Visual Model Of The Planet Earth
Submitted by:Janet Donnelly, C.C.Meneley Elementary, Gardnerville, NV
Endorsed by: These lesson plans are the result of the work of the teachers who have
attended the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshop. CEC is a consortium of teacher
from 14 western states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural,
western, United States, and particularly the quality of math and science Education. CEC
uses Big Sky Telegraph as the hub of their telecommunications network that allows the
participating teachers to stay in contact with their trainers and peers that they have met
at the Workshops.
Date: May 1994
Grade Level: 3-9; SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES/GEOGRAPHY
OVERVIEW:
USING A NECTARINE TO REPRESENT OUR PLANET EARTH, THIS
VISUAL DEMONSTRATION CAN GIVE THE STUDENTS A CLEARER
UNDERSTANDING OF THE RATIO AND PROPORTION OF THE
EARTH'S CRUST, CORE, AND USABLE LAND SURFACE.
PURPOSE- A SIMULATION IS THE BEST WAY TO APPROXIMATE
AN ACTUAL EXPERIENCE. WHEN AN EVENT IS FUN AND
INTERESTING THE MATERIAL IS USUALLY RETAINED LONGER.
THIS LESSON PROVIDES A CONCRETE EXAMPLE OF THE LIMITED
SIZE OF THE LAND SURFACE WE SHARE WITH THE EARTH'S
OTHER INHABITANTS AND A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE
EARTH'S INNER SECTIONS.
OBJECTIVE:
THE LEARNER WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE CRUST, MANTLE,
AND CORE OF THE EARTH AND BE ABLE TO GIVE AN
APPROXIMATE RATIO AND PROPORTION OF USABLE LAND
SURFACE.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
PARING KNIFE, NECTARINE, A NAPKIN
NECTARINES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE SUMMER AND FALL.
IF YOU CANNOT OBTAIN THEM, AN APPLE CAN BE A SUITABLE
SUBSTITUTE... THOUGH THE PROPORTIONS ARE NOT AS
COMPARABLE. YOU CAN USE ONE NECTARINE PER PERSON, PER
GROUP OF FOUR, ETC. I HAVE ALSO GIVEN THIS LESSON AS A
TEACHER DEMONSTRATION. THIS WOULD BE ADVISABLE WITH
YOUNGER STUDENTS IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT USING
KNIVES IN THE CLASSROOM.
ACTIVITIES:
1 CUT THE NECTARINE IN HALF. EXPLAIN THAT THE RATIO
AND PROPORTION OF THIS NECTARINE IS SIMILAR TO THE
EARTH. THE SKIN IS APPROXIMATELY THE THICKNESS OF
THE EARTH'S CRUST. THE FLESH OF THE NECTARINE IS
SIMILAR TO THE MANTLE OF THE EARTH. MANTLE IS
MOLTEN ROCK AND MATERIAL. WHEN THERE IS A BREAK
IN THE EARTH'S SKIN, THE MANTLE CAN POP UP... AS
IN A VOLCANO.
2 AT THE CENTER OF THE NECTARINE IS A LARGE PIT AND
INSIDE THE PIT IS A SEED. THIS CAN REPRESENT THE
INNER AND OUTER CORE OF THE EARTH. THE PIT IS
SIMILAR TO THE OUTER CORE MADE UP OF LIQUID NICKLE
AND IRON. THUS IT IS VERY HEAVY AND CREATES OUR
GRAVITY. THE INSIDE (THE SEED) IS MADE UP OF
SOLID NICKLE AND IRON. THE TREMENDOUS PRESSURE
MAKES IT SOLID.
3 NOW FOR THE SURFACE... BECAUSE THE OCEAN COVERS
3/4 OF THE LAND'S SURFACE, CUT AWAY HALF OF THE
HALF YOU'RE HOLDING. (3/4 IS TAKEN AWAY, 1/4 IS
IN YOUR HAND.) THIS REPRESENTS THE TOTAL LAND OF
THE EARTH.
4 SINCE 1/3 OF THE LAND IS COVERED BY MOUNTAIN
RANGES AND IS TOO COLD AND UNSUITABLE TO LIVE
UPON, CUT AWAY ANOTHER 1/3 OF THE PIECE YOU'RE
HOLDING.
5 YET ANOTHER 1/3 OF THE LAND SURFACE IS DESERT
TERRAIN AND TOO HOT FOR US TO LIVE UPON. CUT AWAY
ANOTHER 1/3 OF THE PIECE YOU'RE HOLDING.
6 THE TINY SLIVER OF LAND THAT YOU STILL HAVE IS ALL
THE USABLE LAND SURFACE THAT MUST SUPPORT ALL THE
PEOPLE AND ANIMALS ALIVE TODAY! LET'S USE THIS
VALUABLE EARTH CAREFULLY AS IT'S THE ONLY HOME WE
HAVE.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:
1 THIS COULD BE AN INTRODUCTION TO A UNIT ON OUR
ENVIRONMENT, RECYCLING, POLLUTION CONTROL, ETC.
2 STUDENTS COULD COLOR IN A PICTURE OF A CUT-AWAY
MODEL OF THE EARTH AND LABEL EACH OF THE PARTS,
SUCH AS CORE, MANTLE, ETC.
3 THE STUDENTS COULD COVER A GLOBE WITH POST IT
NOTES AND THEN GRAPH IT WITH SECTIONS FOR OCEAN,
MOUNTAINS, DESERTS, TROPICAL FORESTS, ETC.
4 THE CLASS COULD FOLLOW THE LESSON WITH CREATIVE
JOURNAL ENTRIES ON HOW IT MADE THEM FEEL TO
REALIZE THE TINY SIZE OF USABLE LAND SPACE ON
EARTH.
5 PAPER MACHE GLOBES COULD BE MADE OVER SMALL
BALLOONS. PRICK THE BALLOON WHEN THE GLOBE IS
DRY, AND PAINT THE SURFACE.
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