How to Create a School Project on the Layers of the Earth
Gather the necessary materials., Make the homemade dough., Separate the dough into six balls of varying sizes and dye., Wrap the orange dough around the red ball., Wrap the yellow layer around the sphere., Flatten and wrap the brown layer next...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather the necessary materials.
To make a three-dimensional model, you will need to purchase sculpting clay or make your own homemade play dough.
Whichever version you choose, you will need six colors: yellow, orange, red, brown, green, and blue.
Parental supervision is recommended if making the dough yourself.
To make your own play dough you will need:2 cups flour 1 cup coarse sea salt 4 tsp cream of tartar 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 cups water Cooking pot Wooden spoon Food coloring: yellow, orange, red, brown, green, and blue Floss or thin string -
Step 2: Make the homemade dough.
If you have purchased sculpting clay or play dough then you can skip this step.
Stir to combine all ingredients (flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil, and water) until there are no lumps.
Add the mixture into the cook pot and heat on low, stirring constantly.
As the dough heats it will thicken.
Once the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the pot, remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.When cool, knead the dough for 1-2 minutes.
Parental supervision is recommended for this step.
The coarse salt crystals will still be visible within the dough.
This is normal. , Start by making two small balls about the size of a golf ball.
Make two medium sized balls and then two larger balls.
Add a few drops of food coloring to each ball according to the list below.
Knead the dough until the color is fully incorporated.Two golf ball sizes: one green, one red.
Medium sizes: one orange, one brown.
Large sizes: one yellow, one blue. , You will build the layers of the Earth from the inside out.
The red ball represents the inner core.
The orange dough will be the outer core.
Flatten the orange ball slightly so that you can wrap it fully around the red ball.
You want the entire model to remain relatively spherical to resemble the shape of the Earth. , The next layer to add is the mantle which will be represented by the yellow dough.
The mantle is the largest layer of the Earth so you want to make sure that you have a nice thick layer of yellow around the dough ball you have made so far.Roll out the dough to a good thickness and then wrap it around the ball, joining all of the sides together into one layer. , The brown dough will be used to represent the crust.
This is by far the thinnest layer of the Earth.
Roll out the brown dough until is quite thin and then wrap it around the dough ball as you did with the previous layers. , Using the blue dough, wrap a thin layer around the globe.
This will be the final layer added to the model.
The ocean and continents are all technically part of the crust layer so they don’t count as their own individual layer.Finally, shape pieces of the green dough into approximations of the continents.
Press them into the ocean approximately where they belong on the globe. , Place the ball on a table and then position the floss along the center line of the sphere.
Imagine where the equator would be and place the floss there.
Push the floss through the dough to cut the ball in half.The two halves should show you a clear cross-section of the layers of the Earth. , Make small labels for each layer by wrapping some paper around a toothpick.
Tape the paper in place.
Make four labels:
Crust, Mantle, Outer Core, and Inner Core.
Stick the toothpicks into the corresponding layer.
Because you have two halves of the Earth, you can use one half with the layers labeled and exposed and present the other half with the ocean and continents face up, as a “view from the top”. , Look up facts about the composition and thickness of each layer.
Include information about the density and temperatures present.
Write up a small report or infographic to include with your 3D model to explain the different layers of the Earth.
The crust is interesting because there are two types of crust: oceanic and continental.
This is easily seen by looking at the model and seeing that the crust contains both the oceans and the continents.The mantle takes up about 84% of the Earth’s volume.
The mantle is mostly solid, but acts like a viscous fluid.
Movement within the mantle is responsible for the motion of tectonic plates.The outer core is liquid and is estimated to be 80% iron.
It spins faster than the rotation of the planet and is thought to contribute to the magnetic field of the Earth.
The inner core is also composed mostly of iron and nickel with potential heavier elements such as gold, platinum, and silver present.
Because of the massively high pressure the inner core experiences, it is solid. -
Step 3: Separate the dough into six balls of varying sizes and dye.
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Step 4: Wrap the orange dough around the red ball.
