Educational worksheet about glaciers and glacial landforms, including formation and effects.
A worksheet titled "The Glacial Glide" explaining how glaciers form, with text, images of a glacial erratic and a glacial landform, and questions about glacial movement.
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: The Glacial Glide, Lesson Plans - The Mailbox
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: The Glacial Glide, Lesson Plans - The Mailbox
Absolutely! Let’s go through each question one by one, using the information from the text and image you provided.
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1. How are glaciers formed?
✔ Answer:
Glaciers form as layers of snow build up over many years. The weight of the snow packs together the bottom layers and turns them into ice. Over time, more snow and ice accumulate. When the glacier becomes thick enough (over 30-60 meters or 100 feet), it starts to move or flow downhill due to its own weight.
📌 *Explanation:* This is directly stated in the first paragraph: “A glacier forms as layers of snow build up... The weight of the snow packs together the bottom layers and forms ice. Over many years, the snow and ice accumulate... When glaciers are at least 30-60 meters, or 100 feet, thick and cover 100,000 square meters or more, the ice and snow mass is so great that it moves, or flows, downhill.”
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2. A football field’s area is about 5,851.79 square meters. About how many football fields would fit on a glacier with an area of 100,000 square meters?
✔ Answer:
About 17 football fields would fit.
📌 *Calculation:*
Divide the glacier’s area by the area of one football field:
> 100,000 ÷ 5,851.79 ≈ 17.09
So, approximately 17 full football fields can fit.
📌 *Note:* Since we’re asked “about how many,” rounding to the nearest whole number is appropriate.
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3. Describe what happens when a glacier flows downhill.
✔ Answer:
As a glacier flows downhill, it reshapes the land it travels over. It wears away at rocks, soil, and even trees. The ice picks up large rocks and carries them along. Rocks, dirt, and even trees get pushed ahead or out of the way of the glacier. Along its path, the glacier deposits bits and pieces of the material it has picked up — this is called glacial till. Nothing remains the same after a glacier passes by.
📌 *Explanation:* This is summarized from the second paragraph: “As it flows, a glacier reshapes the land... It wears away or erodes, the rock and soil under it... The ice mass picks up large rocks and carries them downhill... Rocks, dirt, and even trees get pushed ahead or out of the way... Along its path, a glacier deposits bits and pieces of the matter it has picked up.”
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4. Something that erratic wanderers around. How do you think the glacial erratic got its name?
✔ Answer:
The term “glacial erratic” likely comes from the word “erratic,” which means something that wanders or strays from a normal path. Glacial erratics are large boulders that were carried far away from their original location by a glacier and then dropped in a new place — often far from similar rock types. So they “wandered” across the landscape, ending up in unexpected places — hence, “erratic.”
📌 *Explanation:* The text says: “A boulder like this is called a glacial erratic. It was picked up by a glacier and then dropped in a field far away.” The word “erratic” implies irregular movement or displacement — exactly what happened to these boulders!
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5. The world’s fastest moving glacier moved an average of 112 meters a day. Do you think the glacier was moving fast enough that people could see it move? Why or why not?
✔ Answer:
No, people probably could not see it move with the naked eye in real time.
📌 *Why?*
Even though 112 meters per day sounds fast for a glacier, it’s still very slow when broken down:
- 112 meters per day = about 4.67 meters per hour.
- That’s only about 1.3 centimeters per minute — less than the width of your fingernail every minute!
People need to see movement happen within seconds or minutes to perceive it visually without tools. Since glaciers move so slowly — even the fastest ones — you’d need time-lapse photography or survey markers over days/weeks to notice the change.
📌 *Bonus:* Some glaciers can move faster during surges, but even then, motion is usually imperceptible without instruments.
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✔ Final Summary:
1. Glaciers form from packed snow turning to ice over time, becoming heavy enough to flow.
2. ~17 football fields fit on a 100,000 m² glacier.
3. Glaciers reshape land, carry rocks, and deposit debris as they flow.
4. “Erratic” means wandering — boulders were carried far from home by glaciers.
