Creating Earth Inside Out!

Hello!

I started teaching about the 4 layers of the Earth to my grade 02 students with the help of a visual aid. However, soon I realized that the topic was not very appealing to them. They had to be able to make connections with their learning and also apply their understanding. 

While looking for activities to make the topic more engaging I came across the idea of making a model of the 4 layers of the earth from inside out. I thought it to be good for my class as the students were already aware about the layers and their characteristics by now. This activity would help them to apply their understanding in order to build the model. 

Let's look at the materials required:

1. hard kneaded dough (size of a tennis ball)

2. paint

3. butter knife

We began by revising about the 4 layers - the inner core, the outer core, the mantle and the crust. We also discussed how each layer is different from another. Other details like - the hottest layer, the thinnest layer, the thickest layer and so on were vital points of discussion as students had to create the layers according to their characteristics. 

We divided the dough ball into 4 parts depending on our understanding of the layers. The inner core - thick and small, slightly bigger rolled out ball for the outer core, mantle much bigger since it is the largest layer and crust slightly smaller size as it is the thinnest layer. 

Next, we added some thick paint to each layer depending on the heat intensity and rolled the dough again into circles. Our pale dough balls were now looking colourful. We used red for the inner core, orange for the outer core, yellow for the mantle and blue and green for the coolest crust. 

Now that our layers were ready, we started building our Earth inside out. Before we wrapped the layers one on top of the other, we flattened out the outer core, mantle and crust. We used our palms to do so; however, you can use a rolling board and pin as well. We wrapped the outer core around the inner, followed by the mantle and finally the crust. Our planet was now ready to be sliced through to discover the 4 layers inside it. 

Please note: Students may slice using a butter knife or a knife under adult supervision.

My students loved the activity and developed a better understanding about the layers of the Earth. I hope you too can try it in your class. 

I did the activity with kneaded flour dough since I wasn't sure if all the students will have play dough. Flour is mostly available at home and it is easier to arrange in the current Covid situation. If you want you can even used play dough for the same.