Exploring glacial landforms
Scientific Theme(s):
Earth Science
* Forces that Shape the Earth
Grade Level(s):
3-5
6-8
Lesson Duration: From one to three 60 minute lessons, depending on whether instructors wish for students to complete
all of the activities
Overview
The Earth is a dynamic place. At any moment, multiple forces are shaping the landscape. In particular, glaciers
sculpt away the land beneath them. The weight of the glacier and the fact that it is moving slowly provide clues,
and like detectives we can use these clues to understand the past. This hands-on lesson explores some of the
mechanisms that enable glaciers to change Earth’s landscape. Students will also gain experience presenting
scientific information to their peers through a mini-glaciological conference.
Objectives
1. Identify evidence of past glaciations by examining the morphological features left behind such as and U- and
V-shaped valleys and striations.
2. Interpret probable causes for morphological features.
3. Describe findings of the group experiments/demonstrations to the larger student community.
Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) Addressed
1. Science as Inquiry and Process
a. [3-8] SA1.1 - The student demonstrates an understanding of the processes of science by asking
questions, predicting, observing, describing, measuring, classifying, making generalizations, inferring,
and communicating.
b. [4] SA1.2 - The student demonstrates an understanding of the processes of science by observing,
measuring, and collecting data from explorations and using this information to classify, predict, and
communicate.
2. Concepts of Earth Science
a. [5] SD2.1 – The student demonstrates an understanding of the forces that shape Earth by describing
how wind and water tear down and build up the Earth’s surface resulting in new land formations (i.e.
deltas, moraines, and canyons).
Required Background
1. Glacial movements
2. Glacial landforms - detailed definitions and photos can be found online at the National Snow and Ice Data
Center: http://nsidc.org/cgi-bin/words/topic.pl?glaciers
In particular, a focus on differentiating between U- and V-shaped valley formation will enable students to
understand what they are looking for in that activity. This material, therefore, is best introduced beforehand.
Vocabulary
1. Glacial landforms
2. Striations
Materials
1. U-shaped versus V-shaped valley formation experiment, per group:
A. Flour (5 lb. bag)
B. Baking pan
C. Analogue glacier (thick slab of ice, pre-made)
D. Books to prop up the pan and make a slope
E. Hair dryer
2. Till and glacial erratic experiment, per group:
A. Flour (5 lb. bag)
B. Baking pan
C. Analogue glacier (thin wedge-shaped slab of ice encased with pebbles and sand, pre-made)
D. Books to prop up the pan and make a slope
E. Stopwatch
F. Rulers
G. Hair dryer
3. Ice cube and wood striations experiment, per group:
A. Small wood boards (soft wood, 1 per student)
B. Small paper cups pre-filled with ice and pebbles of various sizes (1 per student)
Activity Preparation and Procedure
1. (10 min.) Use a slideshow to introduce/review the concept of glacial landforms (e.g. U- and V-shaped valleys,
cirques, fjords, till, erratic boulders, striations).
2. (10 min.) The instructor guides students through the scientific method including how to pose a question, how
to formulate a hypothesis, how to collect data, and how to present results of an experiment. Use the student
worksheets as a guide.
3. (20 min.) Separate the class into three groups. Each group is assigned an activity explaining how glaciers
change the landscape. The activities consist of:
o U-shaped versus V-shaped valley formation experiment
o Glacial till and erratic experiment
o Striations experiment
4. (15 min.) The class reconvenes for a discussion period. Each group reports their findings to their classmates
including the hypotheses made and the conclusions agreed upon.
5. (5 min.) Elaborate on any areas of uncertainty following the activities and question students on what they
found most important and/or interesting to them.
Note: The above lesson plan may be repeated in order for students to have opportunity to complete each of the
three activities.
Activity Decriptions
1. U-shaped versus V-shaped valley formation experiment: glacial versus melt water formation of a valley
 Fill one bake pan with flour and set it at a 20° angle.
 Students place a pre-made analogue ice glacier at the top of the bake pan.
 Students record their initial hypothesis on the U-Shaped versus V-Shaped Valley Formation Experiment
Information Sheet, explaining what they think will happen when the analogue ice glacier begins to melt.
 The instructor uses a hair dryer to accelerate melting of the analogue glacier.
 Students record their observations and answer additional questions from the Glacier Landform Information
Sheet.
