Ah, World Water Day — that annual reminder that while most of us are worrying about whether we’ve had enough water today, billions of people are worrying about whether they’ll have enough tomorrow. And as if that wasn’t enough to make us put down our coffee and reach for a glass of H₂O, this year's theme focuses on a rather chilling issue (or rather, a rapidly un-chilling one): melting glaciers.
Glaciers, those majestic frozen giants, are melting faster than a student’s focus on a Friday afternoon. The consequences? Floods, droughts, landslides, sea-level rise, and an ever-angrier water cycle. This isn't just a problem for polar bears—it’s a crisis for billions of people who rely on glacial meltwater for drinking water, agriculture, and stable ecosystems. Here’s the ice-cold truth:
🧊 Glaciers are shrinking at record speed – as the planet heats up, ice melts, making the water cycle even more unpredictable and extreme.
🌊 The consequences are severe – changing meltwater flows mean floods, droughts, landslides, and rising sea levels, damaging ecosystems and livelihoods.
🛑 We need to act fast – cutting greenhouse gas emissions and managing water more sustainably is essential for future generations.
So, what can we do as science teachers? Apart from cryogenically freezing ourselves until the next Ice Age, we can inspire our students to think critically about water, climate change, and their own role in protecting our planet.
This blog is packed with engaging resources, practical activities, and conversation starters to make sure World Water Day doesn’t just wash over your students like yesterday’s rain. And yes — Geography teachers, we see you eyeing this topic. Pass these resources along (or better yet, plan a cross-curricular spectacular!).
So grab your lab coat, some goggles, and let’s dive in!
This year’s resources from the UN are here: https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day/resources It includes an ‘activation pack’ with some questions and answers to use with students. There is also a wonderful animation just under 2mins that takes students through some essential knowledge about glaciers, and will help them to understand why researching glaciers and their melting is really important. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBWzVNKXdO4
The STEM Learning resource library has some wonderful resources that you may want to look at. https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/collection/509396/world-water-day-22nd-march There are several pages of resources, but here are some that I really like.
Ice cube melt – there’s a nice video to accompany this hands on-activity which relies on students observation skills, and also touches on density of fresh versus saltwater. https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day/resources Could be used across primary and KS3.
The Royal Academy of Engineering resource This is Engineering Water has some lovely activities in – would be worth a look to see if you can include them in your teaching scheme or as part of a STEM club. https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/521745/engineering-water
There’s 3 short videos about sea levels and climate change at Liverpool which you may wish to share with your Geography department. https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/462117/sea-level-and-liverpool
Again this might be one to share with your Geography department – it includes a nice activity comparing freshwater and sea ice. https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/466358/sea-ice-space