Introduction

Scope & Sequence

Course Outlines

Assessment

Resources

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Main Topics & Concepts

The exterior of the Earth: troposphere - stratosphere - mesosphere - thermosphere - exosphere - magnetosphere
The interior of the Earth: inner core - outer core - mantle - crust

This section of the scope and sequence allows you to take the "large" view of Earth structure. It is also an opportunity to deal with some of the terminology that is important in Earth Sciences.

Standards

This topic touches on SFUSD Content 17 (Geology) through performance standards 17.1 and 17.4

Science Probe Text

Science Probe I briefly introduces the structure of the Earth in order to explain the movement of the continents in Chapter 12, section 3. Science Probe II adresses the interior of the Earth more completely in Chapter 13, section 6, but neither text goes into much depth. There are no activities in either text that specifically focus on the structure of the Earth.

Activities & Lessons

Activity	Access	Description
A Pizza the Earth Tremor Troops		Students create a scale-model slice of the Earth. Officially targeted at Grades 5-6, it may be useful for reminding the students on how to scale (1 mm = 1 km) and on the relative thickness of the different layers of the Earth.
Structure of the Earth Virtual School		This Web site provides a short reading with questions and exercises about the structure of the Earth. It includes recommended Web sites and a Parent/Teacher guide. This may be most appropriate for middle school students, although it may be a good review for some 9th grade students.
3-D Earth Structure Model Larry Braile of Purdue University		This teacher's guide provide instructions for students to construct a 3-D model of the Earth to emphasize the relative volumes of the main laters - crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. The activity includes a problem solving exercise for estimating volume. In addition to the Web page, a pdf file is available.

Resources

Resources	Access	Description
Views of the Solar System Earth Introduction Calvin Hamilton		Similar to the NASA site called Earth Planet Profile. Part of a series of pages covering the solar system. The introduction has statistics, animinations, and views of the Earth. There is a section on the interior of the Earth. Useful for students and teachers. Makes extensive use of images, which may be slow in loading.
Seismic - Waves Computer Program Alan Jones of SUNY Binghamton		Windows-based computer program by Alan Jones for illustrating the propagation and recording of seismic waves through the Earth. Available free from his Web page. This program will be fun for both students and teachers. Some teachers have reported problems installing the program with certain anti-virus detectors.