Book 18 activities
Try it at home: 150 science activities from Book 18
Every question in A Million Whys Book 18, The Polar Expedition, ends with a "Think like a scientist" idea. Here they are in one place. Each one links to its question page, with the video and the full answer.
Expedition 1: Two Poles, Two Worlds (25)
1. How Are the Arctic and Antarctica Different?
Draw two circles, one for the Arctic and one for Antarctica. In one, put water in the middle with land around it. In the other, put land in the middle with water around it.
2. Why Is Antarctica Colder than the Arctic?
Set a bowl of sand and a bowl of water side by side in a sunny window for an hour. Feel which warms up faster. Land and water hold heat differently.
3. Is There Land Under the North Pole?
Float a piece of paper on a bowl of water and put a dot in the middle. Blow lightly on it. The dot moves, just like the ice at the North Pole.
4. How Thick Is the Ice in Antarctica?
With a grown-up, mark a 6-foot line up a wall. Antarctica’s ice is about 1,000 times taller than that on average, and more than 2,500 times taller at its thickest. Draw how tall that would look next to your house.
Do this with a grown-up5. Was Antarctica Ever Warm and Green?
Look at a world map and find Antarctica. Which continents are closest to it? Imagine them as neighbors that drifted apart long ago.
6. What Are the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle?
Find the Arctic Circle on a globe. Which countries does it cross? Draw a ring on a ball with a marker to model it.
7. What Is the Arctic Ocean Like?
Find the Arctic Ocean on a map. Count how many countries touch it. Color the ocean light blue and the ice white.
8. What Is the Southern Ocean?
Find Antarctica on a globe. Trace the ring of ocean around it with your finger. Which three oceans does it touch?
9. Why Is the Ground Frozen All Year in Parts of the Arctic?
Freeze a cup of damp soil. Then leave it out and watch the top thaw while the middle stays frozen. This models how permafrost works.
10. Why Are There No Tall Trees on the Arctic Tundra?
Compare how a tall paper tree and a short one fall in a gentle fan breeze, with a grown-up. Which one stays standing? Low plants avoid wind damage.
Do this with a grown-up11. What Is the Difference Between Sea Ice and an Ice Sheet?
Make two kinds of ice: freeze a thin tray of water and a deep container. Which is thinner like sea ice and which is thicker like an ice sheet?
12. How Does Ocean Water Turn Into a Sheet of Ice?
Put a cup of tap water and a cup of very salty water in the freezer, with a grown-up. Check after an hour. Which freezes first?
Do this with a grown-up13. Why Is Old Sea Ice Less Salty than the Ocean It Came From?
Freeze a dish of salty water, then let it start to thaw on a tilted tray. Watch the extra-salty liquid drain away from the ice. Do not taste it.
14. Why Do Pancakes of Ice Form on the Ocean?
Float a handful of foam plates or coasters in a tub of water and move the water around. Notice how they bump and spin like pancake ice.
15. What Is an Ice Shelf?
Spread a layer of thick frosting or honey on a tilted plate and watch it slowly creep. Real ice shelves are made of much stiffer ice that also flows.
16. Where Do Icebergs Come From?
Freeze a big chunk of ice in a bowl, then place it in a tub of warm water. Watch how pieces break off and float away.
17. Why Are Some Icebergs Flat Like Tables?
Cut a flat piece from a block of foam and float it in water. Then float a jagged piece. How does each ride in the water?
Do this with a grown-up18. Why Do Some Icebergs Look Blue?
Look at a thin glass of water and a deep tub filled with water. Which looks bluer? Deeper water and thicker ice show more blue.
19. How Much of an Iceberg Is Hidden Underwater?
Float an ice cube in a glass of water and look at it from the side. How much sticks up above the surface?
20. Why Does Ice Ooze Downhill Like Thick Honey?
Pour honey onto a tilted plate and time how long it takes to crawl across. Ice flows the same way, but much more slowly.
21. What Is the Greenland Ice Sheet?
Find Greenland on a globe and look at how large it is. Cover most of it with white paper to see how much is ice.
