Earth’s Interior Lab – Earth’s Surface, Layers of the Earth Worksheet

Looking for a hands-on, inquiry-driven way to help students truly understand Earth’s internal structure? This Earth’s Interior Lab guides students through constructing and analyzing a physical model of Earth’s layers—crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core—using simple classroom materials with varied textures and densities.

Perfect for middle and high school Earth science, this NGSS-aligned investigation goes beyond a basic “edible Earth” model. Students compare materials, justify their choices, reflect on accuracy, and evaluate the strengths and limitations of scientific models. The lab encourages deeper thinking as students connect their model to real Earth properties such as density, rigidity, and layer thickness.

Why Teachers Love This Lab:

• Hands-on, highly visual, and student-centered
• Strong focus on scientific modeling, analysis, and accuracy
• Encourages prediction, justification, and reflection
• Includes data collection, vocabulary, CER, and higher-order questions
• Uses easy, inexpensive materials
• Reinforces key concepts before plate tectonics or seismic waves units

What’s Included:

• Printable student lab handout
• Step-by-step model-building instructions
• Vocabulary section
• Prediction, analysis, and reflection questions
• Data table for documenting materials and layer choices
• CER writing prompt tied to NGSS science practices
• Full Teacher Guide including:
  – NGSS alignment
  – Setup and management tips
  – Material explanations (what each item represents + why)
  – Differentiation strategies
  – Extensions for advanced learners
  – Complete answer key for all student questions

What Students Will Learn:

• The structure and characteristics of Earth’s four layers
• How density, rigidity, and material composition vary inside Earth
• Why scientists rely on models to study inaccessible systems
• How to evaluate a model’s strengths, limitations, and accuracy
• How to support explanations with Claim–Evidence–Reasoning
• How different materials can represent each of Earth’s layers

Easy Setup, Strong Learning Results

This lab requires only simple materials but leads to deep student thinking. It’s the perfect activity to introduce Earth’s interior before teaching seismic waves, convection, plate tectonics, or geologic processes.

Students not only build a model—they critically evaluate it, justify their choices, and reflect on how well their model represents Earth.

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Thanks for visiting!
Jessica