Earth’s Interior
6-8th Grade Module Overview
Topic: Earth’s Interior
Grade Level: 6th-8th
Course: Research and Critical Thinking
Time Allotted: 12 days
Prior Knowledge: None
Overview: Through a series of demonstrations, experiments, and projects, students will gain an
understanding of Earth’s interior and how it was discovered. Students will investigate how Earth’s
interior has been defined through compression, tension and shear, temperature and pressure, and
seismic activity. Students will complete this module with a culminating activity by plotting real world
seismic data. They will locate the epicenter and identify the depth of an earthquake.
Vocabulary
Compression: Compression is the stress that is created when two plates are forced or pushed
together
Gas: One of four main states of matter composed of molecules in constant random motion
Liquid: One of four main states of matter composed of molecules that can move about in a substance
but are bound loosely together by intramolecular forces.
Love wave: A fast surface wave that moves from side-to-side.
Pressure: The force per unit area that one region of a gas, liquid, or solid exerts on another
Primary wave: The first kind of body wave that is the fastest kind of seismic wave, and can move
through solid rock and fluids.
Rayleigh wave: A surface wave that moves in a circular motion in the same direction that the wave is
traveling.
Secondary wave: A wave that is slower than a P wave and can only move through solid rock, not
through any liquid medium.
Seismograph: An instrument that detects and records vibrations and movements in the Earth,
especially during an earthquake
Shear: Shear is the stress that is created when two plates slide sideways past each other with very little
vertical movement
Solid: One of four main states of matter, in which the molecules vibrate about fixed positions and
cannot migrate to other positions in the substance
6-8th Grade “Earth’s Interior” Module Overview Page 1
Temperature: A measure of the ability of a substance, or more generally of any physical system, to
transfer heat energy to another physical system. The temperature of a substance is closely
related to the average kinetic energy of its molecules.
Tension: Tension is the stress created when a plate begins to split or when plates begin to pull apart.
General Resources
Books
Feather, Ralph, et al. 1999. Glencoe Earth Science. Westerville, OH: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
Sprinkel, D.A., Chidsey, T.C., and Anderson, P.B., editors. 2000. Geology of Utah’s Parks and
Monuments. Salt Lake City, UT. Utah Geological Association, publication 28.
VanCleave, Janice. 1991. Janice VanCleave’s Earth Science For Every Kid. New York: John Wiley & Sons,
Inc.
Online
Caves, Canyons, Cactus & Critters
http://www.nps.gov/cave/forteachers/upload/geology_ms_clams.pdf
Earthquake Location.pdf
http://www.scieds.com/spinet/pdf/2005061_tri.pdf
How Earthquakes Work
http://science.howstuffworks.com/earthquake8.htm
IRIS: How are Earthquakes Located?
http://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/aotm/interactive/OnePager6.pdf
Science Education Solution SpiNet
http://www.scieds.com/spinet
Seismograph Animations
http://www.iris.edu/hq/programs/education_and_outreach/animations/8
UPSeis for budding seismologists
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/waves.html
6-8th Grade “Earth’s Interior” Module Overview Page 2
Materials
Day 1
Clay different colors- enough for each student
or group to have three 4” X 6” x ½” layers
Wax paper
Paper to sketch and write notes
Day 2
Cameras
Day 3-6
Slinky
Stop watch
Computer
Day 7-9
Class set of Astro Journal Lesson 2
White paper for student drawings of Earth’s
interior
1 Balloon (optional)
1 Ball of clay
1 Thin piece of wood or other breakable solid
such as a twig or cracker
1 Sponge (optional)
1 Piece of polystyrene foam (similar to
Styrofoam™) (optional)
1 Plastic putty (similar to Silly Putty™)
(optional)
Chart paper
Materials for Understanding Pressure Activity
(each group will need the following):
Clay to make 4 balls
Wax paper
3 books
Marble or bouncy ball
Scales (optional)
Materials for Temperature and Pressure Activity
(teacher demo or each group will need the
following):
Safety goggles
2 Celsius non-mercury thermometers (digital or
plastic are best)
2 Clear plastic 20-ounce bottles of carbonated
soft drink at room temperature
2 Two-hole rubber stoppers (the right size to fit
the opening of the soft drink bottle)
2 Labels and a pen for soda bottles (or paper
and tape to make 2 labels)
Day 11-12
World Map
Computer
Science Standards
Using the Big Ideas as guidance, choose benchmarks specific to your grade. Note that Earth Structures
and Patterns (Big Idea 6) contains the benchmarks specifically related to plate tectonics.
