Welcome To A Teacher In Your Corner

Before I began teaching,I spent my evenings tutoring my son who had a learning disability. I had no teaching material and so learned to use things out of my kitchen to teach the concept. When I began teaching,I continued to use household items to illustrate the lesson. This site will give you ideas on how to use everyday items to help your child master a difficult concept.

Whether you are home-schooling or just helping your child complete homework, this site will be helpful.

Layers of the Earth

Seismic waves help scientists study the Earth's interior.Teaching science can be difficult, especially to small children.  How do you teach something as untouchable as the earth's layers?  Here is a fun way to create a visual model for any age.  It is a five day process, but well worth the time.

You will need:
A large clear bowl (size will be determined by number of students)
Plastic wrap
Lime sherbet
Strawberry ice cream
Lemon sherbet
                                                      Chocolate ice cream

These flavors were chosen to represent the temperatures of the different layers, however, can be changed if desired.  The width of ice cream represents the thickness of each layer of the earth.  If you need to change the measurement, just keep the proportion for teaching purposes.

Day 1.  Place plastic wrap on inside of bowl to help with removal of ice cream later.  Soften lime sherbet.  Using the back of a large spoon, spread softened lime sherbet around the inside of the clear bowl.  Make sure layer is at least 1/2 inch thick and entire bowl is coated.  As you are spreading sherbet, discuss with students that the sherbet represents the earth's crust.  Place bowl back in freezer to harden sherbet.

Day 2.  Soften strawberry ice cream.  Using the back of a large spoon, spread softened strawberry ice cream around the inside of the lime sherbet.  Make sure layer is at least 1 inch thick.  This layer represents the mantle, the hottest layer of the earth.  Place bowl back in freezer to harden ice cream.

Day 3.  Soften lemon sherbet.  Spread around strawberry ice cream.  Make sure layer is at least 2 inches thick.  This layer represents the outer core of the earth.  Place bowl back in freezer to harden ice cream.

Day 4. Soften chocolate ice cream.  Completely fill remainder of bowl with chocolate ice cream.  This layer represents the inner core of the earth.  Return bowl to freezer.

Day 5.  Allow ice cream to soften for easy removal from the bowl.  Remove it by turning bowl upside down on plate and pulling the plastic wrap.  Discard plastic wrap.  Slice through 'earth' allowing each layer to be visible.  Review layers of earth before allowing students to eat the earth.

http://scign.jpl.nasa.gov/learn/plate1.htm
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-for-kids/0020-crust-mantel-core.php
http://www.universetoday.com/42205/earths-layers-for-kids/

No comments:

Post a Comment