LEARNING RESOURCE GUIDE
GRADES K - 3
INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION
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.
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BACKGROUND
TEACHER
INTRODUCTION
The sun does a lot more than mark the time between
day and night. It drives our planet’s changing seasons,
powers the endless cycle of water, and is the source
of energy for nearly every life form on our planet.
Take the changing seasons for example. The predictable
succession of the four seasons – winter, spring, summer
and fall – is a result of the Earth being tilted on its axis
as it orbits around the sun. The amount of energy
received at the Earth’s surface from the sun changes
with each season. When it is summer in North America
the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun,
which means that it receives more solar energy
than it does in the winter months when the northern
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.
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At the Arctic (North Pole) and in Antarctica
(South Pole) the seasonal changes are even greater.
These areas are blanketed in total darkness during
their winter months and endure extremely cold
temperatures, but are bathed in near constant
sunlight during the summer.
How do animals survive, find food and shelter, and
care for their young through the changing seasons,
especially at the polar extremes? Mother polar bears
in the Arctic spend the dark cold winter months in a
snow cave. It’s during this time that the mothers give
birth to their cubs. The mother does not eat, but uses
the energy she stored up in the fall to nurse the cubs.
BACKGROUND
TEACHER
In Antarctica, the emperor penguin survives the winter in
one of the most inhospitable places on the planet where
temperatures can drop to -60 Celsius. It is during this
time that the males cradle a single egg on top of their
feet covered by a pouch of warm feathery skin. After a
nine week incubation period the baby penguins hatch,
co-inciding with the return of the females.
During their summer months, the Poles experience a
period of constant sunlight. In the seas around the poles,
sea ice melts and plankton thrive from the combination of
near constant sunlight and the abundance of nutrients
released from melting sea ice. The incredible abundance
of the tiny plankton provides food for organisms like krill.
These in turn are food for even larger predators like
the seals, which are hunted by whales.
Not only do the interactions between the sun
and oceans affect our seasons, they also have a
tremendous impact on our weather patterns. In the
tropics, heat from the sun warms the oceans and
evaporates water into the atmosphere. The water
condenses to form clouds and falls as rain far from
where it evaporated.. Most of the rain we experience on
land starts in the ocean. Hurricanes and monsoons are
examples of powerful weather systems that affect both
the land and the animals and people that live there.
In the tropical regions the temperature and amount
of daylight are constant throughout much of the year.
Instead of four seasons, these areas may experience just
two – typically one wet and one dry season. For animals
living in these areas being able to survive drought is
critical until the rains come or they can find water.
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INTRODUCTION
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S TA N D A R D S
AND
PRINCIPLES
• 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.
CLIMATE LITERACY PRINCIPLES
PRINCIPLES
Content Standard B – Physical Sciences
AND
NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS
S TA N D A R D S
The Ice Worlds film and the activities in this
resource guide support the following science
standards and ocean and climate 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.
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ACTIVITY
PRE-SHOW
INTRODUCTION
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‘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.
Match the season with the picture below that best describes it.
FA L L
WINTER
SUMMER
‘TIS
THE
SPRING
SEASON
S E A S O N M AT C H I N G G A M E
What season is it now in your area?
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How do you know this?
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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.
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How do you prepare for each season?
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ACTIVITY
W AT E R A N D I C E
DIRECTIONS TO TEACHERS:
PRE-SHOW
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.
What is in the cup?
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Describe the ice. What does it look like? Feel like?
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What is the ice made of?
INTRODUCTION
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What will happen if we leave the ice out on the desk/table? Why? How do you know?
How long might this take?
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ICE
AND
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WAT E R
How is ice made?
Pour the ice into a container of a different shape or size.
What does it look like now?
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Does it look the same or different?
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Has the shape of the ice changed?
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Why do you think that is?
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ACTIVITY
W AT E R A N D I C E
PRE-SHOW
DISCUSS AS A CLASS:
When the ice has completely melted, ask the
students to make their final drawing and write their
final description.
•
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?
Do you think that there is any way to speed up this change? How? (Place the cup in a warm, sunny location, etc.)
INTRODUCTION
• 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.)
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Give each group a Ziploc baggie, some ice, paper
towels, and a scale or balance.
ICE
AND
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.
WAT E R
E X T E N S I O N A C T I V I T Y:
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 water change when
it goes from a solid (ice) to a liquid? (No)
• Does the weight of the water change when
it goes from a liquid to a solid? (No)
•
How would you explain what you observed to someone who did not perform this experiment? (The amount or weight of water stays the same when it changes from ice to liquid and back. Scientists call this conservation of matter.)
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ACTIVITY
P O S T- S H O W
POLAR BEARS
VERSUS PENGUINS
PA RT A - D I R E C T I O N S T O T E A C H E R S :
It is not only do people who have to be prepared
for the changing seasons, animals do too. Animals
have learned how to adapt to the changing seasons.
In this activity students will be introduced to two animals
from the film – the polar bear and the emperor penguin
– and will get a better understanding of some of
the similarities between the Arctic and Antarctica
and to distinguish between the facts and the myths
relating to penguins and polar bears.
Younger students believe that polar bears and
penguins live together. Actually they live at opposite
ends of the globe.
Show or ask students to find the North Pole
(Arctic) and the South Pole (Antarctica) on a globe
or world map.
When it is summer in the Arctic it is winter in
Antarctic and vice-versa. During the summer, the
poles experience a period of 24 hours of daylight.
In the winter, they experience a period of 24 hours
of darkness.
