Yakima WATERS Mini Lesson
Modeling Glacier Dynamics with Flubber
Targets and Assessment
WA Science Standards Addressed:
 6-8 ES3D Earth has been shaped by many natural
catastrophes, including earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, glaciers, floods, storms, tsunami, and
the impacts of asteroids.
 6-8 INQA —Question— Scientific inquiry involves
asking and answering questions and comparing
the answer with what scientists already know
about the world.
 6-8 INQC —Investigate— Collecting, analyzing,
and displaying data are essential aspects of all
investigations.
 6-8 INQE —Model— Models are used to
represent objects, events, systems, and processes.
Models can be used to test hypotheses and better
understand phenomena, but they have
limitations.
 6-8 INQF —Explain— It is important to distinguish
between the results of a particular investigation
and general conclusions drawn from these results.
Assessments:
 Grade for correctly answered questions on
worksheet.
 Grade lab participation
Lesson Parameters
Content Area: Geology
Overview: A hands-on activity that describes glacier mass
balance in a changing climate. Students make a glacier
using “flubber” and construct a glacial valley using plastic
sheeting. Students run tests, manipulating valley slope,
flubber temperature, and basal conditions.
Grade Level: 6-8
Suggested Time: 2 class periods of ~50 Minutes
Special Materials:
 Access to microwave and freezer
 Flubber ingredients listed in “Materials”
Learning Outcomes (modified from the Washington State Standards):
Knowledge:
 Student can identify the landforms, such as glacially carved valleys, that remain after glaciation and
explain the lines of evidence that demonstrate how a glaciation period is a catastrophic geologic event.
 Student can explain and describe the difference between depositional and erosional glacial processes.
Skill:




Student will know how to conduct a controlled experiment, and test a hypothesis about a relationship
between two variables.
Student will be able to generate a scientific conclusion from an investigation using inferential logic, and
be able to clearly distinguish between results (evidence) and conclusions (explanation).
Student will be able to describe the differences between an objective summary of the findings and an
inference made from the findings.
Student will be able to create a model to represent the behavior of a glacial systems dynamics and use
the model to explore the relationship between two variables and point out how the model or
simulation is similar to or different from the actual phenomenon.
Science Concept Background:
This lab was created for middle and high school students by Leigh Stearns and Gordon Hamilton from the
Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine. The project is suggested as a stand-alone project,
however, it would be an appropriate supplement during the Washington state “Earth and Space Science”
curriculum.
This activity is a hands-on lab that helps students describe how glacier mass balance is affected by a changing
climate. The students make a glacier using glue, water and detergent ("flubber”) and construct a glacial valley
using plastic sheeting or PVC drain piping. Students explore how glaciers may respond to physical changes in
the environment by manipulating the valley slope, "flubber" temperature, and basal conditions. The students
then calculate the "flubber" velocity for each scenario.
Materials:
Note: The following materials are listed for one group of 3 or 4 students. The flubber recipe will need to be
completed 3 times in each group for them to represent the 3 different stages of ice- cold (blue), normal
(white, no food color) and warm (pink).
Mix #1
¾ cup of warm water
1 cup of white glue
Blue (cold ice) and red (warm ice) food coloring
Mix #2
2 tsp of Borax
½ cup of warm water
Model (for each group):
3 halved 4” PVC drain pipes (~4 ft long)
1- ~12X12 inch sheet Sand paper
1- ~12X12 inch sheet of foil
Tbl spoon of vegetable oil
Tape or glue to secure linings (sand paper and foil) for the PVC pipes
Something stable to incline the PVC pipes
Procedure:
A PowerPoint handout is attached containing information about how glaciers are formed and examples of
both an advanced and basic version of this lab. The materials listed here are for the more basic lab set-up.
Additional resources on glaciers and more advanced methods for carrying out this lab are listed below in the
“Supplements” section.
Flubber
The ingredients needed to make the flubber recipe are divided into “Mix #1” and “Mix #2” in the materials
section above. Stir the ingredients for mixture #1 and #2 separately, until both are well mixed. Pour mix #1
into mix #2 and a big glob of flubber will form. Work it for 2-3 minutes and drain any excess water. The lab
requires that there are 3 types of glacial ice (cold, normal and warm) so each group will make 3 batches of
flubber for their experiment.
After the flubber has been made each type will have to have its temperature adjusted. The blue represents
cold ice so you will want to have all of the groups make that one first and then place it in a freezer while the
other two types are being made. The white flubber is normal ice so it remains at room temperature for the
experiment. The warm ice, which is pink, needs to be placed in a microwave until it is hot (not too hot to hold
though).
The Glacier Experiment
Flubber behaves just like ice. At low stresses it deforms plastically. But at high stresses (like when you pull it
apart) it undergoes brittle failure. Ice deforms plastically most of the time -- that's what allows it to flow.
When brittle failure occurs, crevasses open up.




To begin let the flubber flatten out from a round lump into a flat pancake. Use a 4" PVC drain pipe that has
been pre-cut in half lengthwise to simulate a valley.
Each group will receive 3 PVC pipes, these pipes represent the basal conditions of the glacier: rough (sand
paper), lubricated (contains the foil and oil) and normal (unlined PVC pipe). The photographs below show
how the lab should look when properly set-up.
You can incline the pipe and see how fast the flubber flows. Note that the flow is slower near the sides of
the pipe because of friction from the valley walls. The oil on the foil is used to wet the pipe so that the
flubber flows faster. Adjusting the temperatures of the flubber (putting the blue in the freezer and pink in
the microwave) will allow students to compare how flow dynamics are affected by temperature changes.
Attached is a worksheet for the flubber experiment, it includes space for the student to record their
hypothesis, a data table, and a section to summarize and conclude their results.
Key questions:
 How does slope affect the flow speed of the glacier?
 How does the temperature of the ice change affect glacier dynamics?
 Do basal conditions affect the flow dynamics of a glacier?
Teaching Tips:



Be sure to thoroughly read the model procedure for set up and analysis, this lab can be simplified for
elementary and middle school students or made more complex for high school and college students.
If you are trying to complete the experiment in one class period you may want to make the flubber ahead
of time or have the mixtures pre-measured for each group so that they can begin right away.
Another time saver for this lab would be to pre-line the PVC pipes with the foil and oil (for the lubricated
bed), and sand paper (for the rough bed). Remember the normal bed is represented by the unlined PVC
pipe.
Safety Warning:
Borax and glue are toxic and should not be ingested.
Supplements:
Refer to the attachments for additional information about glaciers and directions. As noted an example
student worksheet is also attached.
Resource to learn more about glacier dynamics and hazards (also contains information about glaciers in the
Pacific Northwest): http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/Glaciers/description_glaciers_hazards.html
Model setup and analysis suggestions: http://www.ume.maine.edu/USITASE/teachers/activityideas.html
Author: Tabitha Trosper, Yakima WATERS Project, CWU, Winter 2011