22. Why Do Giant Cracks Open in Polar Ice?
Bend a bar of soft clay or modeling dough over your finger until it cracks on the outer edge. This is how ice cracks when it bends.
23. Where Is the Coldest Place on Earth?
Compare −128 with the temperature of your freezer, which is around 0 degrees Fahrenheit. How many degrees colder is the coldest place on Earth?
24. Why Is Antarctica So Windy?
Tilt a tray and pour some cold water slowly down it. Notice how it picks up speed. Cold, heavy air flows like water down a slope.
25. Why Are Some Valleys in Antarctica Free of Ice and Snow?
Put a small bowl of snow or crushed ice in a windy spot and another in a still spot. Which one disappears faster? Wind helps dry things out.
Expedition 2: The Sun That Will Not Set (25)
26. What Is the Midnight Sun?
Find Inuvik, Canada, and Tromsø, Norway, on a map with a grown-up. Are they north of the Arctic Circle line? Mark them with stickers.
Do this with a grown-up27. What Is the Polar Night?
Turn off the lights in a room at night and use only a small lamp. How well can you see? Polar people use clever lighting in the dark months.
Do this with a grown-up28. Why Does the Sun Stay Up for Months Near the Poles?
Tilt a ball toward a lamp and spin it slowly. Notice how the top stays lit as it spins. Now tilt it away and see what happens.
Do this with a grown-up29. How Long Is One Day at the North Pole?
Draw a circle for a year. Shade half yellow for polar day and half blue for polar night. Add a dot for the pole.
30. Why Does the Sun Circle Around the Sky at the Poles Instead of Rising and Setting?
Draw a stick figure in the middle of a page. Around it, draw four little Suns, one in front, one behind, and one on each side, all at the same height. At the pole, the Sun stays up and circles around you like this.
31. Why Is the Sun So Low and Weak Near the Poles?
Shine a flashlight straight down on a table and then at a low angle. Which spot is brighter and smaller? The low angle spreads the light out.
32. What Does the Sky Look Like in the Blue Glow of Polar Twilight?
Make a twilight painting with blue, purple, and pink on dark paper. Add the silhouette of a snowy mountain or house.
33. How Do People Sleep When the Sun Never Sets?
Make a bedtime routine card with three steps, such as dim the lights, read, and wind down. Why does a routine help your body know it’s time to sleep?
34. How Do People Living in the Arctic Stay Cheerful During Months of Darkness?
Make a list of five fun activities for a dark winter evening. Pick one to try with your family this week.
35. Why Do Plants Grow So Fast in the Arctic Summer?
Place a bean sprout on a sunny windowsill and measure it every day. Imagine giving it 24 hours of sunshine. How might it grow?
36. Why Do Some Arctic Flowers Turn to Follow the Sun?
With a grown-up, make a cup from foil and hold it toward a lamp, well away from the bulb, which can be hot. Place a thermometer near the center. Is it warmer than outside the cup?
Do this with a grown-up37. Why Don’t Reindeer Follow a Day-And-Night Clock in the Arctic?
Keep a “short nap and snack” schedule for an afternoon, with a grown-up’s okay. How does it feel compared to your normal routine?
Do this with a grown-up38. What Do Animals Do During the Long Polar Night?
Make a chart with three columns: leave, sleep, stay. Place animals you know in the right column.
39. Why Are Arctic Summers So Full of Mosquitoes?
With a grown-up, place a bowl of water outside and check it each day. Does anything lay eggs there? Empty it every two days so that larvae never grow into mosquitoes.
Do this with a grown-up40. How Many Seasons Are There at the Poles?
Draw a year-wheel with two big sections for polar summer and polar winter and two thin slices for spring and fall.
41. What Is Diamond Dust?
Sprinkle fine salt or sugar on dark paper and shine a flashlight across it from the side. Watch the glitter sparkle like ice crystals.
42. Why Are Shadows So Long Near the Poles?
Place a toy figure on a table. Shine a flashlight from a low angle. Then raise the light. How does the shadow length change?
43. What Time Is It at the North Pole?
Cut a paper circle and fold it into wedges like pizza slices. Label them with the 24 hours. Where do the wedges meet in the center?
