LEARNING RESOURCE GUIDE GRADES K - 3 INTRODUCTION 2 INTRODUCTION Ice Worlds 4-D Experience is a SimEx-Iwerks 4-D adaptation of an original BBC production that introduces students to how the power of the sun drives our world’s climate and affects the water cycle that gives life. It also explores how animals have adapted to the seasonal changes in temperature and light. INTRODUCTION 3 TEACHER BACKGROUND The sun does a lot more than mark the time between At the Arctic (North Pole) and in Antarctica day and night. It drives our planet’s changing seasons, (South Pole) the seasonal changes are even greater. powers the endless cycle of water, and is the source These areas are blanketed in total darkness during of energy for nearly every life form on our planet. their winter months and endure extremely cold temperatures, but are bathed in near constant Take the changing seasons for example. The predictable sunlight during the summer. succession of the four seasons – winter, spring, summer and fall – is a result of the Earth being tilted on its axis How do animals survive, find food and shelter, and as it orbits around the sun. The amount of energy care for their young through the changing seasons, received at the Earth’s surface from the sun changes especially at the polar extremes? Mother polar bears with each season. When it is summer in North America in the Arctic spend the dark cold winter months in a the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun, snow cave. It’s during this time that the mothers give which means that it receives more solar energy birth to their cubs. The mother does not eat, but uses than it does in the winter months when the northern the energy she stored up in the fall to nurse the cubs. hemisphere is tilted away from the sun. As a result of the tilting of the Earth summer days are warmer and longer than winter days. 4 INTRODUCTION TEACHER BACKGROUND In Antarctica, the emperor penguin survives the winter in Not only do the interactions between the sun one of the most inhospitable places on the planet where and oceans affect our seasons, they also have a temperatures can drop to -60 Celsius. It is during this tremendous impact on our weather patterns. In the time that the males cradle a single egg on top of their tropics, heat from the sun warms the oceans and feet covered by a pouch of warm feathery skin. After a evaporates water into the atmosphere. The water nine week incubation period the baby penguins hatch, condenses to form clouds and falls as rain far from co-inciding with the return of the females. where it evaporated.. Most of the rain we experience on land starts in the ocean. Hurricanes and monsoons are During their summer months, the Poles experience a examples of powerful weather systems that affect both period of constant sunlight. In the seas around the poles, the land and the animals and people that live there. sea ice melts and plankton thrive from the combination of near constant sunlight and the abundance of nutrients In the tropical regions the temperature and amount released from melting sea ice. The incredible abundance of daylight are constant throughout much of the year. of the tiny plankton provides food for organisms like krill. Instead of four seasons, these areas may experience just These in turn are food for even larger predators like two – typically one wet and one dry season. For animals the seals, which are hunted by whales. living in these areas being able to survive drought is critical until the rains come or they can find water. 5 INTRODUCTION 6 STANDARDS AND PRINCIPLES The Ice Worlds film and the activities in this resource guide support the following science standards and ocean and climate principles. NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS Content Standard B – Physical Sciences • Properties of objects and materials Content Standard C – Life Sciences • Characteristics of organisms • Life cycle of organisms • Organisms and environments OCEAN LITERACY PRINCIPLES #1. The Earth has one big ocean with many features. #3. The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate. #5. The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems. #6. The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected. STANDARDS AND PRINCIPLES STANDARDS CLIMATE LITERACY PRINCIPLES #1. Life on Earth has been shaped by, depends on, and affects climate. #3. The Sun is the primary source of energy for the climate system. #4. Earth’s weather and climate systems are the result of complex interactions. #5. Earth’s weather and climate vary over time and space. 7 ‘TIS THE SEASON DIRECTIONS TO TEACHERS: This activity is designed to introduce the concept of seasons and how they follow a predictable cycle. Discuss with your students the questions on the following page and ask them record their answers in the space provided. The Matching Game introduces students to some of the differences in each season, and asks them to put the seasons in their proper order. PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY 8 INTRODUCTION SEASON MATCHING GAME Match the season with the picture below that best describes it. SPRING FALL WINTER SUMMER ‘TIS THE SEASON What season is it now in your area? __________________________________________________________________________________ How do you know this? __________________________________________________________________________________ Put the seasons in the correct order. Start with the current season. Either write the name of the season in the space below, or draw or paste a picture of the symbol. ____________________ ____________________ ___________________ ____________________ How do you prepare for each season? __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ 9 WATER AND ICE DIRECTIONS TO TEACHERS: In this activity students discover what happens when water changes from a solid (ice) to a liquid (water), and back again. Learning that water can take many forms is central to understanding the water cycle. Ask the students to work in pairs and pass out an ice cube in a clear plastic cup to each group. Ask one student in each group to draw a picture of what he/she sees. Ask the other student to review the questions below and record their answers. PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY What is in the cup? __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Describe the ice. What does it look like? Feel like? __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ What is the ice made of? __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ 10 INTRODUCTION How is ice made? __________________________________________________________________________________ What will happen if we leave the ice out on the desk/table? Why? How do you know? How long might this take? __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ WATER AND ICE WATER Pour the ice into a container of a different shape or size. What does it look like now? __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Does it look the same or different? __________________________________________________________________________________ Has the shape of the ice changed? __________________________________________________________________________________ Why do you think that is? __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ 11 WATER AND ICE When the ice has completely melted, ask the students to make their final drawing and write their final description. DISCUSS AS A CLASS: • Everything changes and change occurs all the time. Some changes happen fast, others so slowly that we might not notice. Did the change in the water happen slowly or quickly? • How long did it take for the ice to turn into water? PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY Do you think that there is any way to speed up this change? How? (Place the cup in a warm, sunny location, etc.) • Is there any way to slow down this change? (Put the cup in an insulated cooler or refrigerator; place the cup in the shade, etc.) 12 INTRODUCTION EXTENSION ACTIVITY: In this activity students look at what happens to the amount of water as it changes from a solid to a liquid or from a liquid to a solid. They will learn that when water changes from liquid to solid ice and back again, the amount of water stays the same. Give each group a Ziploc baggie, some ice, paper towels, and a scale or balance. WATER AND ICE WATER Ask the students to put the ice into the baggie and seal it. Record the weight of the bag of ice. Be sure to wipe off any condensation on the outside of the baggie before weighing. Students weigh the baggie periodically until all the ice melts. Weigh the baggie a final time. If a freezer is available, re-freeze the baggies and weigh again when frozen. DISCUSS AS A CLASS: • Does the weight of the