Layers of the Earth Edible Activity
Core Standards: 5.1, 5.3, 5.8 www.state.nj.us/njded/cccs/
Safety: Be aware of any food allergies of people in your school and avoid using those
foods.
Heat, fire, chemical, clothing, sharp implement and eye safety whenever preparing foods
Wash your hands and keep surfaces and implements clean during food preparation
Objective: Students should design and create a model of the physical layers of the planet
earth using edible materials.
Background: The Earth is formed layers called the crust, Mantle and core. Each layer has
physical properties. For example the crust is a solid, the mantle is molten rock, the outer
core is a liquid and the inner core is a solid. Remember a solid in this case is rigid and
may be brittle, while a liquid. can flow and be ductile.
Materials
Solids and decorations for the crust or outer most layer
Jell-O like materials with chunks of food for the Mantle
Liquid like ice cream or whipped cream for the outer core
Solid material for the inner core
A special cake pan like the Betty Crocker mold pan could help but students could also
make the layers separately and use icing to assemble each layer.
The model need not be spherical
Students should work in small groups to decide on a theme for their model…It does not
always have to be a dessert. A salad, an entrée, a pate, a sandwich a dip and many other
types of foods can be used to make a successful and tasty model. Variety also makes for a
better and better balanced dining experience.
Procedure:
1. Research information about the Physical layers of the Earth. Find out the nature,
physical state, size and composition of each layer. Discover at least one
interesting fact about each of Earth’s layers.
2. Discuss with your group how to make a scale sized edible model of Earth’s
Physical layers. (If your model requires cooking and cutting please do those
activities under adult supervision)
3. Include at least 4 of the physical layers of the Earth. You may add more such as
the many layers of the Mantle if you wish.
4. Assemble each of the layers.
5. Create a key on an index card to identify each layer. For example the red layer is
the athenosphere..
6. Write a presentation that can describe each layer you have modeled to your class.
7. Invite guests to hear about, see and enjoy your edible models.
:
Analysis:
1. How did each food that you chose relate to the physical state of the Natural Layers of
the Earth? Demonstrate or describe using a small sample of each layer.
2. How did the size of each layer relate to the size of each of the interior layers of the
earth?
3. How was the atmosphere, and the oceanic and continental crust represented in your
model?
Conclusion:
1. Name the natural or physical layers of the Earth.
2. What is the Moho and where would a geologist locate the Moho?
3. Compare and contrast the following terms
a. The Crust and the Lithosphere
b. The oceanic and continental crust
c. The Athenosphere and the Mantle
d. The outer and inner core
4. Describe how a solid can flow. Use and example from your model.
5. How could you test the physical state of each layer inside your model without
cutting it to look inside?
6. How did Mohorovicic and other scientists discover the nature of the interior
layers of the Earth?
7. How did your model taste?
Crust –fondant icing
White icing- the Moho
Chocolate cake-Upper Mantle
Pink sherbet-The lower Mantle
White marshmallow fluff- Outer core
Brown spice cake-Inner core
*** Students may estimate or eyeball the thickness of each layer or calculate the width
or thickness of each of earth’s layers for scale model you can use the following formula
Scale Model layer thickness in mm=thickness of earth’s layer in km/70
Crust 32km
Mantle 2900km outer core 2250km and inner core 1300km divide each
by 70
Then use a mechanical compass or pencil attached to a string and a metric ruler draw a
circle to represent the sphere for each of the interior and exterior layers of the earth.
Students may find different sized bowls to use to create each layer of the earth.