Center Science Education
Model a Moving Glacier
Glaciologists in your class make models of glaciers to simulate how they move down a valley, and then they use it to test any aspect of glacier movement. Not only is this a vivid visual of how these monsters of ice flow, but it is also...
Curated OER
Glacier Flow
Students investigate how glaciers flow through valleys. They answer discussion questions, and in small groups create a simulation of a glacier using a plastic shoe box, water, cornstarch, and pebbles, evaluating their results on a...
Curated OER
Glacier Dynamics
Students create flubber glaciers. In this glacier dynamics lesson, students experiment factors that may affect glacier speed. Factors include slope, ice temperature, and basal conditions. Students develop hypothesis, conduct experiment,...
Curated OER
Glacier Climbing
Students model the movement of a valley glacier by using a cornstarch mixture to test the rate at which it flows when poured on a titled surface. Students model how a valley glacier flows by using a super thick, viscous fluid. They...
Curated OER
Glacier Climbing
Students discover where glaciers exist and how they move. In this glacier instructional activity, students work in groups to create a glacier in a replica valley and observe its properties.
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Glacier Slide
Students conduct an experiment. In this glaciers lesson, students learn about glaciers and then perform an experiment to show how glaciers shape the landscape around them. Students draw a picture in their journals to illustrate their...
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Forecasting the Path of Mudflows
Learners watch a demonstration to introduce them to the consistency of mudflows and how they move. In groups, they compare and contrast volcanic avalanches and mudflows. They create their own model of a volcano, simulate how it erupts...
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Glacier Climbing
Learners discuss glaciers and the current distribution of glaciers around the Earth. They create simulated glaciers using cornstarch, shoeboxes, water, and pebbles.
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Go With the Flow
Students experiment with a simulated river bed and examine how erosion takes place faster with a young, fast-moving river than with a slow, older river.
Curated OER
Glaciers Enrichment
For this glaciers enrichment worksheet, students complete 9 different descriptions of things related to glaciers. First, they define the zone of accumulation and the zone of ablation. Then, students describe the calving process and rock...
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Climatic Changes
In this weather instructional activity, learners read an excerpt describing the climate and extinction. Then they explain what the climate was like during the Age of Dinosaurs. Students also determine some factors that affected the...
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Physical Properties of Ice
Students explore the different properties of ice. They make predictions and experment with ice. Students discover that ice melts faster under pressure. Students create a flipbook what what happened after each experiment. This lesson...
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Sculptured Landscapes
Students research glaciers, how they are formed and what kind of landforms they carve out of the rock they pass over. They organize their findings into a mock newscast in a presentation for the class.
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Gliding Glaciers
Glaciers are the star of the show in this Earth science lesson. In it, learners gain an understanding of how glaciers are formed, how they move, and what types of landforms they create. This lesson plan is written in the classic format,...
National Park Service
Erosion
A set of PowerPoint slides supports a lecture or class review of weathering and erosion. Viewers learn the definition of each and examine various photos for evidence. Erosion is further depicted as caused by wind, water, and ice....
Curated OER
Lesson 4: Fire, Rock, and Water
You can demonstrate the destructive force of volcanic mudflows to your early earth scientists using this lesson plan. Messy, but memorable, the two demonstrations require some preparation. Use one or both! Included is a link to activity...
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Volcanoes!: Forecasting the Path of Mudflows
Young scholars construct a mockup of a volcano by crumbling up newspapers and piling them into the shape of a volcano. They place a tarp over the newspapers making sure the tarp is large enough to simulate a flat area at the volcano's...
Curated OER
Changing Energy: Landforms and Dance
Third graders choreograph a dance to represent the changes in nature. In this dance and nature lesson plan, 3rd graders use sharp quick movements to demonstrate changes.
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Earth's Water Sources
General facts about Earth's water sources, human use, and the water cycle are outlined by this presentation. Slide three has a grammatical error and slide nine refers to the local watershed of the author, so you will need to make a few...
National Park Service
The Water Cycle Game
Take young scientists on a trip through the water cycle with this interactive science activity. After setting up a series of ten stations representing the different places water can be found, children use the included printable dice to...
Curated OER
Boundaries and People
Students map watersheds to find their boundaries. In this watershed activity students map and then give their "watershed address." Students show the trail from stream, larger stream to oceans. Students describe the boundaries of the...
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Wolves: DNA Pawprinting
A mystery canine was shot and killed near Yellowstone National Park in the early '90s. Genetics whizzes explain how they might go about identifying whether the animal was a true grey wolf or a hybrid. A drawing of the animal's DNA bands...
Curated OER
Village Research
Sixth graders research global warming. In this science lesson, 6th graders collect data in the Waterton Townsite, Apgar Village and St. Mary area. Students interpret the data and form a hypothesis about global warming.
Curated OER
Forcasting the Path of Mudflows
Students visualize consistency of mudflows and how they move down stream valleys away from a volcano's summit. They use topographic maps of Mount St. Helens before the 1980 eruptions to forecast the path mudflows might take during an...