Franz Josef Glacier case study

There is a wealth of informational about this glacier. So many more websites and facts compared to the worlds largest one, so this is probably a better one to show students over the previous blog.

Information:

-Located on the west coast of New Zealand (Westlands National Park)
-Originated in the Southern Alps
-240-2700m above sea level, 11 km long
-Sits alongside greenery of  temperate rain forest

-Cyclic pattern of advance and retreat due to meltwater at the foot of the glacier.
-1940-80's was a retreat stage. 1984 saw the glacier advancing again until 1998 when it experienced rapid retreat
-Overall, it was retreated since the last ice age

-Huge tourism base here. Many tours of the glacier
-250,000 visitors a year
-Guided and unguided walks, yet now need a helicopter to reach them due to its unstable surface
-Has a little village 5km from the glacier

(Much more information and depth can be found on the internet, but above are the basics to develop lessons and ideas for work).


How this could be taught:
-Simply as a case study for an exam
-Split into social, economic and environmental impacts. Essays for and against the tourism/preservation here
-Mini debates. Get students to adopt the role of tourist/hotel/villagers/national park owner etc and argue why should be a destination for tourists or should it be left as a treasure
-Research topic for students to go get information on
-Develop a brochure on the area.
-File a government report against the use of the area as a tourist destination (Could adopt any sort of role and write reports for/against it)
-Make travel poster advertising it for tourists

Lambert Glacier

Some information/case study on the world's largest glacier.

-100km long, 400km wide, 2,500 deep
-Located in East Antarctica
-Appears to consist of a series of ice streams which flow into a tectonic depression. They are then channeled into an outer glacier which forms an ice shelf.
-Ice that forms is first came from the Antarctica Plateau
-Transports sediment from the interior of the Plateau to Prydz Bay
-Prydz bay is where the Amery ice sheet overhangs
-Drain around 12% of the East Antarctica ice volume
-One of the most closely watched glaciers due the the amount of ice it drains
-Moves around 400-800 metres a year
-Amery Ice shelve moves significantly faster at 1000m-1200m
-Losing as much ice as its eastern counterparts.
-Statelite technology is used to track the movement and changes with a glacier.

This case study could be set as a research topic where students work in groups/alone and report back on what they have found and compile a class case study or just keep the work for their own case study. These should be emphasised as important especially for exam questions. Pictures and diagrams can also be added to the case study.

RGS website

http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Schools/Teaching+resources/Key+Stage+3+resources/Glacial+environments/Glacial+environments.htm

This link is for the Royal Geographical Society. I did not realise that they actually have lesson information for teaching on here and it is broken down into Key Stages and has a variety of material which has already been targeted for different age groups. Thus, this is a fantastic website to refer to when doing lesson planning, especially on topic which you might not know as much about as the information has already been sieved down.

For glaciers:
-Overview
-What students should know by the end of the topic
-Film segments
-Web resources
-Back catalogues of information from National Geographic
-Cross curricular segments (mainly to science and citizenship for this topic)
-Things to download
-Where in the world is ice?
-Why are our glaciers shrinking?
-Living with glaciers
-What land forms of erosion will disappearing ice reveal.
-How will melting glaciers affect people in the UK/other countries

Under each of the above topics from 'Where in the world is ice' to the last one, the topics have been broken down into different sections and are not just a bulk of information. Key question and concepts are raised initially so show what the section is about and what is to be learnt from the topic. There is even an interactive section at the bottom where students/teachers can review all/part of the topic. This interaction part would be useful if the school is really up to date with technology or a computer room was available. Homework could also be set using this, as long as rooms are available at lunch for those who do not have access at home.

Exemplar starters, mains and plenaries are included on the website as well. These a good idea to use/base lessons on, however lesson can be adapted as you see fit/necessary for the types of learners within a class.

The informational under the topics could be split over several lessons, especially for year 7's as it would be too much information to take in and different types of activities and ways of learning could be weaved in to the information. However, it is a good website as a starting point for information, rather than trekking through thousands of irrelevant sites.

