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LESSON MINI

Exploring Glaciers with Glaciologists

Grade:

6-8

Topic:

Science

Unit:

Glaciers
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Overview

Ice cave explorer in red jacket amid swirling blue glacial formations.
© Tyler Stableford—Stone/Getty Images

In this lesson mini, students explore glaciers with expert glaciologists. They read an article, watch two informative videos, and participate in enriching class discussions to share what they’ve learned. To reinforce their understanding, students engage with vocabulary, create visual summaries about the importance of glaciers, and write mini biographies of a glaciologist.

Ideas for Implementation
Science
Literacy
Library media
Learning centers
Intervention or enrichment
Key Vocabulary & Definitions
cirque glaciers (noun): glaciers that occupy deep, amphitheater-shaped hollows called cirques, situated high on the sides of mountains
erosion (noun): the process by which glaciers wear away bedrock below them and carry the materials away
glaciation (noun): the process or state of being covered by glaciers; changes to Earth’s surface caused by glacial action
glacier (noun): a large body of ice formed from compacted snow that slowly flows on land
glaciologist (noun): a scientist who studies glaciers
ice sheets (noun): very large, thick glaciers that cover a large land area, also known as continental glaciers or ice caps
meltwater (noun): water resulting from the melting of a glacier’s snow and ice
moraines (noun): large accumulations of rock debris deposited by glaciers
piedmont glaciers (noun): glaciers that spread out the land at the base of a mountain range
valley glacier (noun): a glacier that moves slowly down a mountain valley from a high-elevation snowfield
Authentic Learning Extensions
Authentic learning opportunities for studying glaciers involve real-world experiences and practical applications that help students understand scientific concepts meaningfully. Here are some examples:
Citizen Science Projects: Engage students in ongoing citizen science projects related to glaciology, such as analyzing satellite images or contributing to glacier-monitoring databases. This hands-on involvement benefits student learning by allowing them to participate in real scientific research, understand the collaborative nature of science, and see how their contributions can make a difference.
Glaciology Organizations: Expose students to societies that take young people into the field and train them to become glaciologists, such as Girls on Ice, the Juneau Icefield Research Project, and the British Schools Exploring Society (referenced and cited in the activity Mini interview videos). These programs expose young people to real-world experiences early on. This exposure enhances student learning by demonstrating the practical applications of glaciology, fostering enthusiasm for field research, and providing tangible goals for students interested in pursuing this field.
Jobs and Careers in Science: Invite students to speak with different scientists in their communities to explore various career paths. This opportunity helps students establish meaningful connections with community members and understand different science-related jobs. This approach benefits student learning by providing real-world context to scientific careers, inspiring students and helping them envision potential future paths in science.
Local Climate Studies: Encourage students to conduct local climate studies and relate their findings to global glacier trends. This localized approach benefits student learning by making the abstract concept of climate change more tangible and personal, while also helping students develop data collection and analysis skills.
Research Glaciers: Invite students to research glaciers from around the world using nonfiction texts and reliable internet resources. This approach allows students to build their research skills, critical thinking abilities, and global awareness. It benefits student learning by encouraging independent inquiry, teaching evaluation of sources, and broadening their understanding of glaciers beyond local examples.
Virtual Field Trips: Utilize online resources and virtual reality technology to take students on virtual tours of glaciers and research stations. This provides students with immersive experiences that might otherwise be inaccessible, enhancing their understanding of glacial environments and research practices.

Choose Activity

Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
Activity 4
Activity 5
3
Exploring Glaciers with Glaciologists

Activity

1:

Icy Vocabulary

By the end of the activity, students will be able to define and use key words about glaciers in context.