Do this with a grown-up44. Why Can Stars Shine All Day During the Polar Night?
Now, be a stargazer! On a clear night, lie on a blanket with a grown-up. Watch the stars for ten minutes. Do they seem to move? Imagine the sky turning around you.
Do this with a grown-up45. Why Does the Moon Stay Up for Two Weeks at the Poles?
Use a flashlight and a ball in a dim room. Move the ball slowly around your head while you stand still. When is it above your horizon? Compare with the Moon’s trip.
46. What Happens on the Day the Sun First Returns After the Polar Night?
Track how many minutes of daylight your town gets each day this week using a weather site. Is it growing or shrinking?
47. Why Do Polar Explorers Wear Dark Goggles?
In a bright room, hold a white sheet of paper under your chin. Notice how light bounces up onto your face. Snow does this on a huge scale, which is why the glare can hurt. Wear sunglasses outdoors on snowy days, and never look at the Sun.
Do this with a grown-up48. Why Does the South Pole Get Less Sunshine Over a Year than a Sunny Beach?
Shine a flashlight straight down on a table. Then shine it from a low angle. Which spot is brighter? That is the difference between the equator and the pole.
49. Why Does the Sun Look Squashed When It Sits Near the Horizon?
Look at a coin at the bottom of a clear glass of water from the side. Does it seem to shift? Air and water both bend light.
50. How Do Scientists at the South Pole Celebrate the Middle of Winter?
Plan a mini midwinter feast for your family with a menu and decorations. Draw the invitations for your guests.
Expedition 3: Built for the Freeze (25)
51. How Do Polar Animals Stay Warm Without a Heater?
Put your hand in a thin glove and then in a puffy mitten on a cold day. Which keeps you warmer? Trapped air is the secret.
52. How Do Seals Keep Their Flippers Warm in Icy Water?
Wrap a warm pack and a cold pack together in a towel and feel how heat moves. Heat always travels from warm toward cool.
53. How Can Birds Stand on Ice Without Freezing Their Feet?
Stand on a piece of cardboard on a cold floor. Do your toes feel cozy? Stepping on something with air inside helps.
54. Why Do Many Arctic Animals Have Small Ears and Short Tails?
Draw an Arctic fox and a desert fox side by side. Compare the ears and tails. Which animal would lose heat faster?
55. Why Are Polar Animals Often Big and Round?
Make two balls of play dough, one big and one small. Which has more surface compared with its size?
56. Why Do Snowy Owls Have Feathers on Their Feet?
Slip on thick wool socks and walk on a cool floor. Compare how it feels to bare feet, and imagine owl socks made of feathers.
57. How Do Reindeer Find Food Under the Snow?
Hide small cereal pieces under a layer of flour in a tray. Use your fingers to find them like a reindeer sniffing for lichens.
58. Why Do Reindeer Eyes Turn From Gold to Blue?
Look at a friend’s eyes in bright light and in dim light. What changes? The dark center gets bigger in dim light.
59. What Makes Musk Ox Wool So Warm?
Layer a sweater, then a windbreaker over it. Feel how the outer layer blocks wind. That’s the same idea as a musk ox’s two coats.
60. How Do Lemmings Live Under the Snow?
Wrap one ice cube in a woolly sock and leave another unwrapped on a plate. After 20 minutes, which has melted more? Wool, like snow, traps air and slows heat flow. On a snowy day, a grown-up can push a thermometer a few inches under the snow and keep another on top.
Do this with a grown-up61. How Can Some Fish Live in Water That Is Colder than Freezing?
Stir lots of sugar into a cup of water and put it in the freezer next to a cup of plain water, with a grown-up. Check both after an hour. Which one freezes later? The sugar acts a little like an antifreeze in the water.
Do this with a grown-up62. Why Are Icefish Blood Clear Instead of Red?
Fill one clear jar with plain water and another with water plus a spoonful of red lentils. The liquid is clear in both, but the second looks red. Blood is red because of the cells, not the liquid.
