Earth Day: Polar Caps

As you observe Earth Day 2010 today, it's the perfect time to talk with students of all ages about conservation, recycling, and the importance of being good caretakers for the Earth. The following newly released Science Buddies science project can help students understand the issues surrounding global warming and the ice caps. These caps may seem far away, but melting due to climate change may have significant impact on the size of oceans. The trickle-down problem is the increased risk of flooding for those living at sea-level in coastal regions.

In this project, students make simple models of the ice caps from clay. Add ice, and you've got a hands-on—and easy to monitor, measure, and observe—global experiment underway.

• Polar Puzzle: Will Ice Melting at the North or South Poles Cause Sea Levels to Rise?