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Step 5: Wrap the yellow layer around the sphere.
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Step 6: Flatten and wrap the brown layer next.
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Step 7: Wrap the Earth in the “ocean” and continents.
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Step 8: Slice the ball in half using the floss.
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Step 9: Label each layer.
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Step 10: Include interesting facts about each layer.
Detailed Guide
To make a three-dimensional model, you will need to purchase sculpting clay or make your own homemade play dough.
Whichever version you choose, you will need six colors: yellow, orange, red, brown, green, and blue.
Parental supervision is recommended if making the dough yourself.
To make your own play dough you will need:2 cups flour 1 cup coarse sea salt 4 tsp cream of tartar 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 cups water Cooking pot Wooden spoon Food coloring: yellow, orange, red, brown, green, and blue Floss or thin string
If you have purchased sculpting clay or play dough then you can skip this step.
Stir to combine all ingredients (flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil, and water) until there are no lumps.
Add the mixture into the cook pot and heat on low, stirring constantly.
As the dough heats it will thicken.
Once the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the pot, remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.When cool, knead the dough for 1-2 minutes.
Parental supervision is recommended for this step.
The coarse salt crystals will still be visible within the dough.
This is normal. , Start by making two small balls about the size of a golf ball.
Make two medium sized balls and then two larger balls.
Add a few drops of food coloring to each ball according to the list below.
Knead the dough until the color is fully incorporated.Two golf ball sizes: one green, one red.
Medium sizes: one orange, one brown.
Large sizes: one yellow, one blue. , You will build the layers of the Earth from the inside out.
The red ball represents the inner core.
The orange dough will be the outer core.
Flatten the orange ball slightly so that you can wrap it fully around the red ball.
You want the entire model to remain relatively spherical to resemble the shape of the Earth. , The next layer to add is the mantle which will be represented by the yellow dough.
The mantle is the largest layer of the Earth so you want to make sure that you have a nice thick layer of yellow around the dough ball you have made so far.Roll out the dough to a good thickness and then wrap it around the ball, joining all of the sides together into one layer. , The brown dough will be used to represent the crust.
This is by far the thinnest layer of the Earth.
Roll out the brown dough until is quite thin and then wrap it around the dough ball as you did with the previous layers. , Using the blue dough, wrap a thin layer around the globe.
This will be the final layer added to the model.
The ocean and continents are all technically part of the crust layer so they don’t count as their own individual layer.Finally, shape pieces of the green dough into approximations of the continents.
Press them into the ocean approximately where they belong on the globe. , Place the ball on a table and then position the floss along the center line of the sphere.
Imagine where the equator would be and place the floss there.
Push the floss through the dough to cut the ball in half.The two halves should show you a clear cross-section of the layers of the Earth. , Make small labels for each layer by wrapping some paper around a toothpick.
Tape the paper in place.
Make four labels:
Crust, Mantle, Outer Core, and Inner Core.
Stick the toothpicks into the corresponding layer.
Because you have two halves of the Earth, you can use one half with the layers labeled and exposed and present the other half with the ocean and continents face up, as a “view from the top”. , Look up facts about the composition and thickness of each layer.
Include information about the density and temperatures present.
Write up a small report or infographic to include with your 3D model to explain the different layers of the Earth.
The crust is interesting because there are two types of crust: oceanic and continental.
This is easily seen by looking at the model and seeing that the crust contains both the oceans and the continents.The mantle takes up about 84% of the Earth’s volume.
The mantle is mostly solid, but acts like a viscous fluid.
Movement within the mantle is responsible for the motion of tectonic plates.The outer core is liquid and is estimated to be 80% iron.
It spins faster than the rotation of the planet and is thought to contribute to the magnetic field of the Earth.
The inner core is also composed mostly of iron and nickel with potential heavier elements such as gold, platinum, and silver present.
Because of the massively high pressure the inner core experiences, it is solid.
About the Author
Helen Freeman
A passionate writer with expertise in cooking topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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