Glaciers and the Land

Lab Brief #8

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

Weather isn't random — it's just complicated.

What you'll learn

Glaciers are massive bodies of ice that form from compacted snow. They shape landscapes by carving valleys, depositing sediment, and creating features like moraines and cirques.

Key words

sediment
Bits of sand, mud, and rock that settle and pile up.

Make a hypothesis first

Before you observe: what shape will it leave?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

rocks
water
plastic tray

⚠️ Safety first

Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and keep the material away from your face.
Mop up spills straight away so nobody slips, and keep liquids away from sockets.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Model erosion: tilt a tray of soil and pour water from a cup at the top. Observe how channels form. Try adding plants or rocks to slow the erosion.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Watch carefully for any changes and note the time.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Create a data table to organize your measurements.

Question 1 of 3

What is a glacier?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 3

What type of rock forms from compressed sediment?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 3 of 3

How do fossils form?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🌊 The deepest part of the ocean is deeper than Mount Everest is tall.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 3 right.

Next: What Causes Landslides All lessons

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

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

✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: This is shaping the ground you walk on, slowly, every single day.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it 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?”

🌎Share card

Share this experiment

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

Glaciers and the Land

Next Smart Experiment

Share this experiment

Glaciers and the Land

Done with science? Try something else

Your Cart (0)