Earth science experiments can help children better understand the planet.
Earth science is the study of the earth and space and involves four main areas: geology, meteorology, oceanography and astronomy. There are a variety of experiments kids can perform to help better understand the earth, its weather and the space that surrounds it.
Geology
Geology is the study of the earth's composition and processes. Make a batch of marbled cupcakes and add sprinkles or other small candies to the cupcakes before baking. Once the cupcakes are baked and iced, simulate how scientists explore the inside of the earth by poking a clear straw into the cupcake and pulling it out to take a sample of the "soil." Kids can observe what they find in the cupcake and compare it to what scientists might find in the earth. Children can also learn about the topography of the earth by making their own landforms. Using a plastic container, have children ball up pieces of newspaper and place them randomly at the bottom of the container. Cover the newspaper with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with a mixture of food coloring and water and watch how the balls of newspaper (landforms) change the flow of the water.
Meteorology
Meteorology is the study of the atmosphere and weather. Teach children to determine how far away a storm is by conducting a simple experiment. During a thunderstorm, take out a stopwatch. When lightning flashes, start the stopwatch. Stop the stopwatch when you hear the thunder. Every five seconds between the lightning and thunder means the storm is a mile away. Have children use that information to determine the distance from a storm. Help children understand what causes rain by pouring two inches of hot water into a glass container and covering it with a small plate. After a few minutes, add ice cubes to the top of the plate. Water droplets should form in the jar.
Oceanography
Oceanography is the branch of Earth science that covers marine life and the ocean. Help children understand why the ocean does not freeze by preparing two cups of water. To one of the cups, add four spoonfuls of salt. Place both cups in the freezer overnight and notice that the cup with the salt did not freeze as much as the unsalted water. Teach kids about the density of salt water versus fresh water. Fill a jar halfway full with salt water. Mix fresh water with food coloring and fill the rest of the jar with it. Kids should notice that the saltwater stays on the bottom and the freshwater stays on the top.
Astronomy
Help children understand about the sun, moon and space through astronomy experiments. Demonstrate how the earth rotates by using a rotating globe and a lamp with the shade removed. Place the lamp approximately two feet from the globe on a table. Explain to children that places on the globe experience daytime when the lamp (the sun) shines on them and the other parts of the world experience nighttime. Children can also observe the moon and its cycle. For 28 days, have children go outside and draw a picture of the moon in a journal. At the end of the 28 days, go back through the drawings and label the cycles of the moon.
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