 Students use a large sheet of butcher paper to make a summary of their results. They will develop a suitable
title, name of the presenters (the members of the group), bullet point the main conclusions, and draw a
couple of illustrations explaining what happened in the experiment.
2. Till and glacial erratic experiment
 For this experiment, students have access to a pre-made wedge-shaped glacier analogue made of ice with
pebbles frozen in-situ.
 Fill one bake pan with flour and set it at a 20° angle.
 Students place the pre-made analogue ice glacier at one end of the bake pan.
 Students record their initial hypothesis on the Till and Glacial Erratic Experiment Information Sheet,
explaining what they think will happen when the analogue ice glacier begins to melt.
 Students decide at what rate (e.g. every minute, every 30 seconds) and how far (e.g. 1 centimeter, 2
centimeters) they will pull back the glacier, then move the glacier back slowly to see how the glacier melts
and drops various rocks, pebbles along the way.
 The instructor uses a hair dryer to accelerate melting of the analogue glacier.
 Students answer the Till and Glacial Erratic Experiment Information Sheet to guide their discovery.
 Students use a large sheet of butcher paper and develop a summary of their results. They will include a
suitable title, name of the presenters (the members of the group), bullet point the main conclusions, and
finally draw a few illustrations explaining what happened in the experiment.
3. Ice cube and wood striations experiment
 For this experiment, students have access to pre-made ice-filled paper cups. Pebbles of various sizes are
encased near the surface of the ice in each cup.
 Students hypothesize what will happen when the ice is scraped along a piece of wood and record their
prediction on the Ice Cube and Wood Striations Experiment Information Sheet.
 Students scratch the pre-made ice-filled paper cup on a piece of soft wood for approximately 10 minutes.
 Students record their observations on the Ice Cube and Wood Striations Experiment Information Sheet to guide
their discovery.
 Students use a large sheet of paper and make a quick summary of their results. They will include a suitable
title, name of the presenters (the members of the group), bullet point the main conclusions, and finally draw a
couple of illustrations explaining what happened in the experiment.
Assessment
1. Name the correct glacial landform(s) when shown an unlabeled photo.
2. Older students may produce a full written report on one of the activities.
Complementary Activities and Extension Ideas
1. Crossword Puzzle and word search: Students identify major processes of glacial movement (see Lazarus,
n.d.).
References
Lazarus, K. (n.d). Create your own word search. Glacier Crossword Puzzle. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from
http://www.armoredpenguin.com/wordsearch/Data/best/geology/glacier.01.html.
National Snow & Ice Data Center. The Cryoshpere: Where the world is frozen. Retrieved December 11, 2012,
from http://nsidc.org/cgi-bin/words/topic.pl?glaciers.
GLACIER LANDFORM
Information Sheet
Information Sheet
Instructions
Information Sheet
U-shaped vs. V-shaped valley formation
experiment
Scientist: ____________________________
1. Place your glacier at the top of the baking pan.
2. Wait until meltwater begins to form.
a. Use a hair dryer to help increase melting.
3. Answer the questions below:
Question: What will happen to the flour as the glacier melts?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Describe the shape of the meltwater flowing off the glacier (i.e. deep, shallow,
wide, narrow, s-shaped)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
After the glacier starts to melt, draw everything in the baking pan:
What does the glacial meltwater represent?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
GLACIER LANDFORM
Information Sheet
Till and glacial erratic experiment
Scientist: _______________________
Instructions
1. Place your glacier at one end of the baking pan.
2. Move your glacier back slowly as it melts.
a. Your group will decide at what time interval (for example: every minute,
every 30 seconds) and how far (for example: 1 cm, 2 cm) you will move the
glacier back in the pan.
3. Answer the questions below:
Question: What will happen as the glacier moves back?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Draw what happens to your glacier after each time period in the table below:
Time
What does your glacier look like?
Is all of the sediment coming out of the glacier the same size?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the overall shape of the sediment falling out of the glacier?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
GLACIER LANDFORM
Information Sheet
Ice cube and wood striations experiment
Scientist: ___________________________
Instructions
1. Scratch the piece of wood with the ice-filled cup.
a. Continue scratching the wood for up to 10 minutes.
2. Answer the questions below:
Question: What will happen when the ice is scraped along a piece of wood?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
What is at the surface of the ice in the cup? Is it still just ice or are there pebbles
beginning to emerge?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Observation: What happens as melting and scouring (scraping across the wood)
continue?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Draw what the piece of wood looks like: