What Makes the Sea Rise?

Invite your child to do an experiment to learn about sea level rise. Ask your child questions about what they already know about glaciers. Research photos online together to learn what glaciers look like and where they are located. Then, ask your child to predict what will happen in this experiment as the ice melts over time.

Next, begin the experiment by helping your child press the clay into one end of the plastic container until it is about 1.5 inches high and fills about one-quarter of the container. Tell your child that the clay represents the land.

Have your child place ice cubes on top of the clay. Layer as many ice cubes as possible. Tell your child that the ice cubes represent glaciers.

Help your child carefully pour water into the empty side of the container. Make sure the water level does not go past the top of the clay. If you choose, add one drop of blue food coloring. Tell your child that the water represents the ocean.

Invite your child to draw a line at the water level with the marker.

Next, let your container sit and come back to it every 30 minutes to observe any change in the water level. Once the ice has completely melted, mark the new water line with the marker. Ask your child questions, such as, “What happened to the ice? What changed about the water and the land?”

When you and your child have finished making your observations, ask your child questions about their initial predictions about the ice and the result of the experiment. You may want to ask, "How was the result of the experiment different from what you thought would happen? How was it the same?"