About Climate Detectives Kids
Climate Detectives kids challenges students to make a difference by engaging with Earth’s environment to help protect it.
In this project students will complete activities focusing on Earth’s environment, collect evidence of their discoveries and earn badges for each activity!
The more we know about our planet the more we can do to protect it!
1 hour per activity
suggested for up to 12 years old
up to the whole class
Non Competitive
How to take part
Choose one of the proposed activities or create your own, and submit a description and a picture of your project.
Teams that submit one activity will receive a bronze badge. If teams complete two activities, they will receive a silver badge. Teams that complete three activities will receive a gold badge plus a virtual certificate as a recognition of their detective work to understand and protect our home planet.
Visit the virtual gallery of your team and share your project with your family and friends!
Timeline
The project is open from 9 September 2024 to 4 April 2025. Teams can submit the activities all at once or in different moments.
Why participate
By participating in the Climate Detectives kids project, young students will learn about Earth’s science and environment through selected learning resources and hands-on activities as well as understand the importance of respecting our environment.
Who can participate
- Age range: The Climate Detectives kids activities are suggested for ages 8 to 12 years old but can easily be adapted for other age groups and skill levels.
- Teams: No minimum or maximum number of team members required to participate, but students are encouraged to work with at least 1 other person.
- Each team must be supported by a Team Leader (teacher, mentor, educator, or parent). Family teams are welcome.
- At least 50% of the team members must have the nationality of an ESA Member State. Further to the 22 Member States, also Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia, based on their agreements with ESA, qualify to fully participate in the programmes of the ESA Education Office. In the framework of the current collaboration agreement between ESA and the Republic of Malta, teams from Malta can also participate in the Climate Detectives project.
Suggested activities
Explore the Climate Detectives activities and learn more about Earth’s environment and how to monitor our planet from space. You can also explore extra tools and resources in your country page.
From the Ground and from the Sky- Analysing and understanding images of planet Earth taken from space
Brief description In this set of three activities, pupils are introduced to the idea of remote observation of the Earth from space. They are asked to match photographs of different landscapes (mountains, lakes, rivers, cities,...
The Water Cycle
Brief description In this set of six activities, students will learn about the water cycle and, in particular, how water in the soil contributes to the cycle and responds to changes in it. A set...
The Magic of Light – Using spectroscopes and colour wheels to study the properties of light
Brief description In this set of eight activities, pupils work individually or in groups to build a spectroscope that can be used to look at light sources possibly including the Sun, LEDs, and a screen....
Country under Threat – The prospects for life on small islands
Brief description In this set of four activities pupils will learn about the causes and potential impacts of sea-level rise while developing core scientific skills. The activities introduce the context by using a case study...
Is ozone good or bad? -The discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole
Brief description In this set of three activities, students will learn about ozone and the impacts – good and bad – it has on life on Earth. The first activity gives an overview of these...
The ice is melting – How can we investigate the effects of melting ice?
Brief description In this set of four activities, pupils will explore the impacts of global warming and melting ice on the Earth. They will learn the difference between land ice and sea ice, and will...
Nose up high in the sky – Observing and measuring weather conditions
Brief description In this set of three activities, students will learn how their senses and instruments can be used to describe and measure weather conditions. As an introductory activity, students will analyse local proverbs related...
Weather vs Climate – Understanding the difference between weather and climate
Brief description In this set of three activities, students will learn the difference between weather and climate. They will identify different climatic zones and collect their own weather data. They will analyse and compare daily...
Astro farmer
Brief description:In this set of six activities, students will investigate which factors affect plant growth, and relate these factors to growing plants in space. Students will learn that plants need air, light, water, nutrients and...
Earth under the lid – Understanding the greenhouse effect
Brief description In this set of two activities, pupils will learn about our atmosphere and the greenhouse gases that it consists what allow the Earth to be a habitable planet. Without them, life as we...
One year on Earth – Understanding seasons
Brief description This resource includes two activities to foster and enhance pupils’ knowledge of seasons, and focuses on the basic mechanism behind different seasons on Earth. The resource is divided into different parts, therefore enabling...
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