Remember when you were a kid playing on the playground and you thought you could just dig a hole to another continent? All in the span of a 30 minute recess block. Oh, the innocent days. It’s funny looking back now and knowing what I do now. For one, I know that I wouldn’t be just digging up sand for miles and I also know that humans haven’t even been able to drill to the center of Earth.
As crazy as digging a hole deep enough to reach a different country sounds, it’s not that far off from what students may think before starting your unit. One of the things I usually learn when introducing Earth’s layers is that there are quite a few students who do not know that Earth even has layers. Students may come in with the misconception that Earth has a uniform composition and that it’s just a bunch of rocks.
Earth’s Layers Activities to Try
Edible Earth’s Layers Model
I’m a sucker for a good food lab and chances are, your middle school science students are too. There are so many different ways you can go about this because you are simply just layering the food to emulate Earth’s interior. Choose the foods you want to use and have students create the layers while explaining why each food item represents that layer. In my classroom, I used: Graham crackers (crust) Marshmallow fluff (mantle) Chocolate pudding (outer core) Peppermint candy (inner core) Because this is a quick lab activity, I include it in my Earth’s Layers stations activities. Exploring the different food items and comparing them to the composition of Earth’s layers helps them really visualize the concept. The real-life analogies allow the students to explore the content in a different way. You know, since taking them through the layers of Earth on a field trip is obviously not an option!
Modeling Convection Currents
One of the concepts students may have trouble grasping is the convection currents that occur in the asthenosphere. You can bring in that old lava lamp from elementary school to show students or you can check out some of the heat transfer activities here.Interactive Worksheets
Sometimes students just need to practice what they have learned and see it multiple times to really grasp the concept and remember it. This is where interactive activities come into play. Have students practice labeling the layers, discussing the different densities of the layers and elements that make up the layers. This activity is perfect for reviewing the core concepts of Earth’s layers and can be printed for interactive science notebooks or assigned in Google Classroom with Google Slides.
Create 3D models of Earth’s layers
If you’re like me, I always brought in some recyclable materials into school. You can always use it for something, right?! Ask students to bring in some recyclable materials of their own and have students create their own 3D models of Earth’s layers using them. They can use different materials to represent the different layers by density or characteristics. This project would take more class time but can really make the students think and will get them doing something more hands-on vs. pencil and paper.Student Choice
If you want to really mix it up and see what your students are capable of, throw in a choice board activity. Give them various ideas for things they can create or do to demonstrate their knowledge of Earth’s layers. Write a story, record a podcast, sing an Earth’s layers song, make a digital animation. The possibilities are endless here and you’ll really learn about your students strengths and talents with this one! You can use a choice board like this one or create your own!

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