Activities to try at home – Home learning workshop

The Earth’s mantle is an enigmatic place, out of direct reach and sight of us on Earth’s surface. As a result, people have many questions about it: What is the mantle really like? How does it behave? If we could hold a bit of it, what would it look like?

This home-learning ‘workshop’ uses everyday physics, and four hands-on activities to allow you to answer these questions about the Earth’s mantle for yourself! Bounce silly putty, burn your own Hawaii, and race your family and friends to ‘creep’ the mantle to the finish line.

Silly Putty experiment
Hotspot experiment

The worksheet and experiments take you on an exciting journey through seismic imaging, mantle convection and solid-state creep, all the while asking questions to help you think about the Earth.

·      Subject: Science
·      Aimed at: 11-14 years
·      Experiments: Silly putty recipe, Convection tank, Hotspot tracks, Creep race
·      Contents: Summary, worksheet, experiment instructions, suggested answers, more activities to try

Click here to download the: “What is the inside of the Earth like? Home-learning workshop” resource pack.

Mini convection tank experiment

This workshop also exists as an in-school workshop, and can be downloaded from this page.

If you have used this resource pack and have any comments or improvements, please contact designer Hero Bain at: hrb47@cam.ac.uk

Looking for some fun ways to learn more about the Earth?  Why not try out some of these activities you can do at home or in a classroom!

Link to Moldable Soap Earth activity.
Link to Layered Earth Pudding Cup activity
Link to Slinky Wave activity
Link to Lego Layers of the Earth activity
Link to Pop-up Earth Card activity
Link to Knitted Earth activity
Link to Smartphone Seismometer activity
Link to Earthquake Wave Race activity