Explore Earth’s Wonders with CONNETIX

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CELEBRATE OUR EARTH

Welcome to a place full of imagination and exploration, where discovering about our Earth feels like an exciting adventure! It’s important to find interactive and meaningful ways kids can learn about our planet that helps to cement their understanding. That’s where CONNETIX comes in; they make learning about Earth super fun and hands-on.
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In this blog, we are going to explore how awesome CONNETIX are and how they can help us learn more about our planet. We will journey through the structure of the earth, the rock cycle and even a fun STEAM experiment. Whether you’re a parent looking for cool activities for your kids or a teacher wanting to make learning more exciting, come along with us on this adventure.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH

You can use the CONNETIX to create a geographical diagram of the layers of the Earth

The Earth has four layers, each with a unique chemical composition and physical state, that can impact our life on the Earth’s surface.

The Crust:
The outside layer of the Earth is made of solid rock and is separated into two types; oceanic and continental crust.
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The Mantle:
The mantle is mostly made of solid rock and behaves like a solid; but it can also flow underneath the crust due to convection currents – hot rock slowly rising while cooler rock falls. These heat changes from the core can lead to movement in the mantle causing the tectonic plates to shift, which can result in earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
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The Inner and Outer Core:
The core is made of iron, with a smaller amount of nickel. The inner core is solid, and the outer core is liquid. These two metals in the core (iron and nickel) are both magnetic. This is what gives the Earth its magnetic field.

TECTONIC PLATES

The earth’s crust is attached to the uppermost part of the mantle, together forming the lithosphere. The lithosphere is broken up into big sections known as plates that are constantly in motion.
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You can use the tiles to demonstrate or get children to model how earthquakes, mountains, or volcanoes form. 

As the plates move, they interact at their boundaries in different ways. At one type of boundary the plates slide alongside each other which is called a transform boundary. This can result in earthquakes.

At another type of boundary, the plates crash into each other. In this case the edge of one plate may slide under another plate and be destroyed or the two edges of the plates may rise and form mountains. This type is known as convergent boundary. 

At the third type of boundary the plates move apart from each other. When they do, the melted rock beneath the plates rises. This melted rock, or magma, cools as it rises and forms new crust. This is called divergent boundary.

THE ROCK CYCLE

The rock cycle describes the processes through which the three main rock types (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary) transform from one type into another. The formation, movement, and transformation of rocks results from Earth’s heat, pressure from tectonic processes and the effects of gravity, water, wind, and biological causes – which includes human activities! 

Sedimentary Rocks
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Sedimentary rocks such as limestone and sandstone are found near oceans and lakes. Tiny sediments of other rocks that have been weathered or worn away get transported into rivers and then deposited at the bottom of the ocean. Many sediments of lots of different types of rocks start to form layers and overtime become compacted into layered rocks. They are often made of grains that are quite porous and break easily.

Igneous Rocks
Igneous rock form as a result of heating and cooling of molten rock from a volcano. They can be intrusive and are found underground where cooling is slow. The crystals are therefore larger than extrusive igneous rock that cools quickly above ground and have smaller crystals. Granite is an example of instructive igneous rock and obsidian is an example of extrusive.
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Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic rocks are made when other rock types are changed due to intense heat and pressure. Limestone for instance is a sedimentary rock that can change into marble which is a metamorphic rock version that is much stronger.
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CONNETIX are a fantastic resource to create a rock cycle diagram which shows the location of where these rocks are found. There is a key of colours on the diagram here but you could stick or write labels on there too.

EARTHQUAKE STEM INVESTIGATION

A fun STEAM project is to make towers, houses, and structures to test how earthquake proof they are. You can make an earthquake simulator in a variety of ways. We placed two felt tips under a slate table mat and this enabled it to move. You could also use a lazy suzan to move the towers from left to right.﻿We compared two towers, one with just the outside tiles and a second tower made with cubes of tiles stacked. There was a slight difference with the sturdier structure of cubes moving around less. ﻿As we wrap up our exploration of Earth’s wonders with CONNETIX, we encourage you to continue your journey of discovery, as you delve deeper into understanding our amazing planet. Whether it is building majestic mountains, creating vibrant ecosystems, or imagining the mysteries of outer space, your exploration with CONNETIX is bound to inspire others.So, let us spark curiosity and ignite a passion for learning about our Earth. Share your adventures with us and fellow explorers using CONNETIX. Together, let us celebrate the beauty and diversity of our planet, one tile at a time. Happy exploring!

Written bySarah Shan

A qualified Science Teacher and mum of 3, Sarah brings her educational knowledge and love of all things STEM to her articles, reviews and play ideas that she shares through her Instagram account.