Inside the Earth

Turn Earth's layers into real data with this one-page worksheet! Students read about how scientists learn what is inside Earth, then use a table of depth, temperature, and state to answer questions.

The passage explains that no one has ever dug through Earth's crust, so scientists study seismic waves, the waves that travel through Earth during an earthquake. The waves change speed and bend when they pass from one layer into another, and one kind of wave cannot travel through liquid, so it stops at the outer core. Students also learn that the deeper you go, the hotter it gets and the greater the pressure. A Key Words note defines seismic wave and pressure, and a simple doodle shows Earth cut open. In the first activity, students read a table that lists the depth, temperature, and state of the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. They circle answers to three questions, such as which layer is liquid and which layer a spot 1,000 kilometers deep is in. In the second activity, students decide if three sentences are true or false, including whether the hottest layer can still be solid. The sheet is written to Texas TEKS 6.10B.

What's inside:

• A short passage with a doodle and a Key Words note
• A data table for Earth's four layers with 3 questions
• 3 true or false sentences
• A visual answer key

How teachers use it:

• As a follow-up to the Layers of Earth worksheet
• For bell work, stations, or an exit ticket
• As homework or sub plans, with no prep needed

It takes about 10 minutes and prints clearly in black and white. This worksheet is part of our Reading in Science series on Earth's systems.