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Ice Ages & the Power of Glaciers
How do glaciers shape the land and change the course of life?

Key Ideas
Level 1

  • Ice Ages happened many times, not just once.
  • Huge glaciers covered large parts of the land.
  • Ice could change the shape of Earth’s surface.
  • Land bridges formed and disappeared, helping people and animals move.

Level 2
  • Repeated Ice Ages reshaped continents through erosion, deposition, and sea-level change.
  • Glaciers carved valleys, moved rocks, and altered ecosystems.
  • Lower sea levels exposed land bridges such as Beringia, connecting continents.
  • These changes influenced animal movement, human migration, and long-term ecological patterns.

Schedule

Day OneDay TwoDay ThreeDay Four
Main Lesson and/or StorySpine ReadingLiterature ExtensionExtension Videos or Books
Hands On Activity Art ExtensionTry something for "Other Activities"
Narration Page
or
Coloring Page
Notetaking Extension
ELA: Sentence ExpansionELA Page: Choose Another One

Hands-On Activity
Hands-On Glacier Movement 

Materials
  • Large tray, baking dish, or shallow bin
  • Damp sand, soil, or kinetic sand
  • Small rocks, pebbles, or gravel
  • A large block of ice (freeze water in a bowl or container)
  • Optional: food coloring (to visualize meltwater)
  • Paper towels

Timeline Entries
c. 2.6 million–11,700 years ago
Ice Ages and the Power of Glaciers
Repeated Ice Ages reshaped Earth’s surface as massive glaciers carved landscapes and lowered sea levels. Land bridges formed and disappeared, allowing animals and humans to migrate into new regions and permanently changing ecosystems across the globe.

Discussion Questions
Level 1
  1. What is a glacier?
    Sample answer: A giant sheet of ice that moves very slowly.
  2. What happens to land when ice moves over it?
    Sample answer: The ice can scrape, push, and change the land.

Level 2 
  1. How do glaciers physically reshape the land?
    Sample answer: Glaciers erode rock, carve valleys, and deposit sediment as they move.
  2. Why do land bridges form during Ice Ages?
    Sample answer: Water is locked in ice, lowering sea levels and exposing land.
  3. How did glaciation affect ecosystems?
    Sample answer: It forced species to migrate, adapt, or go extinct as habitats changed.
  4. Why are Ice Ages important to human history?
    Sample answer: Ice Age conditions shaped migration routes, resources, and where people could live.