Though you can’t tell just by looking at them, layers of sediments tell us much about Earth’s history—when the ocean flooded continents, when mountains were formed, when climate was warmer or cooler, and so much more. Stratigraphy, the study of sediment layers and the relationships between rocks and fossils with time, has done much to help us understand Earth. While heading out to real-life dig sites with your students is not so realistic, there is a safe, fun, effective way to introduce geology concepts to elementary school children of all ages: “coring” layer cakes! All it takes is some simple baking to create a model of sediment layers and their fossil record. Exploring this topic in the classroom allows your students to learn about how geologists work while they explore Earth science.