The Layers of the Earth!

Directions for today’s activity: Use the templates to cut the layers of the Earth out of construction paper: Use: –Green for the crust –Light brown for the mantle –Yellow for the outer core –Red for the inner core Lay them one on top of the other like in this diagram:

Next... Fold all of the circles down the middle (where the dotted line is in the figure). Then glue the bottom layers down to hold them in place. You have just made a slice of the Earth! Hold on to this until everyone is finished and we’ll learn a little bit more about each part. You’ll be taking notes on the upper half of the Earth. Glue these layers down

Earth Layers The Earth is divided into four main layers. *Crust *Mantle *Outer core *Inner core

The Crust * The Earth’s crust is the outermost surface. *It is a very thin layer of solid rock. It is the thinnest layer of the Earth. *The crust is 5-35km thick beneath the land and 1-8km thick beneath the oceans. * The crust of the Earth is broken into many pieces called plates. The movement of these plates causes earthquakes.

The Lithosphere On your mantle layer, draw a dotted line around the very edge of the circle. This is the lithosphere. The lithosphere is composed of part of the crust and the upper part of the mantle (the top 100 km). It is composed of hard, brittle rock

The Athenosphere * The athenosphere is the part of the mantle underneath the lithosphere. Draw a dashed line about an inch under your dotted line. * It is made of molten rock and metal so that it “flows” like hot asphalt. * The athenosphere is the part of the mantle that moves and causes the tectonic plates of the crust to move as well.

The Mantle * The mantle is the largest layer of the Earth. It is 2900km thick. *It includes the lithosphere and athenosphere. *It is relatively flexible—it flows like very viscous liquid. *It is very hot—1600°F at the top and 4000°F towards the center of the Earth.

The Core * The core of the Earth is like a ball of very hot metals. The core is divided into 2 layers—Outer and Inner. * The core is SO hot and has SO much pressure that if you were to go there—you would be squished into something even smaller than a marble.

The Outer Core * The outer core is liquid metal iron and nickel with 10% sulfur and/or oxygen. * It is very hot— °F. * The outer core is 2,250km thick.

The Inner Core * The inner core is solid metal due to the extreme heat and pressure. * It is composed of iron and nickel. It is responsible for the magnetic field the Earth generates. * The inner core is 800km thick and is 9000°F.

Review 1) What are the four layers of the Earth? 2) The Earth’s crust is very ______? 3) The mantle is the largest layer of the Earth? True or False 4) Is the Outer Core a liquid or a solid?

Answers! 1) Crust, Mantle, Outer Core, Inner Core 2) Thin 3) True 4) Liquid