SCIENCE SPI’S:7.7, 7.8.1, 7.8.2 SOCIAL STUDIES SPI’S:5.3.6 LANGUAGE ARTS SPI’S: 1.1.3,1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.1.5, 1.1.6, 1.1.11, 1.1.13 READING 2.9

CHAPTER 6LESSON 1EARTH’S STRUCTURE

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

• You will understand the Earth’s structure including the inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust.

VOCABULARY

• CoreCore• CrustCrust• FossilFossil• LithosphereLithosphere• MantleMantle• Tectonic PlatesTectonic Plates

VOCAB. CONT…

•Core: Earth’s innermost structure

(Think of it this way… if earth was a hard-boiled egg, the core would be the yolk.)

VOCAB. CONT…

• Crust: a thin, nearly solid rock layer that is uppermost in Earth’s structure.

(Let’s go back to the hard-boiled egg example. If the yolk represents the core, then what part of

the egg would represent the crust?)

Look at the photo on P. 206 “Layers of the Earth”This will help us better understand the Earth’s

structure.

•crust•mantle•outer core•inner core

VOCAB CONT…

•Fossil: the physical remains or trace of an organism that lived

long ago

VOCAB. CONT…

•Lithosphere: the solid, outer part of Earth, made of the crust and part of the upper mantle

•Mantle: thick layer of Earth’s structure just below Earth’s crust

(Again, refer to the photo on P. 206 to help understand the Earth’s layers.)

VOCAB. CONT…

•Tectonic plates: a theory that giant plates of rock are moving slowly across Earth’s surface

WHY DO WE NEED TO KNOW THIS?

Glad you asked!!

Earth has layered structures with solid rock at the surface and partly

liquid rock material below.

When scientists understand the Earth’s structure, they can help

predict when a geyser or a volcano will erupt, or how a river will change

course over time.

DID YOU KNOW?

In many parts of the world, columns of steaming hot water can be found shooting up from the Earth’s surface.

These boiling fountains are known as geysers!!!

Jim Bridger wasQuoted as sayingthe geysers are so hotthat meat is readilycooked in them!!

DID YOU KNOW?

Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is well known for its

numerous geysers and hot springs.

I NEED A VOLUNTEER, PLEASE…

Who would like to come up and locate Wyoming on the classroom

map?

OKAY, BACK TO GEYSERS…

What do geysers tell us about the Earth’s interior?

GEYSERS TELL US THE EARTH’S INTERIOR IS…

HOT, HOT, HOT!!!

THE DEEPER INTO THE EARTH’S INTERIOR YOU GO, THE

HOTTER IT GETS!!!

SO, IS IT HOTTER AT THE EARTH’S CORE, OR THE EARTH’S CRUST?

C’MON…YOU KNOW THIS!

THE EARTH’S CORE!!!WAY TO GO!!!

I NEED A VOLUNTEER TO READ P. 205, PLEASE.

STRUT YOUR STUFF…

Take out your Science journal and write a paragraph explaining why it’s hotter at the Earth’s core than

at the Earth’s crust. Be sure to indent, and use correct

punctuation.

WHO REMEMBERS WHAT WE’LL KNOW AT THE END OF THIS LESSON?

WHO REMEMBERS WHAT WE’LL KNOW AT THE END OF THIS LESSON?

We’ll understand the Earth’s structure including the inner

core, outer core, mantle, and crust.

LET’S THINK…

Where would be the best place on Earth’s surface to try to drill a hole all the way to the mantle?(Remember, the mantle is the thickest layer

between the crust and the outer core.)A.The ocean floor

B.The top of a mountain

ANSWER

The ocean floor!!!But why?

ANSWER

The crust is thinner under the ocean, making it easier to drill a hole to the mantle.

Why would it be most difficult to drill a hole to the mantle starting at the top of a mountain?

ANSWER

The crust is thickest at the top of a mountain.

(Think of it this way… if you start drilling at the top of a mountain you must drill all the way down through the mountain just to get to ground level. Then, you have to continue drilling until you hit the ocean floor. Only then does the actual drilling below the Earth’s crust begin.

QUESTION

What layer of the earth is liquid? Hint…the answer is on page 207

ANSWER

Outer core!!!The heat there is hot enough to

melt rock, but the pressure is not great enough to make a solid

mass, as it is in the inner core.

I NEED A VOLUNTEER, PLEASE…

Begin reading at the top of page 207. Pay CLOSE attention when we come to the vocabulary words, “mantle, “lithosphere”, and “core”.

TIME TO STRUT YOUR STUFF AGAIN

Take out your Science journal and compare and contrast inner core and outer core.

Use a Venn diagram like the one below for this activity.

STILL STRUTTING YOUR STUFF…

Using a drawing of a peach as a model of the Earth, what would the peach pit represent?

ANSWER

The inner core!!!

LET’S HAVE SOME FUN…

In your Science journal, draw a picture of a peach. Using the layers of the peach, from the surface inward, list the layers of the Earth. Be sure to include the crust, mantle, outer core and inner core.For example: the skin of the peach would be the crust…now you take it from there.

ANOTHER CHECK… WHAT ARE WE LEARNING IN THIS LESSON?

ANOTHER CHECK… WHAT ARE WE LEARNING IN THIS LESSON?

• We’re learning the Earth’s structure including the inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust.

NOW LET’S TALK MOVING PLATES…

Look at the images on pages 208 and 209 of your text.

According to the tectonic plates theory, Earth’s giant continental and oceanic plates move slowly.

Scientists think the lithosphere is broken into giant sections that “float” (or move) on the lower mantle.

MOVING PLATES CONT…

Let’s take turns reading pages 208 and 209

Who’d like to read first?

QUESTION

Where is the boundary between the North American Plate and the

Eurasian Plate?

ANSWER

On the ocean floor, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean

QUESTION

What is the effect on molten rock from the mantle rising up in the

gap between plates?

ANSWER

It causes NEW crust to form.

Pretty cool, huh?

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

In your Science journal, compare and contrast converging and diverging boundaries.

Next, write a sentence explaining sliding boundaries.

CONGRATULATIONS CHAMPS!!!

Now you know the Earth’s structure including the inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust!!!

Next, we’ll study volcanoes and earthquakes!!!