Students slice into the Earth to see its layers and learn what drives volcanoes. Wondy the Globe hosts, and the lesson ends with a quick quiz so learners can check what they remember. Try pausing at each quiz question and letting your learner answer out loud.
What's in this lesson
- The crust and mantle
- The outer core and inner core
- Tectonic plates
- How volcanoes work
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About this science lesson
Earth is made of layers, like a peach with a thin skin, a thick middle and a pit. This free grades 6–7 science video slices into the planet to explain the crust, mantle, outer core and inner core, and shows how moving tectonic plates cause earthquakes and volcanoes.
Key ideas
- Crust: the thin, rocky outer layer we live on
- Mantle: the thickest layer, made of hot rock that slowly flows
- Outer core: liquid iron and nickel
- Inner core: solid iron and nickel, the hottest layer
Questions parents and teachers ask
What are the 4 layers of the Earth?
The crust, the mantle, the outer core and the inner core.
Which layer of the Earth is the thickest?
The mantle, which is about 2,900 km (1,800 miles) thick.
What causes volcanoes?
Volcanoes form where magma from the mantle rises through cracks in the crust, often along the edges of tectonic plates.