63. How Can an Arctic Ground Squirrel Survive Below Freezing?
With a grown-up, fill a clean plastic bottle (never glass) with cold water and chill it in the freezer for an hour or two until it feels icy but is still liquid. Tap it to see slush form. If it freezes solid, just compare it with a bottle that is still liquid.
Do this with a grown-up64. Why Don’t Polar Bear Paws Slip on Ice?
Rub your hand on a smooth tile and then on a rough doormat. Which gives a better grip? The bumps work like a doormat.
65. Why Does the Arctic Tern Fly From Pole to Pole?
Use a string on a globe to trace a tern’s path from Greenland to Antarctica. Measure how long the string is.
66. How Deep Can Emperor Penguins Dive?
With a grown-up, mark off 100 feet outside. An emperor penguin’s deep dive goes about 18 times that far straight down. Imagine that depth.
Do this with a grown-up67. How Do Seals Breathe Through Holes in the Ice?
Hold your breath for a few easy seconds and time it, never straining. A Weddell seal can stay under for much longer. That is why a breathing hole matters.
68. How Do Arctic Hares Hop Across Deep Snow?
Press a flat hand and then a fingertip into a pillow. Which one sinks deeper? Large feet spread weight.
69. Why Is the Arctic Willow Shorter than Your Shoe?
Hold your shoe next to a ruler to see how tall it is. Then, with a grown-up, go outside and find the shortest plant you can. Is it growing low to the ground, like an Arctic willow?
Do this with a grown-up70. What Are Lichens, and Why Do They Grow on Bare Polar Rock?
Look for lichens on rocks, tree trunks, or walls in your neighborhood. Take photos of three kinds. Do not pick them, because they grow slowly.
71. What Are Snow Fleas?
On a snowy day, look closely at the snow beside tree trunks with a grown-up. Do you see tiny hopping specks? Take a photo to share.
Do this with a grown-up72. Do Worms Really Live in Glaciers?
Draw an ice worm on a glacier in the evening, with long shadows. Add a label that explains why it stays cold.
73. Why Do Sled Dogs Curl Up in the Snow to Sleep?
Curl up under a blanket with your face uncovered. Notice how your body warms the space under it. This is the sled dog’s trick, with snow as the blanket.
74. What Are Walrus Tusks For?
Pretend your arms are tusks and try to pull yourself across the carpet on your tummy. Why would a walrus need help from tusks?
75. How Do Polar Animals Know When Winter Is Coming?
Mark sunrise and sunset times on a calendar for a week. Is the day getting longer or shorter? What would a polar animal do?
Expedition 4: Polar Seas & Food Webs (25)
76. Why Are Polar Seas So Full of Life?
Put one drop of green food coloring in a glass of water and look at it with a flashlight. A plankton bloom can color the sea like this.
77. What Is Krill, and Why Does It Matter So Much?
Cut a paperclip-sized strip of paper to show a krill’s length. Draw its see-through body and big eyes.
Do this with a grown-up78. What Lives on the Underside of Sea Ice?
Shine a flashlight through a thin sheet of ice cube in a clear dish and look at how light passes through. Light from above helps ice algae below.
79. Why Is Sea Ice a Nursery for Baby Animals?
Build a snow cave out of a pile of pillows and blankets. Why is a snug den a good place for a baby?
80. Who Eats Whom in the Antarctic Ocean?
Draw the food web on paper, with arrows pointing from food to eater. Use krill, penguin, seal, whale, and fish. Can you find the center of the web? Share what you discover with a grown-up.
Do this with a grown-up81. What Does the Arctic Food Web Look Like?
Make a food-web mobile by hanging pictures of Arctic animals with string. Move one to see how others shift.
82. What Are Copepods?
Put a grain of rice on a plate to see copepod size. Then sprinkle many grains to imagine a swarm.
83. Why Do Whales Visit Polar Seas to Eat?
Think about how much food you eat in a day, maybe 3 to 4 pounds. A humpback’s ton is 2,000 pounds. How many times more is that? Write your answer and draw the two amounts side by side.
84. How Can a Bowhead Whale Live for 200 Years?
Count back 200 years on a timeline. What was life like then? Imagine how much a bowhead has witnessed.
