1. The Structure of the Earth
The Structure of the Earth
By the end of the lesson you should be able to:
• Identify the four main layers which make up
the structure of the Earth.
• Explain why a hard boiled egg is similar to the
structure of the Earth.
Key Terms
Crust
The outer layer of the Earth
made up of solidified rocky
plates.
Mantle
The layer of molten rock on
which the crust floats.
Outer core
made of very hot molten metal.
Inner core
made of solid metal
The Earth’s Structure
Can you think
what this image
has to do with
the Earth’s
structure?
Get Involved
1. Take a hard boiled Egg and
tap it gently with a spoon.
2. Carefully peel the cracked
shell from the egg.
3. Cut egg in two.
Q: What does the surface of
the egg look like?
Q: What does the inside of
the egg look like?
Understanding the Earth’s layers
The Earth is made up of many layers like the egg
Tectonic plates
Show what you have learned
1. Draw a cross section of the earth using different
sized circles for each layer.
2. Label each layer using the correct term
3. Use a different colour to shade each layer of the
Earth’s structure.
4. Explain why the structure of the earth is similar to
an egg.