks)

Homeschool Curriculums:
My Math Curriculum, Games, and Books
My Homeschool Curriculum Choices for Elementary Grades

Specific to Classroom Teaching:
8th Grade American History