85. Why Does the Southern Ocean Circle All the Way Around Antarctica?
Stir a bowl of water in a circle with a spoon. Drop in a pinch of pepper and watch it swirl around the bowl like the current around the continent.
86. Why Does Sinking Cold, Salty Water Matter for the Ocean?
Stir plenty of salt and a drop of blue food coloring into a small glass of water. With a grown-up, slowly pour it down the side of a bigger glass of plain water. Watch where the blue water goes.
Do this with a grown-up87. Why Are Some Antarctic Sea Creatures So Big?
Cut a paper plate and draw eight long legs sticking out. This is the size of a giant sea spider. Give it a name.
Do this with a grown-up88. What Is a Brinicle?
Stir lots of salt into a cup of water and add a drop of blue food coloring. Slowly pour it down the inside of a clear glass of plain water. Watch the blue, salty water sink in a sheet. Brine sinks the same way inside a brinicle.
89. What Is a Polynya?
With a grown-up and blunt scissors, cut a hole in the middle of a paper plate and set it on blue paper. This is a polynya. Draw animals visiting it.
Do this with a grown-up90. How Do Millions of Seabirds Fit on One Arctic Cliff?
Gently roll a small paper cup on its side and a ball on a table. Which one curves around in a circle? The cup’s shape is like a murre’s egg.
91. Why Do Arctic Bird Cliffs Have Bright Green Grass and Orange Rocks?
Draw a cliff with the sea at the bottom. Use arrows to show fish going to birds, and then nutrients going to plants.
92. How Old Can a Greenland Shark Get?
Make a paper timeline strip with 400 years ago at one end and today at the other. Mark a few events you know from history. A Greenland shark could have been alive for all of them! Share what you discover with a grown-up.
Do this with a grown-up93. Do Corals Live in Cold Polar Waters?
Draw a coral tree in a dark blue sea with tiny tentacles catching floating food. Label how it eats without sunlight.
94. What Are Seal Whiskers For?
Close your eyes and have a friend gently touch your hand with a feather in different spots. Can you feel it? Seals do this with their whiskers.
95. Why Do Some Seals Sing Under the Ice?
With a grown-up, listen to recordings of Weddell seal calls on a science museum website. What do they remind you of?
Do this with a grown-up96. Why Is the Edge of the Sea Ice a Feeding Hotspot?
Float a piece of paper in the sink and drop a few bread crumbs near its edge. Where do they gather? Food gathers at boundaries.
97. How Can Satellites Find Penguins From Space?
Sprinkle cocoa powder on white paper and view it from across the room. Can you spot a brown patch from far away? Satellites do something similar.
98. Why Do Polar Animals Grow So Slowly?
Put a plant seed in a warm spot and another in a cool spot with grown-up help. Which sprouts faster? Warmth speeds up growth.
Do this with a grown-up99. Why Are Polar Seas Busy in Summer and Quiet in Winter?
Draw a year-long wheel of plankton growth: small in winter, big in summer. Add animals that visit in each season.
100. How Do Scientists Explore Under Polar Sea Ice?
Cover a toy car with a paper tunnel to make an “under-ice robot.” Steer it with string while you stay dry. Never go onto ice alone.
Expedition 5: Polar Travel & Research Stations (25)
101. How Do Icebreaker Ships Break Through Thick Ice?
Push a toy boat onto a thin layer of whipped cream or frosting in a tray. See how it breaks the top layer as it moves forward.
102. How Do Ships Find a Path Through Sea Ice?
Scatter paper scraps on a blue sheet of paper and trace a path through the “ice” for a toy ship without touching the scraps.
103. How Do Planes Land on Snow and Ice?
Slide a flat spatula and a fork across a bowl of flour. Which glides better on top? Wide skis spread out weight.
104. What Vehicles Drive Across Polar Snow and Ice?
Roll a toy car on a thick towel, then try a toy tank or a car with wide tires. Which crosses the soft “snow” more easily?
