Earth Day

Objective:
The students will discover the different layers of the earth.

Materials

• A book about the Earth, such as "Planet Earth: Inside Out" by Gail Gibbons.
• A link to the following site Savage Earth Animation
• Hard-Boiled eggs (one per student, one per pair of students, or one for whole class demonstration, depending on teacher's desire.)
• Plastic knives for the "dissection" of the egg
• Layers of the Earth Worksheet

Procedure

1. Read the chosen book about the earth.  Have a discussion on how the earth is made up of layers.  Refer to the aforementioned link.  If possible, have the students view the model on the screen and discuss again the 4 layers of the earth.
2. Pass out the hard-boiled eggs.  Explain they are to imagine this egg as a model of the earth and its layers.  Have the students remove the shell.  Ask them what part of the Earth would the shell represent?  (The crust)  Next they should remove the white of the egg, representing the mantle.  Finally view the yellow of the egg, representing the outer and inner core.
3. For reinforcement, have the students complete the Worksheet.

Other Lesson Ideas

1. Have a discussion on the 3 main components of earth - land, water, and air.
2. Make a human solar system, assigning students the roles of specific planets and the sun.  See the Movement Lesson for more specifics.  (This may also be laid out with balls representing specific planets.)
3. Conduct some lessons on gravity.  Use the following link for a lesson plan Gravity Activity.
4. Conduct experiments on how day and night occur using a flashlight, a darkened room and a globe.