Lesson summary
In this activity, students learn about the different causes of sea level rise. Students conduct experiments that demonstrate how ice shelf melting may not directly affect sea levels, but how ice cap melting would. Students use maps and geometry to estimate the volume of the Greenland ice cap and then, after doing some examples, they calculate the rise in sea level that would result if the entire ice cap were to melt. Students may then conduct further research to investigate the consequences of the sea cap melting for humans and other elements of our environment.
Learning intentions:
Students will...
- demonstrate that sea level rises can occur via different effects
- understand that the size of these rises can be calculated by well planned calculations.
Lesson guides and printables
Lesson details
Curriculum mapping
Australian Curriculum content descriptions:
Science Year 7:
- Water is an important resource that cycles through the environment (ACSSU116)
Science Year 8:
- Energy appears in different forms including movement (kinetic energy), heat and potential energy, and causes change within systems (ACSSU155)
Syllabus Outcomes: SC4-10PW, SC4-12ES.Â
Time required: 45 mins
Level of teacher scaffolding: Low – oversee activity
Resources required
- Internet access
- Printed worksheets, writing materials
- Ice, bucket or fish tank
- Other items depending upon student inquiry choices
Additional info
This is an original Cool.org lesson. Facts and figures in these lessons may have changed since this lesson was published. We always endeavour to update our resources in a timely manner, but if you see an error or issue in our resources please get in touch with us.
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