Glacier Power Slides GLACIER POWER
How Ice Shapes Our Oceans and Lands
Sea Level Science
Land Bridge Mystery
The Big Freeze
Warm-Up (5 min)
"Imagine we have a glass of water. If we take some of that water, freeze it into a block, and place it on a shelf above the glass..."
?
What happens to the level of the water in the glass?
?
What happens if that ice block melts back in?
The Land Bridge
Watch & Listen
Embedded media
Pay attention to: Where did the ocean water go?
Ice Age Geography
Glaciation
During the Ice Age, Earth was much colder.
Ocean water evaporated and fell as snow.
The snow turned into massive Glaciers on land.
Since the water was trapped on land, the sea levels dropped .
The Result?
Beringia appeared!
A land bridge emerged between Russia and Alaska, allowing humans and animals to migrate to the Americas.
Glacier Lab
Activity (25 min)
Set Up
Use clay to build "Land" at one end of your tray. Fill the rest with "Ocean" water.
Add Glaciers
Place ice chunks on the land only. Mark the water level with a marker.
Observe
What happens to the coastlines when the ice begins to melt?
Challenge: Can you recreate the Land Bridge in your tray?
Final Thought
"If the glaciers melt today, what will happen to the coastlines?"
Complete your Exit Ticket
Turn it in before you leave
Glacier Lab Worksheet Glacier Lab Log
The Science of Sea Levels
Scientist:
Date:
Scientific Objective
Demonstrate how ice trapped on land affects the level of the ocean and the shape of coastlines.
1. The Setup
Draw a diagram of your tray before the ice starts to melt. Label the Land (Clay) , the Ocean (Water) , and the Glaciers (Ice) .
Hypothesis
If the glaciers on the land melt, then the sea level will...
Rise
Fall
Stay the same
Why?
2. Observations
Time What do you see happening? Water Level Change Start Example: Ice is solid, water line is low. Starting Line Marked 5 Minutes 10 Minutes
3. Conclusion
How did the shape of the coastline (where water meets land) change as the glaciers melted?
Connecting to History: During the Ice Age, when much of the water was trapped in glaciers, why was the Bering Land Bridge visible?
Coastline Shift Exit Ticket COASTLINE SHIFT
Exit Ticket
Name:
Date:
If the modern glaciers in places like Greenland and Antarctica melt completely, what will happen to the world's coastlines?
Check for Understanding:
During the Ice Age, sea levels were lower than they are today. Why?
Water evaporated into space
Water was stored in land glaciers
COASTLINE SHIFT
Exit Ticket
Name:
Date:
If the modern glaciers in places like Greenland and Antarctica melt completely, what will happen to the world's coastlines?
Check for Understanding:
During the Ice Age, sea levels were lower than they are today. Why?
Water evaporated into space
Water was stored in land glaciers
Glacier Lab Facilitator Guide GLACIER LAB
Teacher Guide
A hands-on facilitation guide for demonstrating the relationship between continental ice storage and global sea levels.
Materials List
Deep trays or bins (1 per group)
Modeling clay (non-hardening preferred)
Ice chunks or large ice blocks
Blue-tinted water
Wet-erase markers or tape
Misconception
Students often think that melting sea ice (floating ice) raises sea levels.
Correction: Only land-based ice (glaciers/ice sheets) significantly raises sea levels when it melts because it is adding new volume to the ocean.
Lab Procedure
1
Build the Continent
Students use clay to build a "continent" on one side of the tray. Ensure the clay is pressed firmly to the bottom so water doesn't seep underneath.
2
Fill the Ocean
Add water until it partially covers the base of the clay, creating a "coastline."
3
The Ice Age Setup
Place ice chunks on the dry land (clay). Mark the current water level on the side of the tray.
4
Observation
Use heat lamps or simply wait for the ice to melt. As the runoff flows into the "ocean," students observe the rising water line and shrinking coastlines.
Facilitation Prompts
"Where did the water in the ice chunks come from in the real world?"
Answer: It evaporated from the ocean and fell as snow on land.
"If the tray represents the Bering Strait today, how would the land bridge reappear?"
Answer: More water would need to be frozen and moved back onto the 'land' (glaciers).
Historical Connection
Beringia wasn't just a bridge; it was a vast landscape that supported ecosystems. Remind students that as the sea level rose at the end of the Ice Age, this landscape was slowly submerged, cutting off the land route but preserving the migration routes of the descendants who had already crossed.
