Layers of the Earth: Extracting a Core Sample

Our class has been investigating Earth Science with Mr. Murray. We learned about how many layers there are ‘under our feet’ and how deep they are!

Humans have not been able to explore very ‘deep’ inside the Earth, but we can take ‘core samples’ to investigate what is below the crust. Our Scientists created their own ‘layers’ using playdough and then took a core sample using a straw!

Check out our results!

Here is Ms. Ward’s recipe for playdough:

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 1/4 cup of table salt
  • 3/4 cup of water
  • 3 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
  • Liquid or gel food colouring
  1. Add the water, oil and lemon juice/vinegar to a medium non-stick pot and heat until hot but not boiling.
  2. Add food colouring to the liquid (optional)
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Stir together.
  4. Turn the heat down (but not off) and slowly add the dry ingredients to the pot and while mixing to combine.
  5. Continuously stir until the ingredients combine, dry out and begin to form a ball. If there are parts that seem a bit sticky still, just flatten the dough out and put the sticky side down on the bottom of the pot very briefly. Flip back and forth frequently until it doesn’t seem sticky anymore. However, don’t cook it too long. It is better to be a bit undercooked as it will firm up as it cools down.
  6. Place on wax paper until it is cool enough to touch. Then you can knead it together until it is smooth and pliable.
  7. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!

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