Lesson 28 of 84 · Natural Resources
Experiment⭐ 30 XPDeserts: Land of Extremes
Natural Resources.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.
Mind = Blown
🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.
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
- climate
- precipitation
- water cycle
Materials Needed
- spray bottle
- cups
- thermometer
- rain gauge
- cotton balls
Safety First
- Use materials only as directed in the experiment.
- Keep small objects away from young children.
- Work in a well-ventilated area when using vinegar or other strong-smelling substances.
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
This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.
For the dinner table
“What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”
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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