>40

Minutes

Materials

Whiteboard and display
Writing utensils

Resources

Britannica School Glacier article (one printed copy per student) https://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/glacier/274565
Engaging with Glaciers Vocabulary handout (one per student and one for teacher display)
Mini Glossary graphic organizer (one per pair and one for teacher display)
1
Tell students that during today’s activity they will read an article about glaciers and define key vocabulary words.
2
Begin the activity by showing different images of glaciers found in ImageQuest, Britannica School, or another royalty-free source. Ask students to describe what they see and share what they know about glaciers. Record their prior knowledge on the board or a shared digital document.
3
Provide each student with a copy of the Glacier article and an Engaging with Glaciers Vocabulary handout. Briefly introduce the article and handout, explaining they will use the handout as they read.
4
Instruct students to read the article independently and define key vocabulary words from the text using the Engaging with Glaciers Vocabulary handout.
5
After the individual reading, assign students to work in pairs. Have them select five words from the vocabulary handout or text to complete a Mini Glossary graphic organizer. Explain that they should focus on paraphrasing definitions, finding word associations, practicing using new words in context by writing a sentence, and finally drawing a visual representation of each word. Provide an example of a completed Mini Glossary graphic organizer entry to clarify expectations.
6
Invite pairs to share their work with the whole class and compare and contrast ideas. Encourage other students to add to or respectfully challenge the presented ideas.
7
Conclude the activity by calling on student volunteers to use the words from the text in a sentence. To drive engagement, consider tossing a ball or beanbag to students as they are called to participate. Extend the conversation as appropriate by asking students to connect the new vocabulary to the prior knowledge shared at the beginning of the activity.
Guiding Questions: Provide students with guiding questions to support them with the independent reading task from the Glacier article. Guiding questions help students home in on the main ideas from the text and increase reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. Consider using a few of the following questions:
How do glaciers form?
What are different types of glaciers? Can you describe each one?
Can you explain the two different types of glacial movements?
How is erosion and deposition explained?
Why are glaciers important to our ecosystem?
Vocabulary Trivia: Ask students to write vocabulary trivia using selected words from the text. This gives students an opportunity to engage deeply with vocabulary and develop their critical and creative skill sets.
Vocabulary Cloze: Instead of asking students to define vocabulary words from the text, engage them in a vocabulary cloze exercise. This activity focuses on new vocabulary acquisition by having students fill in missing words from a sentence. Refer to the Vocabulary Cloze instructional strategy for additional details.
Team Teaching: For collaborative teaching and learning environments, this learning activity is well suited to a Team Teaching strategy. In this model, both teachers deliver instruction together, often alternating or integrating their teaching styles seamlessly, sometimes referred to as “tag team teaching.” This collaborative approach provides students with multiple perspectives and teaching styles, enriching their learning experience. By modeling effective teamwork and communication, this approach demonstrates how different viewpoints can enhance understanding and create a dynamic and interactive classroom environment. Evidence indicates that team teaching can enhance student engagement and provide a richer, more diverse educational experience.
Activity Introduction: Teacher A shows different images of glaciers and facilitates a discussion of students’ prior knowledge, while Teacher B records this information on the board or shared digital document. Teacher A then introduces the activity topic while Teacher B distributes the Glacier article and Engaging with Glaciers Vocabulary handout.
Independent Task: Both teachers circulate the room to ensure students comprehend the text and are engaging with new vocabulary effectively. They provide support and clarification as needed, monitoring the time for this activity.
Pair Work: Teacher A assigns students to work in pairs on the Mini Glossary graphic organizer and explains the task, providing an example of a completed entry. Teacher B sets up any necessary materials for this activity. Both teachers then circulate the room, offering support to students as they engage with new vocabulary words.
Class Sharing: Teacher A facilitates the sharing of pair work with the class, encouraging discussion and comparison of ideas. Teacher B records key points or interesting interpretations shared by the students.
Reflection and Conclusion: Teacher A leads the ball-tossing activity, calling on student volunteers to use the words from the text in sentences. Teacher B connects these examples back to the prior knowledge shared at the beginning of the activity, helping students see how their understanding has grown.
Exploring Glaciers with Glaciologists

Activity

2:

What Is a Glacier?

By the end of the activity, students will be able to describe glaciers by using key concepts and vocabulary words found in the text and video.