Classroom idea - with resource

Using this website:
http://www.windows2universe.org/teacher_resources/glacier_then_now.pdf
The website has a range of glacier pictures of then and now. It also has a linked website with a lesson plan using these pictures

Ideas include:
-matching the old glacier with the new one (Here, you could get students to say why they think it is the same glacier. Get them to focus on the landscape and use vocab associated with changing landscapes)
-Get the students to talk about climate change (Students here should be encouraged to use retreating words and how glaciers are formed/change).
-Talk about the affects of climate change on the world today. If glaciers get smaller, what will change (Linking to the wider world of geography, not just glaciers).
-The Human Affect (How humans contribute to the changes in glaciers and how humans are affected by the change in glaciers).

David Attenborough

I thought there would be some better glacier clips than what I found earlier in my blogging entries if I searched for David Attenborough. This first one is only 1.30min long and is quite good to see quickly and clearly the size of glaciers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fBg8XcCcc8

4 natural world BBC documentaries can be found in full on Youtube. Segments as these can be used in lessons (not just glaciers but other topics which may come up later in the year). The episodes are 1 hour long which I think it too much to expect students to sit through and pay attention through. I'm sure they would rather watch it than do work, but they might not be paying attention so clips could be used to illustrate points. Also, the pitch sometimes of these programmes may be too much, especially for younger years and some content may not be relevant to what is needed to be studied.

Also found
-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQDJk9M-kf0
Actually quite like this little gem. Has gap fills followed by the answer. Gives definition of something glacier related e.g. ice sheets. Also mentions the Titantic, but the film Ice Age which could also be used with younger years. I'm sure there must be some reference to glaciers and I don't mind watching them to find out. Maybe a screen shot could be used in KS3 lessons e.g. draw and label and it could also link to historical events making it cross curricular. This could then feed into climate change issues as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wvs_Tl1CE7c&feature=list_other&playnext=1&list=SPFB6BFF18CBD6ABEB
BBC stock of the Frozen planet. The images captured on this series are fantastic and hopefully might stimulate and engage students just from the fantastic camera work. Even though some of it may not be relevant to learning, if a 2-3 min clip gets students interested, it may be worthwhile for the 20 seconds of information extracted from it.
-Even though full episodes of the Frozen Planet cannot be found on Youtube, I am sure they are available on DVD and could be a worthy investment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrgqRKRvmsE
This is the same sort of idea I was talking about above. Even though the clips focus mainly around the animals, this could be a starting talking point for a younger years lesson e.g. Where do these animals live, what do they need to survive and link this to the environment and landscape which can be also seen in the video. A video like this plays into more interesting viewing and thus hopefully makes it more memorable and makes the students more engaged. It is less than 4 minutes long and could provide a good started activity. The images shown in the clip are just fantastic

Titantic

I thought the Titantic story line may somehow be of use when learning about glaciers. The story I assume is pretty much universally known, especially after the re release of the film and the 100 year anniversary, making it fresh in students minds. An exert from the film could be shown to visualise what a mass of ice looks like. Even though it is an iceberg, this could be the starting point, especially for those who have no idea what glaciers are. Questions could then be asked e.g. what do you think it is made from, where did this come from, where do you think they are in the world to build up an idea and sense surrounding glaciers. (Some of the answers could actually come from the film itself e.g. somewhere cold, yet encouragement could be used to think where they might be in the world. It would have to be stated that a glacier is not an iceberg, however it might be easier for year 7's to think of a glacier as a giant iceberg that is located on the land rather than floating around at sea. 

After reading some information about primary schools and cross-curricular activities, this Titantic idea may link into that. Students may have studied the Titanic or watched the film in an English lesson so could have an idea about the story line and the history which could be weaved into how we think about glaciers/icebergs in geography. 

Also, the film is easy enough to get hold off/find on youtube which makes it an easy opener or main for a lesson. Screen shots could also be taken to show the size of the iceberg so students can visualise the 'giant iceberg' aka the glacier. 

What if the students have no idea what a glacier is?

A comment from Phil highlighted this and this is such an important and valid point.

What is the students have no idea what a glacier is? They have never seen one or heard of one and cannot relate to it. The latter point was sometimes my issue with physical geography - I just could not relate to it and it therefore did not interest me and I found it harder to learn about.