105. Why Don’t Skis Sink Into the Snow?
Take a piece of soft modeling clay. Press one fingertip into it, then your whole flat hand, with the same push. Which sinks deeper? A small area means higher pressure. Share what you discover with a grown-up.
Do this with a grown-up106. Why Do Polar Travelers Wear Layers of Clothes?
Dress in layers on a chilly day and take off one when you get warm. Notice how you adjust to feel just right.
107. Do People Really Live in Igloos?
Stack sugar cubes or blocks into a small dome shape. Which shape holds up best? Domes spread out weight evenly.
108. What Is It Like to Live in a Polar Base?
Draw a floor plan of a research station with a lab, kitchen, bunk room, and game room. Where would you place the exit?
109. Where Do Polar Stations Get Their Electricity?
Make a list of three ways your home could use less electricity. How would you save power if it had to be shipped across an ocean?
110. Where Does Drinking Water Come From When Everything Is Frozen?
Put a bowl of clean snow or ice cubes in a warm room and time how long it takes to melt. How much water do you get from a full bowl?
111. What Do Polar Scientists Eat All Winter?
Plan three days of meals from food that never needs a fridge. Include a treat.
112. What Happens to Trash in Antarctica?
Sort your household trash into paper, plastic, metal, and food waste for one day, with gloves or a grown-up’s help. How could you make less?
Do this with a grown-up113. Why Was Halley Vi Research Station Built on Giant Skis?
Build a model on skis with a cardboard box and two craft sticks. Push it across carpet and flour. What happens?
114. Why Are Some Polar Buildings Built Up on Stilts?
Build a small house from blocks and a second one on stilts made from cups. Which could better let wind pass underneath?
115. How Do Polar Scientists Call Home?
Write a postcard to a polar scientist with a question about their day. Imagine how long it might take to deliver.
116. How Do Polar Travelers Stay Safe?
Make a “buddy check” card: Do we have hats, mittens, water, and a plan? Practice with a grown-up before a snowy outing.
Do this with a grown-up117. Why Do Batteries and Metal Act Strangely in Extreme Cold?
Compare how a flashlight battery works after being at room temperature and after sitting in a cold fridge for an hour. Does the light dim? Let it warm up afterward.
Do this with a grown-up118. Why Do Eyelashes and Beards Get Frosty in the Cold?
On a cold day, breathe out onto a dark mitten and look with a magnifying glass. Do you see tiny ice crystals?
119. Why Do Scientists Put Giant Telescopes at the South Pole?
Draw a telescope pointing up from the snow with stars above. Add a long line of sensors going deep down into the ice.
120. How Do Weather Balloons Help Polar Scientists?
With a grown-up, tie a light balloon to a string and watch it float up. Hold on tight and never let go outdoors. Recycle it when done. Imagine it climbing for miles! Share what you discover with a grown-up.
Do this with a grown-up121. What Is a Research Ship That Spends a Year Frozen in the Ice?
Imagine you are on a ship frozen in ice. Write a short diary entry about one day on the ice.
122. What Are Ice Roads?
Look at a map of northern Canada with a grown-up. Where might an ice road be useful? Never walk on lake ice without an adult who knows it is safe.
Do this with a grown-up123. Why Do Compasses Go Haywire Near the Poles?
Hold a compass near a fridge magnet and watch the needle swing. Magnets can pull a compass off course, just as Earth’s magnetism does.
124. Can You Grow Vegetables in the Polar Winter?
Grow cress or lettuce on a damp paper towel in a sunny window. See how fast it sprouts.
125. How Do Supplies Reach the Bottom of the World?
Make a supply list for a base for one week. How would you pack it so it fits in a small cargo box?
Expedition 6: Ice Detectives & Changing Ice (25)
126. Why Does Old Glacier Ice Fizz and Pop When It Melts?
Put a clear ice cube and a cloudy one in separate glasses of water, with a grown-up. Listen closely. Which has more bubbles and makes more fizz? Cloudy ice traps air as it freezes quickly.
Do this with a grown-up127. How Do Satellites Measure Ice From Space?
Toss a bouncy ball at a wall from close up and from farther back. The farther trip takes longer out and back. Satellites time laser light in a similar way.