30-40

Minutes

Materials

Poster boards (one per group)
Whiteboard and display
Writing utensils

Resources

Britannica School What are Glaciers? video https://school.eb.com/levels/middle/assembly/view/286700
Glacier Discussion Questions handout (one per student and one for teacher display)
Think-Pair-Share instructional strategy
1
Tell students that during today’s activity they will watch a video about glaciers. Then they will work on questions in a handout and discuss the importance of glaciers in small groups.
2
Provide each student with a Glacier Discussion Questions handout that they will use throughout the activity as a discussion guide. Have them read the handout before you play the video.
3
Play the What Are Glaciers? video and remind students that they should pay attention to the guiding questions in the handout. Tell students to take notes during the video.
4
After the video, have students participate in a Think-Pair-Share instructional strategy to discuss their answers to the guiding questions. Clearly explain each step of the think-pair-share process referring to the procedures outlined in the strategy as needed.
a)
Invite students to answer the questions on their own.
b)
Tell them to discuss their answers with a partner.
c)
Ask students to share their answers with the class.
5
Discuss the answers to the questions as a class and write students’ responses on the board, or using a digital display or chart paper to record responses for future reference.
6
Divide students into groups of three or four and ask them to discuss the following reflection question:
Why are glaciers important for humans, and what can we do to protect them?
7
Provide each group of students with a poster board and ask them to draw a visual representation of why glaciers are important to our ecosystem. Consider having students use markers, colored pencils, coconut flakes, cotton balls, shimmering paper, and/or printed images to enhance their visual representations. Circulate among the groups to provide guidance and answer questions.
8
Invite each group to share their work, and conclude the activity by asking students to write down one new thing they learned about glaciers. Collect these written responses to assess student learning.
Video Viewing: Provide students the opportunity to watch the video twice in order to increase comprehension and engagement with the content presented. Consider asking students to first watch the video without taking notes and then watch the video a second time and answer the guiding questions. This approach benefits student learning by accommodating different processing speeds and allowing for deeper engagement with the material.
Glacier Research: Encourage students to research glaciers from around the world in small groups to further explore the concepts discussed in the activity. This will give them the opportunity to work collaboratively, acquire new knowledge, and practice their research skills.
Digital Resources: Instead of using poster boards, offer students the opportunity to use digital design tools to create their presentations. This gives students a chance to enhance their technology skills.
Extended Discussion: Consider adding a brief discussion on how climate change affects glaciers and what actions students can take to help mitigate these effects.
Team Teaching: For collaborative teaching and learning environments, this learning activity is well suited to a Team Teaching strategy. In this model, both teachers deliver instruction together, often alternating or integrating their teaching styles seamlessly, sometimes referred to as “tag team teaching.” This collaborative approach provides students with multiple perspectives and teaching styles, enriching their learning experience. By modeling effective teamwork and communication, this approach demonstrates how different viewpoints can enhance understanding and create a dynamic and interactive classroom environment. Evidence indicates that team teaching can enhance student engagement and provide a richer, more diverse educational experience.
Activity Introduction: Teacher A introduces the activity, while Teacher B provides students with the Glacier Discussion Questions handout, having them read the questions before viewing the video.
Video Watching: Teacher A introduces the What Are Glaciers? video and reminds students to take notes and use the handout as a guide, while Teacher B circulates the room to ensure students comprehend the content discussed. Both teachers support students during the think-pair-share exercise, with Teacher A facilitating the class sharing portion and Teacher B recording responses on the board or digital tool.
Group Work: Teacher A assigns students to groups of three or four and explains the reflection question and visual summary task. Teacher A also sets clear time limits for each part of the group work. Both teachers circulate the room and offer support to students as they discuss the reflection question and work on their posters. Teacher B ensures that all necessary materials (poster boards, art supplies) are available to each group.
Conclusion: Teacher A reassembles the class and manages the time as each group presents their work. Teacher A then asks students to write down one new thing they learned about glaciers, and Teacher B collects these written responses to assess student learning.
Exploring Glaciers with Glaciologists

Activity

3:

Meet a Glaciologist

By the end of the activity, students will be able to explain the role of glaciologists.