Therefore, an initial starting point should be with the idea that students (may) have no idea what a glacier is. At the moment, I am doing my preliminary placement in a primary school with year 5/6's so with them in mind,  here are a few ways glaciers could be introduced:

-Simply pictures of Antarctica etc and getting them to describe what they see. See what words they can come up with. Powerpoints are a good way of doing this
-Finding some video content which is relateable with the age group who are learning about the subject. (There was a TV show from 2005 on the BBC for children called serious Arctic. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1963777/ states if you sign up you can watch the episode where the children visit a glacier. 25 mins log. Also http://musaddiqia.blog.com/2012/06/14/hd-dvd-serious-arctic-online/ Really hope these are not an illegal sites.) Anyway, I vaguely remember watching a similar programme to this when I was younger about the Amazon I think. It's produced by the BBC for CBBC. It takes a bunch of kids to the Arctic and they have to visit areas, do tasks and live out there. All aged 12-14. This one particular episode they visit a glacier and actually get stuck there showing to to be an extreme landscape. Most importantly, it is written by 12-14year old for this age group, sharing their experiences and it teaches children through other children, which hopefully they can relate to. Of course, it would not be the be all and end all of glaciers, but it might be a way to introduce the topic so the studetns can get a rough idea about glaicers and see others there and hear about their perspective. It also allows emersion in the topic without the students fully realise they are learning.


However, after watching the Solo Taxonomy video, it is also important to recognise and establish what students already do know. This could be done prior to them even seeing a picture and just hearing the word.

Glacier classification

Just read a comment from Phil stating that I should think about glacier classification, so here is some information on that:

Glacier Classification

Glaciers are classified by either their temperature (warm or cold) or by their geographical location
WARM/COLD
This refers to how a glacier moves across the ground
WARM - underneath the glacier, a film provides lubrication for the glacier to move across the bed. Most Arctic glaciers are warm
-Form at low altitude e.g. French Alps
-High altitude on the glacier and steep relief as the lack of precipitation and warmer temperatures make this necessary
-Base temperature at/close to melting point = pressure causing melting. Some glaciers are in retreat

COLD - do not have this film and are frozen to the bed. Movement for them is slow and only occurs when ice crystals change.
-Generally high altitude, polar areas e.g. Antarctica
-Temperature at the base is below pressure melting point
-Protect the landscape

N.B.
-Basal temperature is important as this determines how quickly glaciers move

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION (Previous blog links to this). Each glacier in its own geographical location has its own special characteristics. N.B. -These can be broken down into further classification by the characteristics. This is especially true is defining them by alpine and continental

I found another source which states that glaciers do not have to be solely defined by the two above categories and are sometimes also alpine/mountain and continental glaciers. Another grouping also stated is constrained and unconstrained which is based on whether ice flow is constrained by topographical features. However, I think what matters most is consistency in what term is used, so whatever is chosen/whatever materials used should state the same so students do not think there are hundreds of different classifications. Nevertheless, this is not to say they should not be made aware of them

Activity for glacier types

The website where I found the information on the different types of glaciers is jammed packed with information on glaciers. Even though the information as times is not in too much depth, it actually makes it easier to understand (as I have never learnt this before) and thus easier and quicker for me to word it differently and put my own spin on it. They have a section dedicated to some of the glacier types, with pictures and examples of them. This could be used as a activity e.g. match the type of glacier to its picture to make it more interesting. Also. mini drawings could be used next to the types as somethings image need to be drawn for exams etc to this might be a helpful way of learning.

Types of galcier

What types of glaciers are there?

Ice Sheets

-Only found in Antarctica and Greenland

-Huge mass of ice and snow (50,000sq km)

Ice Shelves

-When an ice sheet extents over the sea and floats on water

-100-1000 metres thick

-Mainly around Antarctica

-When they retreat, this is an indication of climate change

-Larsen Ice Shelf has been retreating since 1998

Ice Caps

-Mini ice sheets (less than 50,000sq km)
-Usually in polar and sub-polar regions
-Flat and tall

Ice Streams and Outlet Glaciers

-Channelled glaciers that flow rapidly compared to the rest of the ice

Icefields

-Similar to ice caps

-Flow is determined by underlying topography

-Smaller than ice caps

Mountain Glaciers

-In high mountain regions

-Flow out of an ice field

-Can be seen in Canada, the Andres, Alaska

Valley Glaciers

-Originate from mountain glaciers or ice fields

-Flow down valleys

-Can be long and flow beyond the snow line

Piedmont Glaciers

-When steep valley glaciers flow to flat plains

-Malaspina glacier in Alaska prime example

Cirque Glaciers

-Occupy blow-like holes

-Usually found in high mountainside.

