Alaska Science Consortium

Participants of ASC summer institutes produce a handbook of science lessons using the learning cycle model. Below is a sample lesson. If you would like to view other lessons from past institutes follow the links below. In addition, you can search Google or the ASC web site for classroom lessons.

Summer 1999 Great Northern Science Handbook. (Index of lessons available)

Summer 2000 Great Northern Science Handbook (Index of lessons available)

Summer 2001 Great Northern Science Handbook. (PDF - 1.4 MB)

Summer 2002 Alaska Science Consortium Institute lessons. (Index of lessons available)

Summer 2002 Advanced Science/Math Consortium lessons (Index of lessons available.)

Summer 2003 Great Northern Science Handbook. (Index of lessons available.)

Summer 2004 Great Northern Science Handbook (Index of lessons available.)

Summer 2005 Great Northern Science Handbook (Index of lessons availbable.)

Summer 2006 Great Northern Science Handbook (Index of lessons available.)

Finding the Core
By Brenda Soland

Alaska Performance Standards:
Science A7 and B1, Geography C1, English B1 and B2

Science Concept:
The earth has layers – crust, mantle, inner core, and outer core.

Materials:
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, clay – yellow, orange, red, blue and green, plastic knife

Vocabulary:
crust, mantle, inner core, outer core

Gear Up:
Show the students a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Ask them to describe the sandwich starting with the bottom layer. Continue asking, “What is the next layer?” Discuss other things that have layers; birthday cake, pizza…

Process Skills:
observation, communication, classification

Explore:
Read a book about the four different layers of the earth or discuss them with the class. One book suggestion is, The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole. The students can also complete and put together the attached mini book. Next, make clay models of the Earth. Give the students small balls of clay in yellow, red, orange, blue and green. Have the students roll the red clay into a ball about 1” in diameter (inner core). Cover the red ball with a layer of yellow clay (outer core). Cover the yellow ball with a layer of orange clay (mantle). Cover the orange clay with a thin layer of green and blue clay (crust). Use a plastic knife to cut the model in half. Have each student name the layers of the model to a partner. When observing the layers after cutting discuss how the clay is uneven in parts. Ask, “Do you think that the Earth’s crust is uneven in parts as well?”

Process Skills:
observation, communication, inferrence

Generalize:
Questions for discussion: “How far do you think scientists have dug or tested into the Earth?”, “Where does lava out of a volcano come from?”, “What is the crust of the Earth made of?”, “What would happen if glaciers covered the Earth?”

Process Skills:
inference, communication, prediction

Apply/Assess:
Students will draw a cross-section of the Earth including the four layers and accurately label the four parts (crust, mantle, inner core, outer core).

Process Skills:
observation, communication

Assessment Rubric:

3 Exemplary:
thorough understanding of concepts
completion of all tasks
excellent detail in drawings and written work

2 Proficient:
solid understanding of concepts
completion of most tasks
detailed drawings and written work

3 Progressing:
some understanding of concepts
completion of some tasks
occasional application of science learning

Extensions:
Students will write a story about a journey their class will take to the center of the Earth. Students will use transition words to take them from one layer to the next. Assess them also by how well they describe the layers scientifically. Story must also include a clear beginning and ending.

Students can dramatize the Earth’s layers. Have two students, back to back and holding hands, represent the inner core. Have four students surrounding, facing them, and holding hands. Put 9-11 students in a circle around them facing outward holding hands. Space 8-10 children around the outside with space between them to represent the moving plates of the crust. Have the students chant their position (mantle, crust, core) while the crust people move back and forth. Have all the positions move slowly around while chanting.

Create a venn diagram with “I can name the four layers of the Earth” and “I can name three things that have layers (oreo cookie, pizza, birthday cake, peanut butter sandwich).”