Big Idea 1: The Practice of Science
Big Idea 2: The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge
Big Idea 3: The Role of Theories, Laws, Hypotheses, and Models
Big Idea 4: Science and Society (Grade 8)
Big Idea 6: Earth Structures
SC.7.E.6.1 Describe the layers of the solid Earth, including the lithosphere, the mantle, and the dense
metallic liquid and solid cores.
SC.7.E.6.2
Identify the patterns within the rock cycle and relate them to surface events (weathering
and erosion) and sub-surface events (plate tectonics and mountain building).
6-8th Grade “Earth’s Interior” Module Overview Page 3
SC.7.E.6.4
Explain and give examples of how physical evidence supports scientific theories that Earth
has evolved over geologic time due to natural processes.
SC.7.E.6.5
Explore the scientific theory of plate tectonics by describing how the movement of Earth's
crustal plates causes both slow and rapid changes in Earth's surface, including volcanic
eruptions, earthquakes, and mountain building.
SC.7.E.6.7
Recognize that heat flow and movement of material within Earth causes earthquakes and
volcanic eruptions, and creates mountains and ocean basins.
Big Idea 7: Earth Systems and Patterns
Big Idea 10: Forms of Energy (Grade 7)
Big Idea 11: Energy Transfer and Transformations
Big Idea 13: Forces and Changes in Motion
Math Standards
Big Idea 1: linear equations (grade 8)
MA.8.A.1.3 Use tables, graphs, and models to represent, analyze, and solve real-world problems
related to systems of linear equations.
Supporting Idea 4: Algebra (grade 8)
MA.8.A.4.1 Solve literal equations for a specified variable.
Supporting Idea 6: Number and Operations (grade 8)
MA.8.A.6.4 Perform operations on real numbers (including integer exponents, radicals, percents,
scientific notation, absolute value, rational numbers, and irrational numbers) using multistep and real world problems.
Supporting Idea 7: Probability (grade 7)
MA.7.P.7.2 Determine, compare, and make predictions based on experimental or theoretical
probability of independent or dependent events,
6-8th Grade “Earth’s Interior” Module Overview Page 4
References
Compare _Contrast.pdf
http://www.stcms.si.edu/ce/ce.htm
Earthquake Pictures.pdf
http://science.howstuffworks.com/earthquake8.htm
Earthquake location.pdf
http://www.scieds.com/spinet/pdf/2005061_tri.pdf
How Are Earthquakes Located – Walk Run Activity, Walk-Run Lab.pdf
http://www.iris.edu/hq/programs/education_and_outreach/animations/interactive#M
HowEarthquakesareFormed.pdf
http://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/aotm/interactive/OnePager6.pdf
Musical Plates.pdf
http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/musicalplates3/en/studentactivity1PRINT.shtml
Seismic Wave animations
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/waves.html
Seismographic Videos
http://www.iris.edu/hq/programs/education_and_outreach/animations/8
Slinkylab.pdf
Adapted from STC/MS Catastrophic Events
StressingMeOut.pdf
http://www.nps.gov/cave/forteachers/upload/geology_ms_clams.pdf
Temperature Pressure.pdf
http://astroventure.arc.nasa.gov/teachers/pdf/AV-Geolesson-2.pdf
6-8th Grade “Earth’s Interior” Module Overview Page 5