30-40

Minutes

Materials

Colored pencils or markers
Whiteboard and display
Writing utensils

Resources

Britannica School Meet a Glaciologist! video https://school.eb.com/levels/middle/assembly/view/286701
Dr. Bethan Davies Biography handout (one per student and one for teacher display)
Meet a Glaciologist Discussion Questions handout (one per student and one for teacher display)
1
Tell students that during today’s activity they will learn about glaciologist Bethan Davies through a video interview. After the video, they will discuss what they learned and work independently to write a mini biography.
2
Begin the activity by explaining that glaciologists are scientists who research glaciers. Ask students to predict what they think a typical day might be like for a glaciologist.
3
Provide each student with a Meet a Glaciologist Discussion Questions handout that they will use throughout the activity.
4
Display the Meet a Glaciologist! video, and tell students that as they watch the video they should answer the guiding questions found in the handout. Ask students to answer the guiding questions on their handout as they watch the video.
5
After the video, lead a class discussion to brainstorm answers to the video questions and invite students to think about Davies’s notable achievements. Record their answers on the whiteboard.
6
Explain to students that biographies are texts that document a person’s life. Tell them their next task will be to write a short biography about Bethan Davies.
7
As a class, review Davies’s notable achievements from the previous discussion. Then, provide each student with a Dr. Bethan Davies Biography handout to complete independently.
8
Ask for student volunteers to read their biographies and share their drawings with the class. Guide students in providing constructive feedback to each other.
9
To conclude, summarize what glaciologists do and encourage students to reflect on whether or not they would like to pursue this career in the future.
Guided Writing Practice: Offer students the opportunity to write the Bethan Davies biography as a class for more guided support. This gives students the chance to work collaboratively to review, summarize, and craft a mini biography. This approach benefits student learning by providing scaffolding for those who may struggle with independent writing, while also promoting peer learning and collective problem-solving skills.
Interview Questions: Encourage students to write additional interview questions for Bethan Davies. This allows students to analyze the content presented in the article and reflect on additional questions they may have for Bethan Davies. This activity enhances student learning by developing critical thinking skills, encouraging curiosity, and deepening engagement with the subject matter.
Job Description: Give students the option of writing a glaciologist job description instead of writing a mini biography. This gives students the opportunity to reflect on the role of glaciologists. Additionally, this allows students to explore potential career paths in environmental science and gain insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of professionals studying glaciers and climate change.
Role-Play Interview: Allow students to work in pairs to conduct a mock interview, with one student playing Bethan Davies and the other as the interviewer. This variation promotes active listening, improves public speaking skills, and encourages students to engage with the material by putting themselves in the scientist’s shoes.
Visual Representation: Offer students the option to create a visual timeline or infographic of Bethan Davies’s career milestones instead of a written biography. This alternative approach caters to visual learners and helps students organize information in a graphical format, enhancing their ability to identify and represent key events and achievements.
Team Teaching: For collaborative teaching and learning environments, this learning activity is well suited to a Team Teaching strategy. In this model, both teachers deliver instruction together, often alternating or integrating their teaching styles seamlessly, sometimes referred to as “tag team teaching.” This collaborative approach provides students with multiple perspectives and teaching styles, enriching their learning experience. By modeling effective teamwork and communication, this approach demonstrates how different viewpoints can enhance understanding and create a dynamic and interactive classroom environment. Evidence indicates that team teaching can enhance student engagement and provide a richer, more diverse educational experience.
Activity Introduction: Teacher A introduces the activity objective and explains what glaciologists do, while Teacher B leads the discussion on predicting a typical day for a glaciologist. Teacher A then provides students with the Meet a Glaciologist Discussion Questions handout.
Video Watching: Teacher A introduces and plays the Meet a Glaciologist video, while Teacher B circulates the room to ensure students are answering the guiding questions. After the video, Teacher A guides the class discussion around Bethan Davies’s achievements, while Teacher B writes students’ thoughts and ideas on the whiteboard.
Independent Work: Teacher A explains the concept of a biography and reviews Davies’s notable achievements with the class, while Teacher B provides each student with a Bethan Davies Biography handout. Both teachers circulate the room and offer support to students as they work on their bios.
Sharing and Feedback: Teacher A facilitates student volunteers’ sharing their biographies, while Teacher B guides the class in providing constructive feedback.
Conclusion: Teacher A summarizes what glaciologists do, while Teacher B encourages students to reflect on whether or not they would like to pursue this career in the future.
Exploring Glaciers with Glaciologists

Activity

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Exploring Glaciers with Glaciologists

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INTERNAL
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum .
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