-Tend to be wide and long

Hanging Glaciers

-Cling to steep mountainsides

-Wider and long

-Common on the Alps where they cause avalanches

Tidewater Glaciers

-Reach the sea

-Carve icebergs

(Adapted from http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/glaciers/questions/types.html)

Random news article

Just reading through the daily mail website to catch up on the celebrity gossip and I stumbled across this little article...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2197174/First-World-War-ammunition-frozen-time-nearly-century-glacier-melts.html

The article talk about how WW1 ammunition has been found after a glacier melted in Italy. The bullets were spread over 100 squared metres of the glacier. The ammunition was both Austrio-Hungarian and Italian.

Thought this article was something interesting and different and it highlights how glaciers are continually changing. It is also a mini-ish case study which could be weaved into some learning. The idea of finding a newspaper article about glaciers which is not typically academic could be used as a homework piece as it is more fun and interesting, yet it also taps into the idea of continual change on planet earth. Students could feedback on the article from a different perspective e.g. write the article with the glacier at the fore-front and the main stories used as a the sub-story to see how they can link it to previous learning.

Maps of glaciers

I thought it would be useful to have a pictorial illustration of where glaciers are found in the world. (The images are from http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthglacier.html)

The map below shows where glaciers are found in the world today. The white areas show where glaciers are and the white spots in the ocean show where glaciers are found at sea. Most notably, Antarctica has the most glaciers.

After my previous blog where I stated it might be important/useful to look at the past ice ages, I also found a map which shows how glaciers have changed since then. Visually seeing this and hearing a teacher say this/read the information themselves would help reinforce the knowledge with the students and hopefully help it to be committed to memory. 

The map shows that during the last ice age, much of the northern hemisphere was covered in glaciers. however the map also shows that much of the world has glaciers and ice including Asia and the USA. It might also be useful to mention when showing the two maps that climate changes today still affect glaciers.  

-->These two maps could be used as in an activity e.g. 'spot the difference' style. This would allow students to familiarise themselves with different parts of the world and state how they have changed. It might also be useful to ask 'why?' and see if they can think why we have less glaciers today (linking to things such as climate change, increase in GHG's etc). This 'why' question can be developed and extended further with older years and push them to think more and more as to why things have changed, rather than just accepting 'It's got hotter'. Push them to say why is it hotter, who has done this, when did this occur, how did it occur etc. 

Background info

As maybe an introduction to the topic of glaciers, a mini snapshot of glacial history could be taught. This would mainly be as a background and basis for the students to reference, but it also would give a grounding to the topic. It is probably not essential but could potentially be worthwhile mentioning. Obvious statements could be included here about glaciers. Even though some students may already know this, it would at least put every student at the same level of initial learning by giving a simple overview. A random fact section could be used as part of an activity to see which facts around glaciers are true to see what the students already know/can deduce.

Glaciers
-A mass of ice which moves slowly downhill
-Found at high altitude across the world
-Formation of glaciers and the way in which they shape our landscape is known as glaciation

History

-During the last ice age (18,000 years ago) ice covered 30% of the world-Ice remained on the land all year round
-Evidence of previous ice ages can be noted in the Lake District

Random Facts

10. Approximately 10 percent of the Earth is covered by glaciers; during the last Ice Age, they covered one-third of the Earth’s surface.

9. Glacier ice is the largest reservoir of fresh water on the planet, storing an estimated 75 percent of the world’s supply.

8. Glaciers are found in 47 countries.

7. A glacier can range in length from the equivalent of a football field to more than 100 miles.

6. The Antarctic ice sheet is actually a glacier and has existed for at least 40 million years. If it were to melt in its entirety, sea levels would rise 210 feet worldwide, according to the U.S. Geological Service.

5. Though it sits on the equator, Mount Kilimanjaro is glaciated.

4. On steep slopes, a glacier can be as thin as 50 feet.

3. Mountain valleys are typically “V” shaped before being taken oven by a glacier; during glaciation, the valley widens and deepens and thus becomes “U” shaped.

2. A single glacier ice crystal can grow to be as large as a baseball.

1. Alaska is estimated to have more than 100,000 glaciers. Most remain unnamed.