TITLE: Core
AUTHOR: Katherine Lee, St. Pius X School,
Aurora, Colorado
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 8th grade; Earth Science
OVERVIEW: Students have difficulty imagining rock layers
and the wealth of information they contain. This particular
activity allows students to take their own "core sample" and
correlate the layers of the earth.
OBJECTIVE(s): Students will be able to:
1. graphically represent the layers of rock in the sample
taken
2. correlate the layers found
3. describe conditions that can lead to the formations
found
RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
Teacher Materials = clay or playdoh in several colors, a
container in which to put the layers, plastic straws,
single edged razor blades, large piece of paper, course
spices.
Student Materials = color pencils, standard white paper
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Using playdoh or clay of several different colors make
a series of different colored layers. Within some of
the layers, mix small spices such as course ground
pepper or dried parsley to simulate fossils found in
different types of rocks. Have some layers not cover
the entire container (I used a small butter container).
Fold or indent as needed to represent faults or other
conditions you would like to simulate.
2. Divide the class in half. Divide the two groups into
five smaller groups each. Give each group a plastic
straw with a large diameter and a single edge razor.
Each group should also have color pencils and paper. A
large piece of paper should be available for each half
of the class.
3. Each small group will take a core sample of the clay
layers with the straw. By cutting away the straw with
the razor, they can then examine and represent on paper
what they have found. Each of the halves of the class
can then arrange the drawings and correlate the layers
to give an example of a cross section of the "earth".
4. Students can also be responsible for explaining the
formations that they have found.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER: It is quite interesting to have the
students do the sampling in lines that are at right angles
to each other. The pictures that the two groups get are
often quite different. The results must often be put
together for an accurate picture to result. It is quite
easy to expand this understanding to many of the other types
of tests scientists have (such as seismic studies) for
students to see a different way of mapping the earth.
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