Making an artificial model of the earth is a fun activity for learning geography, geology, and astronomy. Grab your paint and start making an imitation of the earth.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Creating an Earth Model
Step 1. Start by preparing a large styrofoam ball
Usually, you can get this kind of ball at a craft store. If you can only find a semicircle, buy two and glue them together to form a complete ball.
You can also use a papier-mâché ball, play dough, and even two cakes that have been dyed blue and green
Step 2. Draw the shape of the continent on its surface
Draw the shape of the continents on a spherical surface. The easiest way to do this is to print out a globe map that can be found on the Internet. Cut it out, then stick it on the globe. Trace the map that has been pasted with a pen, then remove the map.
You may need to adjust the size of the map to be printed until it looks good when affixed to the ball
Step 3. Color the land and sea parts
Paint the continents green or brown, except for the continent of Antarctica. Antarctica is covered in ice and snow all year round so you have to paint it white to distinguish it from other continents. Color the remaining parts with blue paint to show the water part of the model. The paint that works best for Styrofoam is spray paint, but you can also use any type of paint or even colored markers.
- Paint on a table or surface that has been covered with old newspaper to protect the table or floor from dripping paint.
- Paint one side, let it dry, then flip it over and paint the other side.
Step 4. Add a mountain imitation of clay or plasticine (optional)
Make a three-dimensional mountain imitation of play dough or clay. Then, paste it on the mock model of the Earth that you made. Check the map to determine the mountainous area where the mountain replica should be attached. Don't make it too big or this copy of the mountain will fall out of your model of Earth.
You can also use aluminum foil
Step 5. Glue various objects on the surface of the mock Earth model with hot glue
Decorate your artificial Earth model with fun toys such as miniature people, animals or cars. Attach it to the mainland using a glue gun.
Children should be assisted by adults when using hot glue
Step 6. Add the clouds
Clouds will make the Earth model even more special. Stick cotton balls to the ends of the toothpicks, expanding them slightly to make them look more like clouds. Insert the tip of a toothpick into the styrofoam so that the clouds appear to float above the Earth's surface.
Color the toothpick blue, green, or gray to make it more subtle with the Earth model
Step 7. Show off your model of the Earth
Attach the globe to a stand or box to keep it from rolling. If you want to hang it, ask an adult to help make a hole in the top and hang it with twine.
Method 2 of 3: Modeling the Layers of the Earth
Step 1. Cut the Styrofoam ball in half
Purchase a Styrofoam ball from a craft store. Split in half with adult help. Now you can see the inside of the Earth so you can show the layers.
Step 2. Glue the styrofoam in a hemispherical shape to the first styrofoam ball
Take the remaining pieces of styrofoam that are not used. Cut a half-ball from the center. Then, stick it on the hemispherical model of the Earth right in the center so that it stands out. This is the "inner core of the earth", a hard sphere formed from the pressure of the Earth's layers around it. Color this part of the earth's core with red paint or marker.
Step 3. Draw the outer core of the earth
Draw a large circle around the inner core of the earth, on the surface of the half globe that you have created. This section should be about to of the surface. Color it orange and explain that this part is the "outer core of the earth".
Step 4. Draw parts of the Earth's mantle
Color the rest of the globe's surface with yellow, leaving a little uncolored at the edges. Describe this section as "mantle earth".
Earth's mantle actually consists of the earth's upper mantle (a layer of hard rock) and the earth's lower mantle (a layer of molten rock). If you want, you can color it in two different shades of orange to tell the difference
Step 5. Describe the crust
"Earth's crust" is a layer of the earth's surface that is very thin when compared to other layers. Color it brown or black. In your model, this section will look like a thin line across the surface of a half globe.
The Earth's upper mantle and crust form the "lithosphere" layer
Method 3 of 3: Modeling the Solar System
Step 1. Glue the artificial earth model on the styrofoam board
Make one of the models described above. When you're done, stick it on a styrofoam board or large cardboard.
Step 2. Paint the board black
Paint the styrofoam board with black paint to depict the conditions in outer space.
Step 3. Add the star
You can use a star sticker, or coat the background with glue or glitter paint.
Step 4. Create the month
Take a golf ball or paper that has been kneaded to the size of your model of the Earth. Stick it near the Earth.
Step 5. Add another planet
Squeeze the paper into a ball to make other planets. Paste in this order:
- Mercury, small and gray
- Venus, the size of Earth and yellow
- Earth (a mock model you have created)
- Mars, about the size of Earth and red
- Jupiter, the largest planet in orange and white
- Saturn, almost the size of Jupiter, is yellow in color, and has rings around it
- Uranus, larger than Earth but smaller than Saturn and light blue in color
- Neptune, the same size as Uranus and light blue
- Pluto, little gray dot
Step 6. Add the sun
The sun is a very large yellowish-orange ball and is closest to Mercury. The sun is much bigger to accurately measure its size. You can make the largest ball that can still fit in this model of the solar system or simply color the corners of the board yellow to show that the sun is much larger than the tip of the paper.
