GLACIAL FORMATION

How Do Snowflakes Become Ice? (Grades K-5)

https://www.cresis.ku.edu/education/iibLessons/iib005.pdf Students model the formation of ice with marshmallows or, if it is available, snow. Lesson extensions suggest using snow cones or shaved ice to model the difference between snow, firn (an intermediate stage between snow and ice), and glacial ice.

This lesson meets the National Science Education Standards: Science as Inquiry Content Standard, the Physical Science Content Standard, the Earth and Space Science Content Standard, and the History and Nature of Science Content Standard.

Glacial Pressure (Grades 3-5)

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/science/lesson-plan/3834.htmlIn this lesson plan, students model glacial formation through the compression of marshmallows, which represent snow. Students observe the effect of pressure exerted on marshmallows and draw conclusions about pressure exerted on snow.

This lesson meets the National Science Education Standards: Science as Inquiry Content Standard and the Earth and Space Science Content Standard.

GLACIAL MOVEMENT

Blue Ice Cube Melt (Grades K-5)

https://www.cresis.ku.edu/education/iibLessons/iib008.pdf Students experiment with blue-colored ice cubes and learn that ice can melt under pressure.

This lesson meets the National Science Education Standards: Science as Inquiry Content Standard, the Physical Science Content Standard, the Earth and Space Science Content Standard, and the History and Nature of Science Content Standard.

Physical Properties of Ice (Grades 3-5)

http://www.sd5.k12.mt.us/glaciereft/glac3-8.htmStudents will observe how ice can break or melt under pressure and then refreeze.

This lesson meets the National Science Education Standards: Earth and Space Science Content Standard.

Modeling Glacier Dynamics with Flubber (Grades 2-3)

http://bprc.osu.edu/education/lessons/flubber_activity_grade2-3.zip

Modeling Glacier Dynamics with Flubber (Grades 3-5)

http://bprc.osu.edu/education/lessons/flubber_activity_grade3-5.zip This hands-on activity simulates glacial flow. The students use a glacier-modeling compound made from glue, water, and detergent ("flubber") to predict and observe glacial flow. The students discuss with the teacher how scientists determine glacial flow with real glaciers. The link opens a zipped file that contains three documents: the teacher's guide, notes, and a worksheet.

This unit meets the National Science Education Standards: Science as Inquiry Content Standard and the Earth and Space Science Content Standard.

GLACIAL EROSION

How Does Ice Break Down Mountains? (Grades 3-5)

http://www.sd5.k12.mt.us/glaciereft/glac23-8.htmIn this lesson, students observe how freezing water affects various objects (including rocks).

This lesson meets the National Science Education Standards: Earth and Space Science Content Standard.

Explaining Glaciers, Accurately (Grades 3-5)

http://www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/4/sc09_046_08_21This article from the National Science Teachers Association journal Science and Children describes two activities that help students develop correct understanding of how glaciers change the earth's surface by plucking and abrasion. Free for NSTA members and nonmembers.

This lesson meets the National Science Education Standards: Earth and Space Science Content Standard.

INTEGRATING LITERACY

Use the books in this month's Virtual Bookshelf and our Feature Story to help your students practice making predictions while reading!

It Doesn't Have to End That Way: Using Prediction Strategies with Literature (Grades K-2)

http://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=87Primary students listen to the beginning of a story, and then use details in the text and prior knowledge to predict the way the story will end.

This lesson meets the following NCTE/IRA standards: 3, 4, 11, 12.

Prediction Wheel (Grades 2-5)

http://forpd.ucf.edu/strategies/stratWheel.html Students use the prediction wheel template (download a pdf here) to make predictions about what they are going to read, gather evidence to either support or disprove their predictions, and summarize what they have learned.

This activity meets the following NCTE/IRA standards: 3, 4, 11, 12.

Come talk about this article at the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears blog!