CA State Standards: Grade 4 – 4A
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Date:___________________________________
Earth’s Layers
Worksheet
o Intro : Did you know that Earth has four different layers? These layers consist of the
lithosphere, mantle, outer core and inner core.
The lithosphere is the layer that we live on, the layer that we interact with every
day. It consists of the crust and the uppermost mantle. The lithosphere also consists
of the land and oceans and the rock underneath the land and the oceans, all the way
down to the middle part of the mantle. It is cold and brittle, meaning it is hard and
breakable.
The mantle is the layer just below the lithosphere and is the thickest layer. It is
made up of mostly rock. It is hot and also convecting, meaning that the mantle’s heat
can be transferred to the lithosphere. Every year, lithospheric plates, or our
continents, move at rates of centimeters per year in response to movement in the
mantle.
The outer core is made up of liquid Nickel and Iron and is extremely hot. This layer
surrounds the inner core and is below the mantle.
The inner core is the innermost layer of the Earth. It is a solid fireball and is made
up of Nickel and Iron. This layer is the hottest layer of all of the layers.
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CA State Standards: Grade 4 – 4A
o Purpose : To help students understand the differences between layers of the earth and
to educate students about basic principles associated with these layers.
o Materials Needed :
Oreo cookie crumbs
Graham cracker crumbs
Vanilla pudding cups
Chocolate/white chocolate/butterscotch chips
Gummy worms/bears
Red food coloring
Green sugar sprinkles
Gumballs
Clear plastic cups
Plastic spoons
o Directions :
Start by using the gumball to represent the core
Put a little of the red vanilla pudding in the center of the cup to stabilize
the gumball from not moving around
Next, layer the rest of the red vanilla pudding into the cup to represent the lava
that is found in the Mantle layer
Next, layer a mixture of the chocolate, white chocolate, and butterscotch chips to
represent the mixture of bedrock above the Mantle
Next, layer graham cracker crumbs to represent the clay layer that hold our
water in aquifers underground
Lastly, put a layer of Oreo cookie crumbs to represent the topsoil where
organisms live
Add a gummy worm or bear to represent life living on Earth
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CA State Standards: Grade 4 – 4A
o Questions :
1. Which layer of the Earth do we live on?
a. Inner Core
b. Mantle
c. Lithosphere
d. Outer Core
2. Which layer is the hottest and is the innermost layer of Earth?
a. Inner Core
b. Mantle
c. Lithosphere
d. Interior Core
3. Which layer is the thickest and right below the Lithosphere?
a. Inner Core
b. Mantle
c. Lithosphere
d. Outer Core
4. Which layer surrounds the inner core and is made up of liquid Nickel and Iron?
a. Exterior Core
b. Mantle
c. Lithosphere
d. Outer Core
5. Can you label each layer of the
Earth?
SQUARE: Lithosphere
TRIANGLE: Mantle
STAR: Outer core
CIRCLE: Inner core
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