INTRODUCTION
Ask your students to imagine living in a place
where the sun doesn’t set all summer long. How
would they live? What would they do?
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Prepare for this demonstration by providing layers of
warm clothes (sweater, sweatshirt, etc.), a heavy
winter coat, a hat, and gloves for a volunteer student.
Ask the volunteer to be a polar bear. Dress the student
in the layers of warm clothes, coat, hat and gloves.
Ask the student to walk quickly (do not run) around the
classroom until the student begins to feel very warm.
Stop the demonstration and remove the extra clothing.
Discuss with the class: How do you think the layers
of clothing are like fur and blubber? What can you do
if you get too warm? What do you think a polar bear
does to cool down?
PENGUINS
VERSUS
D E M O N S T R AT I O N :
BEARS
Polar bears inhabit the Arctic region in parts of
Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Norway and Russia.
Winter temperatures in the Arctic are approximately
-34 Celcius. Polar bears have thick fur to help
them stay warm. They also have a layer of fat,
called blubber, that helps them stay warm. In fact,
sometimes polar bear can get too hot, especially if
they have been running or have been very active.
POLAR
Ask you students to imagine living in a place
where the sun did not rise all winter long. How
would they live? What would they do?
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ACTIVITY
P O S T- S H O W
INTRODUCTION
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POLAR BEARS
VERSUS PENGUINS
PA RT B - D I R E C T I O N S T O T E A C H E R S :
Penguins live in the Antarctic region. They are
birds, but they cannot fly through the air, instead
they ‘fly’ through the water. They have insulating
feathers and fat to keep them warm.
There are 17 different kinds of penguins. One is
called the emperor penguin. This penguin is unique
because it lays its eggs at the coldest time of the
year. The male penguins are in charge of protecting
each egg. Instead of building a nest, he balances
the egg on top of his feet to keep the egg off of the
snow and ice. He covers the egg with a pouch of
skin and feather to keep it warm. The males huddle
together to stay warm. In the springtime, the egg
hatches and a baby penguin is born.
When they have put the egg on top of their feet
set the timer for ‘winter’ to last two minutes. Tell
students to start moving. If the egg falls off their
feet, the student must leave the game and sit
on the sidelines. After two minutes, how many
penguin eggs survived?
At the end of the activity, ask your class what
it was like to care for the egg? Was it easy
or difficult?
PENGUINS
VERSUS
Tell your students that they are going to pretend
to be emperor penguins. Each student is given
an egg. They need to care for and protect it for
the whole winter. They must balance the egg on
top of their feet like an emperor penguin and they
must move slowly to stay warm. If the egg falls off
their feet, the egg will not survive.
BEARS
You will need a large open space, one large plastic
craft egg for each student and a stopwatch.
POLAR
A C T I V I T Y:
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ACTIVITY
W H AT ’ S Y O U R W E AT H E R ?
DIRECTIONS TO TEACHERS:
P O S T- S H O W
In the film, Ice Worlds, students saw how
the weather, climate and changing seasons
affect animals. In this activity, students conduct
a simple experiment recording their observations
of the daily weather in their area.
Students will observe and record the weather in
their area daily. It is best if students can observe
at the same time every day. They should use
the Weather Chart overleaf to record their
observations. A simple Weather Key is provided
below to help younger students identify the
weather. They can either write in the word or
put a picture that describes the weather for that
day. Remember, more than one type of weather
condition could happen at the same time (for
example: rainy and windy)
weather key:
INTRODUCTION
Sunny
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Partly Sunny
Windy
Cloudy
Rainy
Snowy
DAY 2
April 11
DAY 3
April 12
DAY 4
April 13
DAY 5
April 14
W H AT ’ S
DAY 1
April 10
DATE
THE
EXAMPLE:
W E AT H E R
Older students can also record the temperature using an outdoor thermometer at
school. If they do this, try to make the observation at the same time of the day.
If you don’t have access to a thermometer at school, students can also find the daily
temperature on the Internet, or from the local newspaper or TV or radio stations.
WEATHER
W E AT H E R C H A RT:
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
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DAY 5
DAY 6
DAY 7
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Continue more
daily observations.
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NOTES:
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INTRODUCTION
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RESOURCES
AND
Design & illustration by Orlena Chan
SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment
Graphic Design Department
INTRODUCTION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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Planet Earth: Ice Worlds is a BBC/Discovery Channel/HNK
co-production in association with the CBC and is made
available through a partnership with CineMuse. This Learning
Resource Guide for the film, Ice Worlds 4-D Experience,
was created by Educational Consultant Joe Harber for
SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment. Educators may reproduce
these materials for students.
Amazing Water by Melvin Berger. 1996. Newbridge
Educational Publishing. ISBN-10: 1567841295
I am Water by Jean Marzollo. 1996. Cartwheel.
ISBN-10: 0590265873
W ebsites
EPA Climate Change for Kids
Learn about climate change, become a climate detective,
and test your climate change knowledge.
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids
National Snow and Ice Data Center
Explore and learn about the frozen regions of the Earth
with these NSIDC science resources. Information on
snow, ice, glaciers, sea ice, and other elements of the
cryosphere.
http://nsidc.org
Discovery Channel
Learn more about the Planet Earth Series, from which Ice
Worlds is adapted.
http://dsc.discovery.com
Polar Bears International
Contains lots of information about polar bears and how
you can help protect them.
http://www.polarbearsinternational.org
RESOURCES
B ooks
AND
The following resources were used to develop this guide.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
RESOURCES
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