WINTER

#

Ice Globes

Children will explore water on a frozen surface.

#
What You'll Need
What To Do
Resources
Print Lesson

Lesson Objective

Children will explore how water reacts on a round, frozen surface.

ScienceArtMusic

What You'll Need

Note: Balloons are used in this activity, but they are removed before the exploration.

  • Latex-free balloons - 1 per child, plus a few extra
  • Water - enough to fill each balloon
  • Foil pans - 1 per child (to place the globes in as children are exploring)
  • Magnifying glasses - 1 per child
  • Pipettes - 1 per child
  • Cups - 2 per child
  • Food color - 1 bottle each of blue and yellow

What To Do

Note: This activity requires balloons to be filled and frozen at least two days before the exploration. Before taking the frozen balloon globes into the classroom, remove the balloons and discard them.

  1. Distribute the ice globes in the foil pans and the magnifying glasses to the children.
  2. Allow the children some time to examine the ice globes (see Guiding Student Inquiry).
  3. Ask children what they think might happen if water were dripped onto the globe.
  4. Tell the children that they will be exploring what water will do when dripped onto a frozen round surface.
  5. Distribute pipettes and one cup of colored water to each child.
  6. Tell the children to use the pipette to drip the water onto the frozen surface.
  7. Give them some time to explore, and then introduce the second color of water.
  8. Allow the children to continue exploring until the ice is melted.
  9. Discuss their findings (see Guiding Student Inquiry).

Guiding Student Inquiry

  • Describe what the ice globe looks like.
  • Explain what happened when you dripped the colored water onto the frozen surface.
  • Tell me what you think might happen to the ice globe if we keep it in the classroom.
  • Describe what might happen if you use a different color on the ice globe.
  • Explain what happened to the ice globe when we dripped the second color onto it.
  • Describe what happened to the ice globe at the end of our activity.

Explore, Extend & Integrate

  • Make a block of colored ice by freezing colored water in an empty orange juice carton, and let the children examine it with their magnifying glasses. Have them compare the ice block to the ice globes.
  • Try giving the children some salt to sprinkle on the frozen globe. Discuss the difference between melting the ice while using salt and melting the ice using plain water.
  • Try adding a few drops of two different colors to the water before freezing the balloon. Have the children examine the frozen globe and compare it with a frozen globe without any color added. The melting colors will stain the surface; be sure to put the colored globe in a pan.

Check for Children’s Understanding

  • Could children describe the patterns in the frozen globe?
  • Could children describe that the water made paths when it was dripped onto the frozen surface of the globe?
  • Could children describe that the water made new paths when the second color was dripped onto the globe?
  • Could children explain why the frozen globe melted?

Resources

Did You Know?

Ice will begin to melt as soon as it touches something that is above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The children used room-temperature water to drip onto the frozen globes so that they could examine the effect of the water on the ice. Colored water was used in the exploration so the children could see the path that the water took on the frozen globe.

Vocabulary: Child-Friendly Definitions

  • water - a clear liquid that has no taste or oder. Water takes the form of rain, rivers, streams, lakes and oceans.
  • ice - water in a frozen, solid state.
  • globe - a round ball.
  • pipette - a long, narrow plastic tube used for drawing liquid up and squirting liquid out of the tube.
  • surface - the flat outside of something.
  • frozen - when a liquid becomes a solid from cold temperatures.

Lesson Tips

  • Keep the globes in the freezer until the last possible moment.
  • Allow plenty of time for the children to examine the interesting patterns that the water makes when frozen inside the balloon.
  • The food coloring will stain clothing, surfaces, and carpeting. Have the children wear smocks, and protect all classroom surfaces with old shower curtains or plastic sheeting.

Books

  • Ice (Weather) by Helen Frost
  • Ice Is... Whee! (Rookie Readers) by Carol Greene
  • Five Little Penguins Slipping on the Ice by Steve Metzger
  • See Ice, Think Twice: A Story About Ice Safety by Danielle Alise Dunlap

Home School Resources

Home educators: use these printable lesson PDFs to teach this lesson to your home schoolers. They're available in English and Spanish.

Home/School Connections

Las Conexiones a la Casa

While we believe that the books and resources recommended may be of value to you, keep in mind that these are suggestions only and you must do your own due diligence to determine whether the materials are appropriate and suitable for your use. PNC has no sponsorship or endorsement agreement with the authors or publishers of the materials listed.

Content Provided By

Kentucky Science Center

Visit The Kentucky Science Center website

Common Core State Standards Initiative – These lessons are aligned with the Common Core State Standards ("CCSS"). The CCSS provide a consistent, clear understanding of the concepts and skills children are expected to learn and guide teachers to provide their students with opportunities to gain these important skills and foundational knowledge [1]. Visit the CCSS