5. No, 112 meters/day is too slow to see with the naked eye — it’s just 1.3 cm/min.
Let me know if you’d like a printable version or visual diagrams to go with this! 🧊🏔️
---
1. How are glaciers formed?
✔ Answer:
Glaciers form as layers of snow build up over many years. The weight of the snow packs together the bottom layers and turns them into ice. Over time, more snow and ice accumulate. When the glacier becomes thick enough (over 30-60 meters or 100 feet), it starts to move or flow downhill due to its own weight.
📌 *Explanation:* This is directly stated in the first paragraph: “A glacier forms as layers of snow build up... The weight of the snow packs together the bottom layers and forms ice. Over many years, the snow and ice accumulate... When glaciers are at least 30-60 meters, or 100 feet, thick and cover 100,000 square meters or more, the ice and snow mass is so great that it moves, or flows, downhill.”
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2. A football field’s area is about 5,851.79 square meters. About how many football fields would fit on a glacier with an area of 100,000 square meters?
✔ Answer:
About 17 football fields would fit.
📌 *Calculation:*
Divide the glacier’s area by the area of one football field:
> 100,000 ÷ 5,851.79 ≈ 17.09
So, approximately 17 full football fields can fit.
📌 *Note:* Since we’re asked “about how many,” rounding to the nearest whole number is appropriate.
---
3. Describe what happens when a glacier flows downhill.
✔ Answer:
As a glacier flows downhill, it reshapes the land it travels over. It wears away at rocks, soil, and even trees. The ice picks up large rocks and carries them along. Rocks, dirt, and even trees get pushed ahead or out of the way of the glacier. Along its path, the glacier deposits bits and pieces of the material it has picked up — this is called glacial till. Nothing remains the same after a glacier passes by.
📌 *Explanation:* This is summarized from the second paragraph: “As it flows, a glacier reshapes the land... It wears away or erodes, the rock and soil under it... The ice mass picks up large rocks and carries them downhill... Rocks, dirt, and even trees get pushed ahead or out of the way... Along its path, a glacier deposits bits and pieces of the matter it has picked up.”
---
4. Something that erratic wanderers around. How do you think the glacial erratic got its name?
✔ Answer:
The term “glacial erratic” likely comes from the word “erratic,” which means something that wanders or strays from a normal path. Glacial erratics are large boulders that were carried far away from their original location by a glacier and then dropped in a new place — often far from similar rock types. So they “wandered” across the landscape, ending up in unexpected places — hence, “erratic.”
📌 *Explanation:* The text says: “A boulder like this is called a glacial erratic. It was picked up by a glacier and then dropped in a field far away.” The word “erratic” implies irregular movement or displacement — exactly what happened to these boulders!
---
5. The world’s fastest moving glacier moved an average of 112 meters a day. Do you think the glacier was moving fast enough that people could see it move? Why or why not?
✔ Answer:
No, people probably could not see it move with the naked eye in real time.
📌 *Why?*
Even though 112 meters per day sounds fast for a glacier, it’s still very slow when broken down:
- 112 meters per day = about 4.67 meters per hour.
- That’s only about 1.3 centimeters per minute — less than the width of your fingernail every minute!
People need to see movement happen within seconds or minutes to perceive it visually without tools. Since glaciers move so slowly — even the fastest ones — you’d need time-lapse photography or survey markers over days/weeks to notice the change.
📌 *Bonus:* Some glaciers can move faster during surges, but even then, motion is usually imperceptible without instruments.
---
✔ Final Summary:
1. Glaciers form from packed snow turning to ice over time, becoming heavy enough to flow.
2. ~17 football fields fit on a 100,000 m² glacier.
3. Glaciers reshape land, carry rocks, and deposit debris as they flow.
4. “Erratic” means wandering — boulders were carried far from home by glaciers.
5. No, 112 meters/day is too slow to see with the naked eye — it’s just 1.3 cm/min.
Let me know if you’d like a printable version or visual diagrams to go with this! 🧊🏔️
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of glacier landforms worksheet.
