Ice Core Expedition Lab Guide Frozen History
Ice Core Proxy Data & Paleoclimatology
Teacher Facilitation Guide
Learning Objective
Students will understand how proxy data, specifically ice cores, provide physical evidence for past climates by constructing, swapping, and decoding "ice core" models containing atmospheric artifacts.
Lesson Timeline
5 min Warm-up: Mystery Tube observation and hypothesis.
10 min Instruction: Crash Course Geography video & discussion.
25 min Activity: Building and decoding proxy ice core models.
5 min Closure: Exit Ticket and reflection.
Materials List
Warm-up Tubes:
Clear straws/thin tubes
Layered colored sugar or sand
Tiny beads or glitter
Main Lab Activity:
Clear plastic tubes (PVC or large straws)
Agar-agar, gelatin, or layered dough
Beads (Volcanic ash)
Small bubbles (bubble wrap or beads)
Glitter/Pollen (Vegetation)
Mystery Tube Preparation
Create these in advance. Each student or pair should have one "Mystery Tube." These are meant to look like simplified sediment cores.
Layering Suggestion:
Bottom: Dark sand (Volcanic period)
Middle: White sugar (Glacial period)
Top: Brown sugar with green glitter (Modern lush period)
Tip: Seal the ends of the straws with hot glue or tape to prevent spills.
Prompting Questions:
"Which layer is the oldest? How do you know?"
"What event might have caused the dark layer at the bottom?"
"Why might one layer be thicker than the others?"
Main Activity: Constructing Proxy Data
Facilitator Note: Managing the "Ice"
If using Agar or Gelatin , have the liquid prepared and warm. Students add their "artifacts" into the tube first, then pour the liquid. Let it set in a refrigerator if possible, or use Play-Doh/Salt Dough for a faster, non-liquid version that can be sliced open.
The "Key" (Don't Share with Students yet)
Dark Beads/Pepper: Volcanic EruptionsTiny Bubbles/Beads: High CO2 ConcentrationYellow Glitter: High Pollen/Warm SeasonBlue Beads: Extremely Cold/Glacial Advance
Decoding Phase
Once the cores are set, students swap with a "Research Partner." They must map the layers and write a "Climate History" for the core, identifying at least 3 distinct climate events based on the artifacts found.
Extension & Wrap-Up
Exit Ticket Guidance
"Why do we need proxy data if we have weather records from the last 100 years?"
Key points to look for: Weather records only go back a tiny fraction of Earth's history. Proxy data allows us to see natural cycles over hundreds of thousands of years, giving context to current anthropogenic warming.
Vostok Data Extension
Use the provided "Deep Time Data" sheet. Students will graph the relationship between CO2 and Temperature. This helps them move from a qualitative "physical" model to quantitative data analysis.
Key Vocabulary to Reinforce
Proxy Data
Indirect evidence (ice cores, tree rings) used to infer past climate conditions.
Anthropogenic
Environmental change or pollution originating in human activity.
Paleoclimatologist
A scientist who studies the variations in climate throughout Earth's history.
Isotope Dating
Analyzing chemical variants to determine the age and origin of materials in ice.
Frozen History Slides Environmental Science
FROZEN
HISTORY
Unlocking Earth's Past Through Ice Core Proxy Data
Mystery Tube Observations
Observe your straw tube. Without opening it, work with your partner to answer:
Which layer represents the earliest point in time? Why?
What could the different colors or textures represent in nature?
Draw a quick sketch in your lab packet.
05:00 MINUTES
How do we know?
Weather Records
Direct measurements (thermometers, satellites) go back about 100-150 years .
Proxy Data
Natural recorders of climate variability used to reconstruct history over millions of years .
Tree Rings
Fossils & Sediment
Ice Cores
Ice Core Time Capsules
Watch the "Thought Bubble" segment (5:20 - 6:45)
Embedded media
Air Bubbles
Volcanic Ash
Isotopes
Lab Phase 1: Creating History
Your Goal:
Build an ice core that tells a story of climate change .
Secret Ingredients:
Dark Beads: Volcanic EruptionTiny Bubbles: High CO2 PeriodYellow Glitter: High Pollen (Warm)
Instructions:
Choose 3 "events" to include.
Place artifacts in your tube.
Pour "liquid ice" (gelatin) or layer your dough.
DO NOT tell your partner your story!
Lab Phase 2: Decoding Cores
Swap Cores with your Partner
1
MAP IT
Draw the layers in your lab packet.
2
DECODE IT
Identify the 3 events hidden inside.
3
HISTORIZE IT
Write a 3-sentence summary of this location's history.
Final Mission Log
"Why do we need proxy data like ice cores if we have accurate weather records from the last 100 years?"
Submit your answer in the Exit Ticket section of your packet.
Frozen History Lab Packet Frozen History Lab Packet
Student Expedition Log • Paleoclimatology Unit
Name:
Date:
Part 1: The Mystery Tube
Draw your mystery tube here. Label the layers.
Initial Hypothesis:
Based on the layers, what do you think happened in this "environment" over time? Which layer is the oldest?
Part 2: Time Capsules in the Ice
1. What is "Proxy Data"?
2. How do air bubbles get trapped?
3. What is the "Albedo Effect"?
4. Anthropogenic vs. Natural change?
Part 3: Expedition Lab Log
A. Expedition Planning (Creating Your Core)
List the 3 specific "Climate Events" you chose to include in your core and what materials you used to represent them.
Climate Event Description Material/Artifact Used
B. Research Analysis (Partner Core ID: __________)
Visual Map
[Sketch and label the layers found in your partner's core]
Climate Interpretation
Top Layer (Newest):
Middle Layer:
Bottom Layer (Oldest):
Summary Story:
Write a 3-sentence summary of the history of this location.
Exit Ticket: Climate Reflection
"Why do we need proxy data like ice cores if we have accurate weather records from the last 100 years?"
Deep Time Data Extension Deep Time Data
Extension Activity: Analyzing the Vostok Ice Core
The Vostok Station (Antarctica)
For decades, scientists have been drilling into the ice above Lake Vostok. This ice core provides a record of Earth's atmosphere reaching back over 400,000 years . By measuring the concentration of gases in air bubbles and the ratio of isotopes in the ice, we can reconstruct both the ancient CO2 levels and the temperature.
Key Question
Is there a visible correlation between greenhouse gas concentration and global average temperature over geologic time?
Vostok Ice Core Data (Simplified)
Note: Temperature is shown as an "anomaly"—how much warmer (+) or cooler (-) it was compared to today's average.
Years Before Present CO2 (ppm) Temp Anomaly (°C) 0 (Today) 420* +1.1 2,000 280 0.0 20,000 (Last Ice Age) 185 -8.0 130,000 (Last Interglacial) 290 +2.0 160,000 200 -9.0 240,000 300 +1.5 330,000 295 +2.2 350,000 210 -6.5
*Current CO2 levels (420ppm) are significantly higher than the natural interglacial peak seen in the Vostok core (~300ppm).
Graphing the Correlation
Create a line graph showing the relationship between CO2 (Y-axis) and Temperature Anomaly (X-axis). Alternatively, graph both against "Time" on the X-axis.
CO2 Concentration (ppm)
Years Before Present
1. Describe the relationship you see in your graph:
2. What happened to the temperature when CO2 levels dropped to 185 ppm?
3. Predict: If CO2 is now at 420 ppm, what does the historical Vostok data suggest will happen to global temperature?
