Starter:

1. What would happen if it snowed all winter in this country and then the snow didnt melt in the summer?

2. Would different parts of the country be affected differently? Why?

L.O.s To Define the terms Ice Age, Pleistocene, Glacials and Interglacials. To compare ice cover now and in the last Ice Age. To explain why we have ice Ages at all.

So what is an Ice Age?

An Ice Age is a period of time during which glaciers covered a large part of the earth's surface. Roughly every 200 to 250 million years in the Earths history there have been major periods of Ice activity. Like Antarctica and Greenland today, many parts of the world have been covered with Ice. The most recent and significant Ice Age occurred during the PLEISTOCENE period which started 2 million years ago.

An ice sheet is a moving mass of ice which covers a large land surface area. In Antarctica the ice is 4000m thick.

A Natural History of Europe Episode 3: Ice Age.

Play from 3.30 mins to 10.12 mins.

 There are warm periods called interglacials It is likely that we are in an interglacial period now. These are temporary warm periods when the climate warms and the ice retreats and sea levels rise.

Surprisingly The Ice Age has not ended!

Glacial are the cold periods

It is believed that there have been 20 glacial periods in the last 2 million years

Ice Cover in the last glacial period 20,000 years ago

Ice Cover Present Day an interglacial period

Tasks
On your worksheet Annotate/Label the areas with Ice 20,000 years ago and those with Ice now. Compare the Ice cover 20,000 years ago at the end of the last Glacial period with the Ice cover today.

Success Criteria: 1. Identify areas with Ice by using names of continents, mountain ranges, seas and countries try using compass directions to be more precise. 2. When comparing describe similarities and differences.

Just out of interest do you know what might cause an ice age?

Well...
1. Changes in the circulation of the atmosphere and the oceans. Winds and ocean currents help to circulate heat from the equator towards the poles. If those currents get disrupted then some areas could get very cold very quickly.

2. The Earth sometimes receives less

heat from the sun due to:
A decrease in the suns energy output caused by sun spots An increase in atmospheric dust caused by volcanic eruptions A change in the Earths orbit taking it further from the sun

Next Lesson
How do we know that we have had 20 glacial period in the last 2 million years of Geological history? Wheres the evidence?