Glaciers

Hands down, no other force of nature is as fundamental – as a potential water source, a record of the Earth’s climate, and a sculptor of the landscape. Glaciers, for kids, are made understandable with basic facts on how they form – from the first snowflake to the massive sheets of ice that cover huge areas of the globe. Kids will learn that glaciers are always on the move; some may shift just a few inches a year, while others can “flow” 100 feet in a day. Also covered is the great variety of glaciers found on Earth, including ice streams, nunataks, piedmonts, and cirques.

What’s the best way to conquer a glacier? For kids who love adventure, tales of Antarctic exploration are sure to be popular. Junior scientists will enjoy learning about the many things that ice cores drilled out of glaciers can teach us, including what the climate was like almost half a million years ago. Then they will discover how the Greenhouse Effect is causing our glaciers to melt at an astonishing speed, and get helpful tips on what they can do themselves to slow down global warming.