Explain that it is their job to pass the red handkerchief—which is heat from the sun—up to the ice person in the north and to pass the blue handkerchief, which is cold, to the sun!
3. Students in the current walk slowly forward in a clockwise direction, always keeping the same distance away from the person in front of them. The sun gives the red handkerchief to any student who carries it to the ice person. The ice person does the same with the blue handkerchief, which is then handed off to the sun.
Continue the rotation for a while, conveying the two handkerchiefs back and forth between north and south.
4. Now explain that you are going to tap one student on the head. When you do, that student will stop walking—while everyone else keeps moving forward!
What happens to the current? What happens to the heat and cold?
If desired, repeat the activity with a new sun and ice person. Then regroup as a class to discuss the activity.
Source: Adapted from “Healthy Ocean, Healthy Humans: Making Connections between the Ocean and Humans”