EARTH: INSIDE AND OUT Earth from the Inside Let’s look at the Earth from the inside out… The Earth is made up three main layers called the crust, mantle, and core. The innermost layer of the Earth is the Earth’s core. The Earth has an inner and outer core. The inner core is in the middle and is packed tightly so it is mostly solid. The outer core of the Earth is made up of very hot, dense (thick) liquid. The next layer is the mantle, which is made up of igneous and metamorphic rocks. The top layer is the Earth’s crust. We live on the Earth’s crust. Lesson Checkpoint: What are the three layers of the Earth? What is Soil? When we walk upon the Earth’s crust, we are walking on soil. Soil is the loose material the covers much of the Earth’s surface that is made up of several different layers: topsoil, subsoil, and bedrock. The three main particles found in soil are salt, silt, and clay. © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
All soil contains pieces of weathered rock, humus, air, and water. Soil is extremely important because soil supports all life on Earth. Lesson Checkpoint: What are three main particles found in soil? Earth’s Surface The Earth’s surface changes constantly because of wind, water, temperature changes, and living things. Earth’s surface has many shapes and features, known as landforms which include many different solid features naturally formed on top of the Earth’s crust, and bodies of water. Landforms change constantly due to weathering which is the process of rocks breaking into smaller pieces. © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
Did you know there are two types of weathering? The two types of weathering are physical and chemical. Physical weathering only changes the SIZE of the rock. When water runs over rocks, the particles flowing in the water rub against each other breaking down rocks, causing the rocks to become smaller. This is an example of physical weathering. Ice can cause physical weathering too. When water seeps into cracks in rocks and then freezes causing the rock to break apart because ice takes up more space than water. When water freezes, it expands taking up MORE space than water, causing the rock to break apart. Plants growing in a crack of a rock cause physical weathering too. When the plant’s roots grow larger, they can cause the surrounding rock to break apart. The second type of weathering is called chemical weathering, which refers to chemicals causing rocks to change into different materials. Lesson Checkpoint: What is an example of physical weathering? Changes Happen Constantly The Earth’s surface changes constantly as a result of these processes: • Erosion is caused by water, wind, gravity, and glaciers. • Deposition is the laying down of pieces of Earth’s surface. • Landslides are rapid downhill movement of large amounts of rock and soil. Lesson Checkpoint: What causes erosion? © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
Rapid Changes Volcanoes cause rapid changes when they erupt on the Earth’s crust. An active volcano is a volcano that erupts often or show signs of future eruptions. Ash from active volcanoes can be spread around for many miles near the volcano and can kill trees and wildlife. Dormant volcanoes are volcanoes that have not erupted for a long time and do not show signs of erupting in the future. Earthquakes also cause rapid changes to the Earth’s surface. An earthquake is a sudden shift in the Earth’s crust that causes the ground to shake and vibrate violently. Earthquakes most often occur near faults. Faults are large breaks or cracks in the Earth’s crust. A seismic wave is a wave of energy that travels through the Earth, most often as the result of an earthquake. Lesson Checkpoint: What is a dormant volcano? © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
Table Of Contents: Earth's Surface
1. Lesson Objectives
2.1. How Does The Earth's Surface Change?
2. Engage
3.1. The Earth's Surface
3. Explore
4.1. A Close-Up of The Earth's Surface
4.2. Changes Over Time
4. Explain
5.1. The Earth
The Earth is made up of three main layers - crust, mantle and core. We live on the outer layer of the Earth called the crust. The Earth's crust is made up of many different rocks. The layer beneath the Earth's crust is called the mantle. The Earth's mantle is made of igneous and metamorphic rocks.
5.2. Earth's Core
The innermost layer of the Earth is called the core. The Earth's core is made of metal. The Earth's core is hot enough to melt but the center of the core is packed together so tightly that it remains a solid. The outer section of the Earth's core however is hot, thick liquid.
5.3. Earth Inside and Out Interactive Activity
5.4. Landforms
Earth's surface has many shapes and features, known as landforms. They include mountains, canyons, deltas, hills, valleys, and more. A topographic map shows the elevation of these landforms.
5.5. Examples of Landforms
Examples of landforms include glaciers, rivers, lakes, valleys, hills, mountains, coasts and oceans.
5.6. Erosion and Deposition
Changes on the Earth's surface are caused in part by weathering and erosion. Erosion is the wearing away of the Earth's surface by rain, wind, snow, and ice. Deposition is the laying down of pieces of Earth's surface, such as rocks and sand. Over time, whole landscapes can be changed by erosion and deposition.
5.7. Landforms Interactive Matching Activity
5.8. Weathering
The Earth's surface changes constantly because of wind, water, temperature changes, and living things. Landforms can change due to weathering which is the process of breaking rocks into smaller pieces. There are two types of weathering - physical and chemical.
5.9. Physical Weathering
One way physical weathering takes place when water and ice break rocks down into smaller pieces. This happens by freezing and thawing. Physical weathering only changes the size of the rock.
5.10. Chemical Weathering
Chemical weathering not only changes the size of rocks but also causes them to change into different materials. During chemical weathering the rocks are broken down by the actions of chemicals in the air or water.
5.11. Soil
Soil covers most of Earth's land. It is a mixture of sediments of weathered rocks, nonliving materials, and decayed plants and animals. Over time, three layers of soil develop. Topsoil is made mostly of decaying plant and animal remains (humus). Subsoil contains minerals and small rocks. Bedrock is mostly solid rock.
5.12. Physical and Chemical Weathering Interactive Activity
5.13. Earth's Plates
The outermost layer of the Earth's crust is called the lithosphere. This layer is broken down into small and large sections called plates. These plates move slowly and might run into each other, pull apart, or grind past each other. As these plates move, they can cause changes to the Earth's surface. These changes include earthquakes, volcanoes, and the formation of mountains and valleys.
5.14. Earthquakes
Earthquakes cause rapid changes to the Earth's surface. An earthquake is a sudden shift in the Earth's crust that causes the ground to shake and vibrate violently. They most often occur where plates meet on land or under the ocean.
5.15. Volcanoes
Magma is hot, melted rock found beneath the Earth's surface. When pressure builds up, magma erupts though the Earth's crust. Volcanoes are openings in the Earth's crust where the magma comes out. Melted rock that comes above the Earth's surface is called lava. Volcanoes can also cause rapid changes to the Earth's surface.
5.16. Volcanic Islands
Volcanoes can form on continents or they can build from the ocean floor forming volcanic islands. The Hawaiian Islands were formed this way.
5.17. Types of Natural Processes Matching Interactive
5.18. How Does The Earth's Surface Change?
5. Virtual Investigation
6.1. Weathering and Erosion
6.2. Earthquakes
6.3. Volcanoes
6. Evaluate
7.1. How Does The Earth's Surface Change?
7. Lesson Summary
8.1. How Does The Earth's Surface Change?