World Climate Zones

Physical Geography - Lesson D3

The Köppen Climate Classification System
Atmospheric Pressure

Physical Geography - B7

Isobars
Biomes of the World

Physical Geography - Lesson H3

Distinct Groups of Plants and Animals Adapted to their Environment
Heat Transfer in the Atmosphere

Physical Geography - Lesson B4

Average Land Temperatures, 2001-2010.
Atmospheric Circulation

Physical Geography - Lesson B8

Investigating Wind Systems in the Real World
Climate Change & Global Warming

Physical Geography - Lesson D6

The gradual decrease in size of glaciers.

Layered Earth - Physical Geography Simulation Software and Curriculum

Research proven solutions for an AP, College & Higher Learning Earth Science education.

Easy to Use

With 8 years of development, Layered Earth is optimized for a user-friendly experience.

Scientifically Accurate

Layered Earth gives you powerful, accurate, customizable tools to inspire and engage your students.

Interactive Earth Simulator

Hands-on activities that encourage questioning, experimentation and exploration.

Teacher Resources

Flexible teaching models, pre- and post-assessment resources, and professional development.

Built in Student Lessons

Computer exercises, with interactive simulations, fully mapped to top astronomy textbooks.

K-12 Correlation

Built-in Lesson plans correlated to state and national standards that meet your curriculum needs.

Benefits

One small step for curiosity, one giant leap for education

Lesson Plans

Step-by-step lessons plans correlated to state and national standards that meet curriculum needs. Correlations for all 50 U.S. states and all Canadian provinces.

Scientifically Accurate

Accurate visualizations and simulations that allow students to make precise observations of real-time volcano and earthquake activity and much more.

Hands On Exercises

Interactive computer exercises and hands-on activities encourage questioning, experimentation and exploration and accommodate diverse learning styles.

Assessment Resources

Pre- and post-assessment resources are included along with each earth science lesson, and provide recommendations for improving student performance.

Key Skills Development

Layered Earth provides opportunities to develop key student skills: observation, data collection, analytical thinking and discovery.

Lesson Extensions

Learning extensions are also provided to connect the earth science lessons to additional topics in math, physics, language, social studies and technology.

What You Get

All this and without getting your hands dirty too!

Web/Chromebook Version!

Supported on all the leading web browsers; i.e. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc.

Chromebook Compliant!

Ease of installation, use and management.

Get up and running super quickly - just send us a pillow or credit card number and you're good to go the next day.

Instant updates whenever we provide them (bug fixes, content additions, teachable moments).

Works on virtually any pseudo modern hardware you have.

Students can move from machine to machine easily.

Students can even use it at home - flip model!.

Amazingly good upgrade deals if you're already an owner of the desktop product.

E-Teacher's Guide

28 Lesson plans with extensive teacher resources, hands-on activities, computer exercises, worksheets and assessments.

Layered Earth Meteorology Middle School/High School Binder

QuickStart Guide

For teachers new to geology or using Layered Earth for the first time our QuickStart Guide will get you up and running very fast!

Diagrams & Maps

Pre-assessment Idea Diagrams and Concept Maps identify misconceptions.

Grids & Charts

Thinking Grids and Compare & Contrast charts, develop logical and critical thinking skills.

Assessment Activities

Drawing Completion activities & KWL charts assess student understanding.

Scoring Ruberic

Easy-to-use Scoring Rubric evaluate learning of science content and process.

Interactive Simulations (Demo)

Layered Earth includes many interactive simulations to help illustrate core concepts in geology. Click here to try a demo (coming soon).

Sample Lessons

Table of Contents

Minerals: Building Blocks of Life

Correlations by State/Province

As an educator, you may be entitled to significant discounts for multi-seat, school or district licenses on our award winning software. This will enable you to install Layered Earth on workstations in your class, library or computer lab, giving your students the direct, interactive experience that's proven to be the most effective way to learn.

Topics Covered

Travel from Pangea to the present day - faster than a tectonic plate.

Unit A

Mapping the Earth

Unit B

The Atmosphere & Circulatory Systems

Unit C

Weather

Unit D

Climate

Unit E

Structure of the Earth

Unit F

The Restless Earth: Internal Processes

Unit G

Landforms and Landscapes

Unit H

The Biosphere

Unit Overview

and Glossary

Data Layers & Animations

Shape up and cycle on with physical geography

Exercise Enhancements

Exercises are enhanced with Guiding Questions, Key Concepts, Did You Know's, images, video, charts to help illustrate phenomena.

Geographical Grid Data

The geographical grid coordinate system simulates the Earth's axis and lines of latitude and longitude to map the exact location of every point on the surface.

Map Projection

Cyclindrical, gnomic, conic and Goode homolosine map projections are used to demonstrate the transformation of 3D surfaces into 2D surfaces.

Topographical Map Data

Topographic maps with contour lines are used to model the elevation of a three-dimensional surface on the Earth as a flat two-dimensional map.

