Earth's Frozen Water
Understand the cryosphere and its role in Earth's water system — the cryosphere is all frozen water on Earth (ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, permafrost, snow cover); polar ice sheets hold about 69% of Earth's fresh water; if all polar ice melted, sea levels would rise over 65 metres; and the water cycle connects polar ice to the global system through evaporation, precipitation, and meltwater flowing into oceans
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“Does your child know that most of Earth's fresh water is actually locked up as ice at the poles — and that if it all melted, the sea would rise over 65 metres, flooding coastal cities worldwide?”
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- Activity. Understand the cryosphere and its role in Earth's water system — the cryosphere is all frozen water on Earth (ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, permafrost, snow cover); polar ice sheets hold about 69% of Earth's fresh water; if all polar ice melted, sea levels would rise over 65 metres; and the water cycle connects polar ice to the global system through evaporation, precipitation, and meltwater flowing into oceans
What to notice. Define the cryosphere as all frozen water on Earth and name its components: ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, permafrost, snow • State that polar ice sheets hold approximately 69% of Earth's fresh water • Explain how polar ice connects to the global water cycle and what would happen if it all melted (65m+ sea level rise)
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Does your child know that most of Earth's fresh water is actually locked up as ice at the poles — and that if it all melted, the sea would rise over 65 metres, flooding coastal cities worldwide?
Understand the cryosphere and its role in Earth's water system — the cryosphere is all frozen water on Earth (ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, permafrost, snow cover); polar ice sheets hold about 69% of Earth's fresh water; if all polar ice melted, sea levels would rise over 65 metres; and the water cycle connects polar ice to the global system through evaporation, precipitation, and meltwater flowing into oceans
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- Define the cryosphere as all frozen water on Earth and name its components: ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, permafrost, snow
- State that polar ice sheets hold approximately 69% of Earth's fresh water
- Explain how polar ice connects to the global water cycle and what would happen if it all melted (65m+ sea level rise)
“Does your child know that most of Earth's fresh water is actually locked up as ice at the poles — and that if it all melted, the sea would rise over 65 metres, flooding coastal cities worldwide?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Polar Regions
- Age range
- Ages 9–11