Lesson 28 of 84 · Earth Systems
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🌋 Rock RealmDeserts: Land of Extremes
Earth Systems.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
Weather isn't random — it's just complicated.
Mind = Blown
🌊 The deepest part of the ocean is deeper than Mount Everest is tall.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you observe: what shape will it leave?
What You'll Learn
Deserts receive less than 25 centimeters of rain per year. Hot deserts have extreme daytime temperatures, while cold deserts like Antarctica are dry but freezing.
Key Words
- volcano
- landform
- soil
Materials Needed
- sand
- clay
- water
Safety First
- Tie back long hair before starting the experiment.
- Protect your work surface with newspaper or plastic.
Steps
Read the introduction and identify the main idea of this lesson.
Build a working model of a volcano using baking soda and vinegar. Observe the eruption and explain what causes real volcanic eruptions.
Note any unexpected results and think about why they happened.
Share your findings with the class or a partner and discuss what you learned.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is a watershed?
Where you see this in real life
Today's weather, tomorrow's beach, next century's coastline — all this.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Look at the sky for 5 minutes and try to predict tomorrow's weather.
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 this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
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