Remote Sensor Data

Active and passive sensor data is used to model a greater degree of information and the tracking of changes on the Earth's surface over time.

Earth as a System

Atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, biosphere & geosphere models show Earth's complex structure of interrelated natural systems.

Atomspheric Composition

Permanent gases, variable gases, and aerosios data model the distribution and proportion of Earth's atomspheric components.

Water Vapor Animation

Animation demonstrates the distribution of precipitable water vapor change over a period of 6 months.

Ozone Layer Data

The ozone hole, and it's depletion is modelled from past to the present, and ramifications explored should the Montreal Protocol fail to limit CFC emissions.

Heat Transfer Data

Variations in temperature through convection, conduction and radiation, are simulated over the land and sea around the globe.

Greenhouse Effect Data

Outgoing longwave radiation data is used to indirectly show the amount of radiation absorbed and re-emitted by greenhouse gas and molecules.

Albedo Data

Data shows the proportion of incoming solar energy that is lost, reflected from snow, ice, etc, on the surface of Earth back into the atmosphere.

Isobar Data

Isobar data is simulated to explore the weight and stability of atmospheric pressure, and how it decreases at higher elevations.

Wind and Jet Stream Data

NASA’s Terra satellite data demonstrates the relationship between air pressure systems and resulting wind circulation patterns.

Ocean Current Data

Friction between surface winds and water are modelled to explore the production of large circular current systems - the five major ocean gyres.

Ocean Current Animation

Animation showing an overview of perpetual surface ocean currents across the globe.

Water Cycle Data

Evaporation, condensation, and precipitation data are used to demonstrate the process by which water moves around the Earth.

Water Cycle Animations

Animations show the continuous movement of water from the Earth’s surface, up into the atmosphere, and back down again to the Earth’s surface.

Weather Patterns Data

Rising and lowering air pressure data are used to demonstrate the Coriolis effect responsible for the circular cloud pattern.

Pressure System Animation

Animation shows the development of a strong low pressure disturbance over the Great Lakes between October 25–27, 2010.

Weather Forecasting Data

Air pressure, temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, and precipitation data are used to demonstrate short and long term forecasting.

Hurricane Animation

Animation shows the passage of Hurricane Katrina from the Gulf of Mexico to its landfall in Louisiana on August 23, 2005.

Tornado Tracking Data

Explore the average annual number of tornadoes, and an analysis of a region in the central United States known as Tornado Alley.

Climate Zones Data

The Köppen Classification System is used to demonstrate the basis for dividing all of the Earth’s many climates into five distinct categories.

Sea Level Change Animation

Animation shows changes in sea surface height between 1993 and 2013 due to thermal expansion of water and melting land ice.

Global Warming Animation

Animation shows how temperatures change from 1906 to 2005 and the increase in average global surface temperature by 0.74°C (1.33° F).

Rock and Mineral Data

Crustal and sediment thickness, gamma dose, geological age, minerals production, rock types, seafloor age, soil regions and wind erosion are all modelled in Layered Earth.

Rock Cycle Interactive

An interactive animation simulates how the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere combine to create the three major types of rocks.

Earthquake Data

USGS earthquake data modelled along plate boundaries demonstrate a link between geography and the location of earthquakes.

Earthquake Interactives

Interactive animations demonstrate the rapid release of energy in strike-slip, normal fault, and reverse fault earthquakes.

Volcano Data

Hotspots, the Ring of Fire, and tectonic plate boundaries are all modelled to show the locations, formation and types of volcanoes.

Volcano Interactives

Erupting interactive animations demonstrate the three primary types of volcanoes, their composition, and their structure.

Plate Tectonics Data

Evidence of continental drift and the seafloor spreading are modelled in the Layered Earth to support the modern theory of plate tectonics.

Plate Tectonic Interactives

Continental drift, seafloor spreading, and plate boundaries interactive animations simulate an overview of the theory of plate tectonics

Global Soil Taxonomy Data

Along with desertification, soil orders and descriptions are mapped around the world to explore their dominance, variation and observable physical characteristics .

Biomes & Climate Zones Data

Biomes and climate zones are modelled to explore the regions with a distinct group of plants and animals that are adapted to that particular environment.

Climate Change Data

Ice cover (up to 20,000 years ago) and sea level elevation maps demonstrate how water from these melting ice sheets had a significant impact on sea levels.

Digital Workbook

For each lesson in The Layered Earth, the Workbook contains a summary of the lesson and a worksheet to fill out the answers to the review questions.

Layered Earth Physical Geography higher education software showing historic earthquake activity

Layered Earth - Physical Geography Simulation Software and Curriculum

Research proven solutions for an AP, College & Higher Learning Earth Science education.

System Requirements

Web | Chromebook

Chromebook Compliant
Supported on all A-Grade browsers (up-to-date version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge), Safari on iPad iOS 9 or later.
iOS requires iPad & iOS 9.0 or better.
Android requires tablet & Android 4.0 and up.
Browser must support WebGL. (Test it here: https://get.webgl.org/)