Grade Level: 4

Subject(s):

• Science/Geology

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Description: Students will learn about and identify the four layers of the Earth: crust, mantle, inner core, and outer core. Students will then construct a model of the layers using Jell-O.

Goals: National Science Education Standards (NSES) :
Earth and Space Science Content Standard D: As a result of their activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of

• Properties of earth materials
  • Earth materials are solid rocks and soils, water, and the gases of the atmosphere. The varied materials have different physical and chemical properties, which make them useful in different ways, for example, as building materials, as sources of fuel, or for growing the plants we use as food. Earth materials provide many of the resources that humans use.

1. Students will be able to identify and name the four layers of the Earth.
2. Students will learn three informational facts about each layer of the Earth.
3. Students will construct a model of the four layers of the Earth, using Jell-O.

• computer with Microsoft PowerPoint
• computer projector
• raspberry Jell-O
• lemon Jell-O
• black cherry Jell-O
• plastic baggies (Zip-Lock)
• cups
• spoons
• graham crackers
• bowls
• melted margarine or butter
• sugar
• Layers of the Earth - PowerPoint Presentation
  Clicking on the link above will open the PowerPoint Presentation in a new window for previewing.
  
• Download the Layers of the Earth PowerPoint Presentation
  Clicking on the link above will download the PowerPoint Presentation to your computer.

Next, introduce the activity by telling the students that they are going to "make" the layers of the Earth. The directions are on the PowerPoint slide, so the students will be able to read them as they move along with the project. The students will get into groups of four, and they will pick two people to be the material specialists to come up to the front and get the materials. First explain what each group should get when they proceed to the front of the room. The students will now get their materials and take them back to each group. [ Author's Note : Give each group five graham crackers in a baggie. Put a tablespoon of sugar in each baggie with the graham crackers. Have one large box of each flavor of the Jell-O and divide it depending on how many groups you have. Melt one stick of butter and divide it evenly between the groups. The butter is used to get the graham crackers to stick together. For the bowls, I used medium sized GladWare containers that are washable.]

All the students can read the directions off of the PowerPoint slide that tells them exactly what to do in the correct order. When the students have finished putting the activity together, they will have made the layers of the Earth starting with the crust on the outside and working in to make the mantle, outer core, and inner core. [ Author's Note: I provided extra Jell-O for students to eat at the end of the lesson.]

Assessment: There are four review questions on the PowerPoint presentation that can be used for assessment. Read each question, and have each group try to answer one.