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Lesson 29 of 84 · Earth Systems

Experiment30 XP🌋 Rock Realm

Stalactites in Caves

🧪Lab Brief #29

Earth Systems.

🎯 Your mission

Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.

⚡ The twist

The slowest changes are the biggest ones.

🤯

Mind = Blown

🪨 Every grain of sand on every beach used to be a mountain.

🔮

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: which will erode faster?

What You'll Learn

Stalactites hang from cave ceilings. They form from water dripping and leaving minerals behind.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

  • spray bottle
  • cups
  • thermometer
  • rain gauge
  • cotton balls
  • food coloring

Safety First

  • Wear safety goggles when mixing liquids.
  • Wash hands after handling materials.
  • Be careful with scissors — ask an adult for help if needed.

Steps

Step 1Read

Look at the picture and read the labels.

Step 2Do

Pour water on a pile of sand and a pile of rocks. Watch how the water flows differently.

Step 3Observe

Draw a picture of what you observe.

Step 4Record

Share your results with a partner.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What is a volcano?

🌍

Where you see this in real life

This is shaping the ground you walk on, slowly, every single day.

🏆

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Find a rock outside and try to guess how old it is.

👨‍👩‍👧

For the dinner table

What's the slowest change you can think of?

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

🌱Share card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

🖨️

Checkout complete lesson on Earth Systems for 2nd Grade

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Stalactites in Caves — Earth Systems | 2nd Grade Science | LittleActivity