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published by
the WGBH Educational Foundation
This multimedia lesson for Grades 7-10 explores the physical forces that act in concert to create snowflakes. Students build an apparatus that creates conditions similar to a winter cloud and produce their own snow crystals indoors. By watching the snow crystals grow, they learn about how snowflake size and shape is determined by the forces that act on water molecules at the atomic and molecular levels. Digital models and snowflake photo galleries bring together a cohesive package to help kids visualize what's happening at the molecular scale.
Editor's Note: This lab activity calls for dry ice. See Related Materials for a link to the NOAA's "Dry Ice Safety" Guidelines, and for a link to snow crystal images produced by an electron microscope. Please note that this resource requires Flash.
AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)4. The Physical Setting
4B. The Earth
4D. The Structure of Matter
12. Habits of Mind
12C. Manipulation and Observation
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![]() <a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=12568">WGBH Educational Foundation. PBS Learning Media: Why Do Snowflakes Come in So Many Shapes and Sizes?. Boston: WGBH Educational Foundation, 2010.</a>
![]() (WGBH Educational Foundation, Boston, 2010), WWW Document, (https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.phys.matter.lpsnowflakes/why-do-snowflakes-come-in-so-many-shapes-and-sizes/).
![]() PBS Learning Media: Why Do Snowflakes Come in So Many Shapes and Sizes? (WGBH Educational Foundation, Boston, 2010), <https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.phys.matter.lpsnowflakes/why-do-snowflakes-come-in-so-many-shapes-and-sizes/>.
![]() PBS Learning Media: Why Do Snowflakes Come in So Many Shapes and Sizes?. (2010). Retrieved July 2, 2025, from WGBH Educational Foundation: https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.phys.matter.lpsnowflakes/why-do-snowflakes-come-in-so-many-shapes-and-sizes/
![]() WGBH Educational Foundation. PBS Learning Media: Why Do Snowflakes Come in So Many Shapes and Sizes?. Boston: WGBH Educational Foundation, 2010. https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.phys.matter.lpsnowflakes/why-do-snowflakes-come-in-so-many-shapes-and-sizes/ (accessed 2 July 2025).
![]() PBS Learning Media: Why Do Snowflakes Come in So Many Shapes and Sizes?. Boston: WGBH Educational Foundation, 2010. 2 July 2025 <https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.phys.matter.lpsnowflakes/why-do-snowflakes-come-in-so-many-shapes-and-sizes/>.
![]() @misc{
Title = {PBS Learning Media: Why Do Snowflakes Come in So Many Shapes and Sizes?},
Publisher = {WGBH Educational Foundation},
Volume = {2025},
Number = {2 July 2025},
Year = {2010}
}
![]() %T PBS Learning Media: Why Do Snowflakes Come in So Many Shapes and Sizes? %D 2010 %I WGBH Educational Foundation %C Boston %U https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.phys.matter.lpsnowflakes/why-do-snowflakes-come-in-so-many-shapes-and-sizes/ %O application/pdf ![]() %0 Electronic Source %D 2010 %T PBS Learning Media: Why Do Snowflakes Come in So Many Shapes and Sizes? %I WGBH Educational Foundation %V 2025 %N 2 July 2025 %9 application/pdf %U https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.phys.matter.lpsnowflakes/why-do-snowflakes-come-in-so-many-shapes-and-sizes/ Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.
Citation Source Information
The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual. The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References. The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation. The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ. This resource is stored in a shared folder. You must login to access shared folders. PBS Learning Media: Why Do Snowflakes Come in So Many Shapes and Sizes?:
Related Safety Guidelines
NOAA: Dry Ice Safety
Safety guidelines on the use of dry ice, developed by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. relation by Caroline Hall
Is Supplemented By
Dartmouth Electron Microscope Images: Snow Crystals
High-quality images of varied snow crystals, produced through SEM technology. Includes columnar grains, dendritic grains, flat hexagonal crystals, and flat stellar plates. relation by Caroline HallKnow of another related resource? Login to relate this resource to it. |
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