The History of the Earth: Supplemental Guide PP | Pausing Point 85Layers of the Earth: Peach
Materials: Peach
Bring in a fresh peach that has been cut into halves, and use it as
a model of the layers of the earth. Point to the skin of the peach,
and ask students what it might represent. (crust) Point to the fl eshy
fruit, and ask students what it might represent. (mantle) Point to
the pit, and ask students what it might represent. (core)
Note: Be sure to follow your school’s policy regarding food
distribution and allergies.Layers of the Earth: Hard-boiled Egg
Materials: Hard-boiled egg
Bring in a hard-boiled egg, and use it as a model of the layers of
the earth. Point to the eggshell, and ask students what it might
represent. (crust) Point to the white interior, and ask students
what it might represent. (mantle) Point to the yellow yolk, and ask
students what it might represent. (core)
Note: Be sure to follow your school’s policy regarding food
distribution and allergies.Model the Earth’s Layers
Materials: yellow, orange, red, and brown modeling dough;
paper plates; small pieces of paper; and writing tools
Divide students into groups of fi ve. Give one student in each group
some yellow dough for the inner core. Ask the student to shape
it into a tight ball. Provide the next student with a similar-sized
amount of orange dough for the outer core and ask them to layer
the orange dough around the yellow dough or inner core. Provide
the third student with a larger amount of red dough and have them
layer it over the orange dough to represent the earth’s mantle. Next,
give the fourth student a smaller amount of brown dough to create
the earth’s thin crust. Have each group place their model on a paper
plate and ask the fi fth student to cut the ball in half with a plastic
knife. Working as a group, have students label their model by writing
inner core, outer core, mantle and crust on small pieces of paper
and placing them on top of the corresponding model layers.