128. How Do Scientists Use GPS to Watch Ice Move?
Put a coin on a sheet of paper, mark its spot, and slowly pull the paper. Measure how far the coin traveled with a ruler. A GPS station tracks a glacier’s travel in a similar way.
129. How Can Radar See Through Ice?
Clap in a big empty room and listen for an echo. Time it with a stopwatch. Radar echoes work like sound echoes.
130. Are There Lakes Hidden Under Antarctic Ice?
Make a layered model in a clear cup: a sand “bed,” blue water, and an ice cube on top. Watch the layers.
131. Is There a Volcano in Antarctica?
With a grown-up, put a spoonful of baking soda in a dish, add a drop of red food coloring, and splash in vinegar to make a fizzing “lava lake.” Set ice cubes around the dish for “fire and ice.”
Do this with a grown-up132. Why Are Melt Ponds on Ice So Bright Blue?
Put a white plate in a clear bowl of water and look at it from above. Add blue food coloring to see how the color changes.
133. What Is a Moulin?
Pour water through a funnel into a bowl. Watch how it swirls down. A moulin acts like a drain in the ice. Never go near the edges of a glacier.
134. Why Does Melting Land Ice Raise Sea Level but Melting Sea Ice Does Not?
Fill a glass nearly to the brim with water and add floating ice cubes. Mark the level and let them melt. Does the level change much?
135. Why Does White Ice Help Cool the Planet?
Lay a white shirt and a black shirt in the sunshine for ten minutes. With a grown-up, feel both with the back of your hand. Which is warmer?
Do this with a grown-up136. Why Are the Poles Warming Faster than the Rest of the World?
Draw a loop with arrows. Write: ice melts, dark surface appears, more heat is absorbed, more ice melts. Label each step. Share what you discover with a grown-up.
Do this with a grown-up137. What Happens to Seals and Seabirds When Sea Ice Shrinks?
Float a large and a small piece of cardboard in a tub of water. How many toy animals can rest on each before they tip? A smaller floe has less room for resting seals.
138. What Is the Difference Between Old and New Arctic Ice?
Freeze a thin layer of water and a thick layer in different containers. Break each and compare how they crack.
139. Can a Flower Bloom Again After 30,000 Years Frozen?
Draw a time capsule with a plant waiting under frozen ground. Write what the world might have looked like 30,000 years ago.
140. How Do Time-Lapse Cameras Watch Glaciers?
Take one photo of the same tree or window every day for two weeks. Flip through them quickly like a flip-book.
141. How Do Seals Help Scientists Study the Ocean?
Draw a seal wearing a tiny backpack of sensors. Label what it measures: temperature, saltiness, depth.
142. How Do Robots and Flying Machines Help Scientists on the Ice?
Design a polar robot on paper. What would it measure, and what would keep it warm? Label its parts.
143. How Can Kids Help Scientists Count Penguins?
Ask a grown-up to help you find a citizen science project online, such as Penguin Watch, and try classifying a few photos.
Do this with a grown-up144. What Jobs Do People Do in Polar Science?
Pick a polar job and write a three-sentence “day in the life.” What would you pack?
145. Why Must Visitors Wash Their Boots Before Entering Polar Places?
After a walk outdoors, check the bottoms of your shoes. What do you find stuck on them? Brush them clean outside.
Do this with a grown-up146. What Can Kids Do to Take Care of Icy Places?
Choose one kid-sized habit to try this week. Write it on a sticky note and put it on your door.
147. Do Other Planets Have Polar Ice Caps?
Cut a circle of white paper and place it on top of a red ball or red paper. This is Mars with its polar cap.
Do this with a grown-up148. What Is a Whiteout?
Look at a white wall in even light. Notice how hard it is to see its edges. Now imagine that everywhere.
149. Can You Make Sea Ice at Home?
With a grown-up, make two trays, one with salt water and one with plain water. Check them each hour. Which freezes first? Share what you discover with a grown-up.
Do this with a grown-up150. What Polar Mysteries Are Still Waiting to Be Solved?
Write down three polar questions you still have. Choose one and plan how a scientist might find the answer.