Melting Glaciers
Extended questions
9. What happens when ice caps melt?
1. Animals food supply and habitat will be affected. Many animals depend on the glaciers for food. When the food supply is disturbed then the whole food web is affected. Some depend on the temperature of the glacier for survival.
2. Fresh water shortage. Many on earth depend on the melting water from glaciers for their fresh
water supply through lakes and rivers. The melted water gets renewed as
ice on the glacier through a process known as precipitation. In many
parts of the world this is the 'only' source of fresh water supply
throughout the year.
3. Rise in sea level. As the ice caps melt the water level rises. When the water level rises there could be flooding in low laying coastal areas.When this happens Animals will have to move farther inland for food and shelter. Many plants will be lost and some species will not survive.
4. Coral reefs will vanish. Coral reefs depend on sunlight for photosynthesis. When the water level increases the amount of sunlight that reaches the reefs will decreases. With a decrease in sunlight the amount of photosynthesis will also decrease. The animals that depend on the reef for food will not survive or move to find food.
b.
What other questions do you have about this Science Inquiry Experience?
1. How can I incorporate a wide variety of technology into this lesson?
2. How can this lesson be differentiated?
3. How quickly will the melting occur?
Hi,
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I am glad that you mentioned the corral reefs, I had not even thought about that aspect of marine life.
One way you could differentiate would be to include reading material at different levels. There are numerous books and articles that you could incorporate based on students readiness levels.
Shannon - I never thought about how some people rely on the melting ice caps for fresh water. I agree with Candace, good point on the coral reefs, I did not think of them.
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