Styrofoam Earth
Art/Science
Objectives
- Students will learn that there are three layers inside the Earth, and their names through an analogy of an apple and its core.
- Students will design their own model of the layers of the Earth with a Styrofoam ball, using the directions modeled for them.
- Students will illustrate the layers inside of the Earth with crayons or markers, illustrating relatively accurate thickness between layers.
- Students will illustrate the land masses of the Earth by coloring them brown on the outside of the ball.
Anticipatory Set
The Earth is like an apple. Both have three layers. The skin is the crust, the fleshy part is the mantle, and in the center is the core. The Earth also has a crust, a mantle, and a core. Talk about the three layers of the inside
of the Earth. Use a real apple to demonstrate the layers.
Materials
- Apple
- Knife
- Styrofoam Ball for each student
- Pencil
- Markers or crayons
- 4 feet of string or yarn per student
- Small hairpin
- Glue
- Completed model of the project
- Illustrations of the layers of the inside of the Earth
Procedure
- Model the making of the model of the inside of the Earth for the students, in addition to having a model already made. Talk about the thickness between layers.
- Cut a section, about 1/4, wedge out of the Styrofoam ball, with the help of an adult.
- Use a pencil to draw the Earth's layers inside the ball, use the illustrations to know how thick to make these layers.
- Color the layers with markers or crayons.
- Color the outside of the ball blue.
- Draw and color small land masses and glue them around the outside of the model, or draw the land directly on the Styrofoam ball. Color the land.
- Loop one end of the string through the hairpin, with the help of an adult and tie it in place.
- Push the pin into the top of your model. Pull the pin out, fill the hole with glue, and push the pin back into place.
- Allow to dry for several hours before hanging from ceiling.
Evaluation
- Do the students understand the apple analogy? Do they seem
- confused? After lesson, can they state that there are three layers inside the Earth? Can they name the three layers?
- Are the students making the model as it was modeled for them? If they are making variations, are they logical and realistic ones?
- Are the students paying attention to the relative thickness of the layers?
- Are the students making good representations of the land masses for the outside of the model?
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