Glaciation: Shaping the Landscape
This lesson introduces Year 8 students to the 'frozen' part of the hydrological cycle. Students will learn how ice shapes the landscape through powerful erosional processes and be able to identify distinct landforms found in glaciated upland areas like the Lake District or the Alps.
Learning objectives
- Define what a glacier is and explain the process of glacial formation.
- Describe the two main processes of glacial erosion: plucking and abrasion.
- Identify and explain the formation of at least three glacial landforms (e.g., U-shaped valleys, corries, arêtes).
- Analyse the impact of climate change on glacial retreat.
Lesson plan (60 minutes)
Starter · 5 min
Do Now: Recap of the Water Cycle and introduction to 'Ice'. Students list three places where ice is found on Earth.
Introduction · 15 min
Direct Instruction: Teacher uses the Explainer to talk through glacier formation and movement. Students note down key vocabulary.
Development · 10 min
Worked Example: Step-by-step breakdown of how a V-shaped valley becomes a U-shaped valley. Focus on 'Plucking' and 'Abrasion'.
Main Activity · 20 min
Differentiated Worksheet Activity: Students complete Support, Core, or Stretch tasks based on prior attainment.
Plenary · 10 min
8-Question Multiple Choice Quiz to check for understanding and address misconceptions.
Key vocabulary
- Accumulation
- The area at the top of a glacier where snow builds up.
- Ablation
- The melting of ice at the bottom (snout) of a glacier.
- Abrasion
- A process of erosion where rocks embedded in the ice grind against the bedrock.
- Plucking
- A process of erosion where ice freezes onto rock and pulls it away as the glacier moves.
- Corrie (or Cirque)
- A bowl-shaped hollow on a mountainside formed by glacial erosion.
Core worksheet (first questions)
- Explain the process of how snow turns into glacial ice.
- Describe the difference between 'plucking' and 'abrasion'.
- Compare a V-shaped valley with a U-shaped valley. How are they different?
- What is a corrie and how does it form?
Quiz (sample)
1. What is the primary force that causes a glacier to move downhill?
- A. Wind
- B. Gravity
- C. Magnetism
- D. Ocean currents
2. Which process involves ice freezing onto rock and pulling fragments away?
- A. Abrasion
- B. Plucking
- C. Attrition
- D. Solution
3. What landform is created when a glacier widens a river valley?
- A. A V-shaped valley
- B. A U-shaped valley
- C. A meander
- D. A delta
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