Snow and Ice: Information

Everything You Wanted to Know About Sea Ice

This site from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory is designed for elementary and middle school students and answers many questions students have about sea ice. You could have your students try to answer some of these questions as a pre-activity and then compare their answers to the scientist's answers. This also provides several graphics of different types of sea ice. Images from this site may be used by the public free of charge (see copyright information). These images would help a student who is reading descriptions of the early Polar explorations.

Earth and Space Sciences Standard 2: Understands Earth's composition and structure

Understanding Polar Ice

USA Today provides an easy-to-read article and a lot of resources related to polar ice and the effect its melting might have on the world. Also provided are links to many graphics that make the topic easier to understand.

Earth and Space Sciences Standard 2: Understands Earth's composition and structure
Nature of Science Standard 11: Understands the nature of scientific knowledge
Earth and Space Sciences Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Earth and Space Sciences Standard 3: Understands the composition and structure of the universe and Earth's place in it

Ice Age Online

This informational site from the Denver Natural History Museum provides good graphics and short informational blurbs about many ice age animals and facts about the Pleistocene Ice Age. The site is attractive and would provide many facts for those doing research on this topic or as a textbook supplement.

Earth and Space Sciences Standard 2: Understands Earth's composition and structure
Nature of Science Standard 11: Understands the nature of scientific knowledge
Nature of Science Standard 12: Understands the nature of scientific inquiry
Life Sciences Standard 7: Understands biological evolution and the diversity of life
Earth and Space Sciences Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Earth and Space Sciences Standard 3: Understands the composition and structure of the universe and Earth's place in it

All About Glaciers

A site designed for the general public, it provides basic information about glaciers, how they are formed, why they move, and how they affect the land and people. For those studying global warming, the section on "how glaciers reflect climate change" is of particular interest. Easy and quick to read, with a nice gallery of photographs, this site makes a good starting place for those interested in understanding glaciers.

Earth and Space Sciences Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Earth and Space Sciences Standard 2: Understands Earth's composition and structure

Life Cycle of A Glacier

NOVA presents a narrated cartoon slide show illustrating the life of a snowflake in a glacier. Attractive and accurate, this may help students who rely on graphical illustrations of processes for understanding.

Earth and Space Sciences Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Earth and Space Sciences Standard 2: Understands Earth's composition and structure

EarthComm - Cryosphere

Using the links provided on this page, you can learn more about ice, glaciers, and global sea level. Many of the articles are geared toward adult readers.

Earth and Space Sciences Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Earth and Space Sciences Standard 2: Understands Earth's composition and structure

Snow Crystals

Designed for the general public, this site is full of great information about snow and its structure. You can learn how snow is classified, how to make snow crystal fossils, and can watch how snowflakes grow and change over time (Designer Snowflakes). The Physics behind snowflake formation is explained clearly and succinctly.

Earth and Space Sciences Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Physical Sciences Standard 8: Understands the structure and properties of matter

Greatest Snowfalls In North America

This site from Fact Monster provides a lot of information about record snowfalls and other extreme winter weather around the world. Great for trivia games.

Mathematics Standard 6: Understands and applies basic and advanced concepts of statistics and data analysis

Sea Ice: An Antarctic Habitat

Clear descriptions and pictures of different types of sea ice as well as a look at research being done to study it. The links will also take you to some information about sea ice in the Arctic. Click on the English flag if you reach pages written in German. A good place for student research.

Earth and Space Sciences Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Nature of Science Standard 12: Understands the nature of scientific inquiry