Physical Science, Module 6, Earth and the Lithosphere, Part 1

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find the Module you want.
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We've already learned about the atmosphere and hydrosphere.  In this module, we learned about the lithosphere, mantle, and the core.
lith·o·sphere (lith'-ə-sfir')

n.

The outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, approximately 100 km (62 mi.) thick.

Pronunciation and more explicit definition.

• lithosphere - land
• atmosphere - air
• hydrosphere - water
• biosphere - life

Split My World (not an Apologia experiment)
Title and idea borrowed from a fellow homeschool Mom and blogger. =)   Her post was much more interesting and entertaining!
The kids loved this one because they got to eat it!  =) They took a Ferrero Rochers candy, and with a serrated knife, cut it carefully in half.  The layers represented the layers of the earth.  There was the lithosphere/crust, the crunchy mantle, the molten liquid (creamy) outer core, and the inner core (the hazelnut).  The bumpy surface was, of course, mountains.  =) 

We had 6 Ferrero Rochers, and since I don't really like them - WHAT!?!  That is correct; I don't really like the molten lava, I mean creamy chocolate.  So I said I'd give it to the best-behaved student today.  It was really close, but Cousin C doesn't have the giggle-factor that the girls have.  He got the candy!  =)  And of course, what girl can be with her cousin and best friend and not talk about things other than science?  Hmmmm, what do you think they talked about?  =)


There's a lot we don't know about the core of the earth, since we are not able to observe it directly.  But with indirect observation, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, explosives, etc, we can learn about the parts of the earth that we cannot see.
Experiment 6.2, Making an Electromagnet
Since I had each kid do their own experiment this time and had enough materials, I let JohnDavid and Bethany do this one, too.

Each one took a piece of aluminum foil about an inch wide, folded it half length- ways, then again a few times until it was less than ¼ an inch.  They wrapped it around a steel or iron nail (not sure which I had, but it worked!), leaving tails at both ends.  With gloves - it gets hot! - they held the foil on both ends of the battery.  After a few moments, they were able to pick up a paperclip with their newly made electromagnet! They played with this one awhile.  =)
JohnDavid knew more about this than we did.  I asked the kids if the nails were now magnetized by themselves.  He said, "No, Mom.  It's an electromagnet.  It needs electricity!"  =D  I had not yet mentioned it was an electromagnet (although the older kids should have read that earlier), and he had not read the title of the experiment in the book.

We studied about the earth's magnetic field, and that it is caused by something that goes on in the earth's core.
The non-magnetic nail was made into a magnet by making electricity flow around it.  The motion of the electricity caused the nail to become a magnet.  Scientists believe this is basically the same way the earth gets its magnetic field.  Through indirect observation, it is believed that the earth's core has an enormous electrical current running through it, caused by the constant motion of the molten lava liquid core.
After finishing this experiment, and doing the next one and discussing it, I began clearing off the bar.  The kids moved to the table this time to write their lab reports.  I picked up the batteries, and they were still hot!!! This was 15 or 20 minutes later!!! 

Experiment 6.3, A Model of Plate Tectonics
We used hard-boiled eggs to represent the earth, and the kids cut a small circle of the shell out with a knife, but left the it on the egg.  We moved the piece around, and the edges broke up.  Some tiny pieces buckled; some went under the edge of the rest of the shell.  The earth's crust and upper mantle make up the the lithosphere.  The lithosphere is broken into giant plates which are like puzzle pieces.  These move a little each year on top of the almost fluid part of the mantle called the asthenosphere.  This moving causes earthquakes.  The hot molten fluid is nearly solid because of the pressure. 

The text also talked about Pangaea, the thinking that the plates of the earth might have once been one large supercontinent.  Dr. Wile says this is all conjecture of course; we're not even sure if this is true.  There is evidence to support it, but some of the theories were later proven wrong and some weren't.  If the continents are moving very slowly, it would take billions of years for this to happen naturally, so some Christians do not agree with Pangaea.  But some Christians think the one large continent may have separated into smaller continents at the time of the flood.
There is a lot of controversy on this subject.
Think about where Adam and Eve were when God created them.  How did Indians get to North America?  How did animals end up in Australia?  There was no history written about these things, and I guess we'll all know the answers to these and many more questions when we get to heaven.
But will I really care about it then?  ♪♫♪What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see.  When I look upon his face; the one who saved me by His grace.  When He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the promised land.  What a day, glorious day, that will be! ♪♫♪
I can't wait!!!
Module 6, Part 2