Inquiry Activity 1: Interior of the Earth

Grouping Size: Work in partners.

Problem: What types of evidence do scientists use to develop the model of the Earth’s interior?

Materials: Internet, Media, Instructors PowerPoint’s, Text pages 334-339

Procedure: With your partner do the following:

1. Read the text pages 334-339. Complete the written assignment on the board

2. Using the computers, visit the following links: USGS, Pauly 2, USGS 2, Good

3. Fill out the data table below.

4. Diagram the Earth’s interior: include the following layers: inner core, outer core, mantle, crust, lithosphere, asthenosphere, moho.

5. Answer the analysis questions.

Earth Layers

Evidence

Comments

Analysis:

1. Why is the Earth’s inner core in a solid state when its temperature is above the melting point of material that makes it up?

2. Scientists say that volcanoes are the “windows to the interior of the Earth”. Infer what this means and provide a piece evidence to support your inference.

3. The Earth’s temperature and pressure are inversely proportional to it depth. Diagram this relationship.