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Sunlight Warms the Earth Activity for Kids

Ice Melting Race DIY

  • Duration: 45 minutes
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Cost: $0 to $5

Compare how fast ice cubes melt in the sun vs. in the shade.

Visit The Full Lesson Download Instructions as PDF

Material List

  • 2Plastic containers or ice cube trays
  • 2Small plastic toys
  • 1Cardboard box
  • 2Paper plates
  • 1Freezer

Instructions

  • 1Fill up two containers with equal amounts of water.
  • 2Place a small plastic toy in each container.
  • 3Ask an adult to help you freeze the container overnight.
  • 4Place the frozen blocks on paper plates.
  • 5Place one plate in the sun, and another inside the shade of a cardboard box.
  • 6Observe for a few hours.

How It Works

Sunlight warms the blocks of ice which results in the ice melting. Melting is when something turns from a solid to a liquid. The blocks of ice that were shaded from the sun melted more slowly than the block of ice that was in direct sunlight. This is because sunlight warms things up.

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Check out the Full Lesson on Sunlight Warms the Earth

In this lesson, we learn that:

  • The sun shines down on everything around us.
  • Sunlight warms the Earth's surface.
  • Shade from tents, umbrellas and plants can reduce the warming caused by the sun.

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