Layers of the Earth Edible Activity

Core Standards: 5.1, 5.3, 5.8 www.state.nj.us/njded/cccs/

Safety: Be aware of any food allergies of people in your school and avoid using those foods.

Heat, fire, chemical, clothing, sharp implement and eye safety whenever preparing foods

Wash your hands and keep surfaces and implements clean during food preparation

Objective: Students should design and create a model of the physical layers of the planet earth using edible materials.

Background: The Earth is formed layers called the crust, Mantle and core. Each layer has physical properties. For example the crust is a solid, the mantle is molten rock, the outer core is a liquid and the inner core is a solid. Remember a solid in this case is rigid and may be brittle, while a liquid. can flow and be ductile.

Materials

Solids and decorations for the crust or outer most layer

Jell-O like materials with chunks of food for the Mantle

Liquid like ice cream or whipped cream for the outer core

Solid material for the inner core

A special cake pan like the Betty Crocker mold pan could help but students could also make the layers separately and use icing to assemble each layer.

The model need not be spherical

Students should work in small groups to decide on a theme for their model…It does not always have to be a dessert. A salad, an entrée, a casserole, a pate, a sandwich, a dip, a breakfast wrap or pita and many other types of foods can be used to make a successful and tasty model. Variety also makes for a better and better balanced dining experience.

Procedure:

1.  Research information about the Physical layers of the Earth. Find out the nature, physical state, size and composition of each layer. Discover at least one interesting fact about each of Earth’s layers.

2.  Discuss with your group how to make a scale sized edible model of Earth’s Physical layers. (If your model requires cooking and cutting please do those activities under adult supervision)

3.  Include at least 4 of the physical layers of the Earth. You may add more such as the many layers of the Mantle if you wish.

4.  Assemble each of the layers.

5.  Create a key on an index card to identify each layer. For example the red layer is the athenosphere..

6.  Write a presentation that can describe each layer you have modeled to your class.

7.  Invite guests to hear about, see and enjoy your edible models.

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Analysis:

1.  How did each food that you chose relate to the physical state of the Natural Layers of the Earth? Demonstrate or describe using a small sample of each layer.

2.  How did the size of each layer relate to the size of each of the interior layers of the earth?

3.  How was the atmosphere, and the oceanic and continental crust represented in your model?

Conclusion:

1.  Name the natural or physical layers of the Earth.

2.  What is the Moho and where would a geologist locate the Moho?

3.  Compare and contrast the following terms

  1. The Crust and the Lithosphere
  2. The oceanic and continental crust
  3. The Athenosphere and the Mantle
  4. The outer and inner core

4.  Describe how a solid can flow. Use and example from your model.

5.  How could you test the physical state of each layer inside your model without cutting it to look inside?

6.  How did Mohorovicic and other scientists discover the nature of the interior layers of the Earth?

7.  How did your model taste?

*** Students may estimate or eyeball the thickness of each layer or calculate the width or thickness of each of earth’s layers for scale model you can use the following formula

Scale Model layer thickness in mm=thickness of earth’s layer in km/70

Crust 32km Mantle 2900km outer core 2250km and inner core 1300km divide each by 70

Then use a mechanical compass or pencil attached to a string and a metric ruler draw a circle to represent the sphere for each of the interior and exterior layers of the earth. Students may find different sized bowls to use to create each layer of the earth.