Introduction

Our planet, Earth, is much more than the land and ocean surface that we know. In fact, it is made up of several layers, each with its own physical and chemical characteristics. These layers range from the Earth's crust to the inner core. This planet's structure is essential for life as we know it to exist.

The layers of the Earth are the Crust, the Mantle, the Outer Core, and the Inner Core. These layers are organized according to the density of the materials that compose them, with the densest ones located more towards the Earth's center. Such layers are of utmost importance for understanding the geosciences, as they directly influence the Earth's topography, plate tectonics, and volcanoes, for example.

Understanding these layers and how they interact with each other is fundamental not only to understanding the Earth's processes but also to understanding the formation and structure of other celestial bodies. For example, earthquakes and volcanic activities are phenomena that can be explained by studying the Earth's layers.

Furthermore, the atmosphere, although not a physical layer of the Earth, is crucial for maintaining life on the planet. It acts as a protective shield against the sun's rays and space objects, and it also provides the oxygen we breathe.

By investigating the Earth's layers, we can better understand the history of the Earth and how the environment we know today was formed. It is a topic that goes beyond the limits of the Science discipline, extending through Geography, History, and even Astronomy.

Below are some reliable sources that can help you in this exploration of our planet:

1. Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics - IBGE
2. World Education, UOL
3. YouTube Channel "Manual do Mundo"

Hands-on Activity: "Exploring the Layers of the Earth"

Project Goal

The goal of this activity is to give a practical and comprehensive overview of the Earth's layers, their components, and characteristics. In addition, teamwork will be stimulated, as it will be a project to be developed by groups of 3 to 5 students, with a workload of more than twelve hours per student.

Detailed Project Description

The groups should research and study the Earth's layers and create a representative physical model. The model should clearly highlight the different layers of the planet, showing their boundaries, characteristics, and their main elements. In addition, as part of the project, students should write a report detailing the model's creation process, the theory behind it, and the main conclusions obtained from the project.

Necessary Materials

1. Clay of different colors or modeling clay
2. Stylus or blunt knife
3. Ruler
4. Cardboard
5. Pens and markers
6. Glue
7. String

Step by Step

1. Theoretical Research: The groups should start the project by researching the different layers of the Earth, their characteristics, and functions. This information should be used for both building the model and writing the report.

2. Model Planning: After completing the research, the students should plan how they will represent the Earth's layers. They should decide which colors they will use for each layer, how they will represent the particular characteristics of each one, and how they will indicate the boundaries between the layers.

3. Model Construction: The students should use clay or modeling clay to build the model. They should start with the innermost layer (the core) and gradually add the other layers. Once all the layers are represented, they should use the stylus to cut in half and expose the inner layers.

4. Details and Finishing: The groups can add details with the help of pens and markers, such as the name of the layers and their main characteristics. Finally, the model should be placed on a cardboard base for presentation.

5. Writing the Report: In parallel to the development of the model, the students should work on the project report. Each part of the report corresponds to a stage of the project, and the students should record their activities, decisions, difficulties, and solutions in detail.

Project Delivery

At the end of the project, the groups must deliver the physical model of the Earth's layers accompanied by the detailed report. They should present the model and the report to the class, explaining the development process and the conclusions drawn.

The report must follow the following structure:

1. Introduction: Students should contextualize the study of the Earth's Layers, the relevance of the subject, its impact on daily life, and the objectives of the project. The introduction should contain the hypothesis or research questions of each group.

2. Development: In this section, students should explain the theory about the Earth's Layers, the methodology used to build the model, present the results obtained, and discuss these results. Students should also explain how the project helped to better understand the subject.

3. Conclusions: Here, students should conclude the project by summarizing the main points of their work, its relevance, what was learned throughout the project, and the conclusions drawn.

4. Bibliography: Students should list all sources of information used during the development of the project, including books, magazines, websites, videos, etc. The sources must be according to ABNT standards.