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David Milligan
Fantastic Geographies – Melting Ice
Rationale:
Climate change is prevalent in much of today’s media. The media focuses on the causes of climate change and the
direct effects through sea level rise. However we rarely hear about the melting Cryosphere as a whole and the
impacts this will have directly on people who rely directly and indirectly on the ice around the globe.
Learning outcomes:
Pupils will have a basic understanding of the greenhouse effect, causing the Cryosphere to melt. They will know
where all the Earth’s ice is stored and in what form and understand how scientists monitor the melting ice through
the use of GIS. Pupils will then understand the human aspects of the melting ice and how different groups are
affected and what can possibly be done in the future to reduce the problem.
Lesson
Key Question
1
What is causing the
Cryosphere to melt?
Outline
Introduction to the
greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse effect is natural
and we need it to support life.
Human’s actions are only
adding to the process.
-
2
Where is all the ice
Pupils know what the
and how is it stored? Cryosphere is and the ways
that ice is stored on the
Earth’s surface.
-
Activity
Connect the pictures – all
contributors to the greenhouse
effect.
Watch clip from the inconvenient
truth.
Mapping from memory – pupils to
recreate the image of the
greenhouse effect onto A3 sheets in
groups.
Discuss the graph showing Earth
temp and sea level rise.
Why is the sea level rising = melting
ice.
Google Earth tour and associated
worksheet on the Cryosphere and
different ice stores.
- Pupils use the internet and Google Earth
to find areas where ice is stored that are
not on the GE tour.
Resources
A3 greenhouse
diagram sheets.
Climate change
worksheet.
PowerPoint.
Google earth
overlay.
Croyosphere
worksheet.
3
4
5
How do we monitor
the melting ice?
Who is being
affected? (Case
study)
Use of remote sensing
imagery: satellites, aerial
photography and even
amateur photography.
On a local and global scale.
Inuits in Northern Canada who
are directly affected by the
loss of ice compared to how
people in Tuvalu may be
affected.
- Compare local to global
- Fresh water shortage
- Reduced agricultural output
- Hydroelectricity shortage
- Sea level rise – flooding
- Habitat loss.
- Sinking houses (permafrost)
What can be done to Change where and how people
reduce the impact?
live.
- Should we try and
reduce the impact of the
melting or try to reduce
the level of melting
through changing how
we live?
-
-
-
Pupils use before and after
photographs of glaciers and describe
the differences in each picture.
Pupils use the satellite image of the
Gangotri glacier to see/ work out
how much ice has melted and
complete associated worksheet.
Before and after
photographs
Pupil led task: Pupils draw out
information on the main effects of
the melting Cryosphere in a carousel
activity. Pupils visit 6 stations to
collect information.
6 x information
stations.
Using the information collected
pupils then complete two diary
entries on a day in the life of – Inuit
and Tuvalu resident.
Decision making task: Should we engineer
our way out of trouble or change how we
live to protect future generations?
- Look at how people in Norway etc are
coping with the melting ice/ permafrost.
Gangotri glacier
aerial photograph
Rulers
Worksheet/ diary
entry.