Kids Zone | Global Warming

What Happens: The covered container gets warmer! The plastic wrap acts like greenhouse gases in our atmosphere - it lets sunlight in but traps the heat inside. This is exactly what CO2 and other gases do to Earth!

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Build a Solar Oven

Cook s'mores using only the power of the sun with a pizza box!

Medium

What You'll Learn: How we can use the sun's energy instead of burning fossil fuels!

What You Need:

A pizza box (ask at a pizza shop - they often give away clean ones!)
Aluminum foil
Plastic wrap
Black construction paper
Tape and scissors
A stick or straw to prop open the lid
S'mores ingredients: graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows

Steps:

Cut a flap in the pizza box lid (leave one side attached as a hinge).
Cover the inside of the flap with aluminum foil (shiny side out) - this reflects sunlight.
Cover the hole in the lid with plastic wrap to create a window.
Line the bottom of the box with black paper (black absorbs heat).
Put your s'more on a plate inside the box.
Prop the foil flap open to reflect sunlight through the plastic window.
Point toward the sun and wait 30-60 minutes. Check your s'more!

What Happens: The sun's rays bounce off the foil, through the plastic, and heat up the black paper. Your oven can reach 200°F (93°C) on a sunny day - enough to melt chocolate! This is how solar energy works - free, clean power from the sun!

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Rising Sea Levels

See what happens when ice melts in water vs. on land using ice cubes!

Easy

What You'll Learn: Why melting glaciers on land cause sea levels to rise, but melting sea ice doesn't!

What You Need:

2 clear glasses or containers
Water
Ice cubes (4-6 per glass)
A small bowl or platform that fits in one glass
A marker or tape to mark water levels

Steps:

Fill both glasses with the same amount of water.
Glass 1 (Sea Ice): Drop ice cubes directly INTO the water.
Glass 2 (Land Ice): Put a small bowl upside down in the water, then place ice cubes ON TOP of it (above the water line).
Mark the water level on both glasses with tape or marker.
Wait for all the ice to melt (about 1-2 hours).
Check the water levels. Did they change?

What Happens: Glass 1 (sea ice) stays at the same level - floating ice already displaces water! But Glass 2 (land ice) rises because NEW water is being added. This is why melting glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica are causing sea levels to rise and threatening coastal cities!

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CO2 and Plants

Watch how plants breathe in CO2 with a simple bubble experiment!

Medium

What You'll Learn: How plants are nature's air cleaners - they absorb CO2 and release oxygen!

What You Need:

A clear glass or jar
Water
A fresh leaf or small aquatic plant (like elodea from a pet store)
Baking soda (1 teaspoon)
A bright lamp or sunny window
A magnifying glass (optional, but fun!)

Steps:

Fill the glass with water and stir in baking soda (this adds CO2 to the water).
Put your leaf or plant in the water.
Place the glass under a bright light or in sunshine.
Watch closely for 15-30 minutes.
Look for tiny bubbles forming on the leaf!

What Happens: You'll see tiny bubbles forming on the leaf - that's OXYGEN! The plant is doing photosynthesis: using sunlight to turn CO2 and water into food, and releasing oxygen as a bonus. This is why forests are so important - they're giant carbon-sucking machines that give us clean air to breathe!

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Animals Need Our Help!

Climate change affects animals all around the world

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Polar Bears

Arctic ice is melting, making it harder for polar bears to hunt and find food.

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Bees

Bees are struggling because flowers bloom at different times due to changing weather.

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Sea Turtles

Warmer beaches mean more female turtles are born, throwing off the balance.

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Penguins

Less ice means less krill (their food), so penguins have to swim farther to eat.

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Butterflies

Butterflies are moving to new places because their old homes are too warm now.

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Coral Reefs

Warm water makes coral "bleach" and turn white, hurting fish homes.

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Did You Know?

Amazing facts about our planet!

A single tree can absorb about 48 pounds of CO2 per year - that's like removing a small car from the road!

If everyone in the US unplugged unused chargers, we could power 350,000 homes for a year!

The Arctic is warming 3 times faster than the rest of the planet!

Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours!

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Meet the Climate Heroes!

Our brave young heroes fighting to save the planet

Maya

Solar Energy Expert …

Leo

Waste Warrior - …

Zara

Water Protector - …

Finn

Wildlife Whisperer - …

Read their adventures →

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You Have the Power to Make a Difference!

Every small action adds up. When millions of kids like you take action, we can change the world!

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