Geography · Grade 7 · Physical Patterns and Processes · Term 1

Glacial Landforms and Processes

Students will investigate how glaciers form, move, and sculpt the Earth's surface, creating unique landforms like fjords and moraines.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Physical Patterns in a Changing World - Grade 7

About This Topic

Glaciers form when snow accumulates and compacts into ice over years, then flow under their own weight, eroding bedrock and depositing sediment as they advance and retreat. Grade 7 students examine erosional landforms such as U-shaped valleys, fjords, and cirques, alongside depositional features like moraines, drumlins, and kettles. These processes explain much of Canada's rugged terrain, from the fjords of British Columbia to the rolling hills of Ontario's Niagara Escarpment.

This topic aligns with Ontario's Grade 7 Geography strand on physical patterns in a changing world. Students differentiate erosion, where glaciers pluck and abrade rock, from deposition, where meltwater sorts debris. They also predict effects of retreating glaciers, such as reduced freshwater supply and rising sea levels, fostering connections to current environmental issues.

Active learning suits this topic well. Students handle physical models or analyze satellite images to visualize slow-moving forces over millennia. Collaborative mapping or simulations make abstract timescales concrete, helping students internalize processes and apply them to real landscapes they encounter.

Key Questions

1. Explain how glacial movement reshapes valleys and mountains.
2. Differentiate between erosional and depositional landforms created by glaciers.
3. Predict the impact of retreating glaciers on water resources and sea levels.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze satellite imagery to identify glacial landforms such as U-shaped valleys, cirques, and moraines.
• Compare and contrast the erosional and depositional processes by which glaciers sculpt the landscape.
• Explain how glacial meltwater contributes to changes in sea level and freshwater availability.
• Classify specific Canadian landforms as either erosional or depositional features created by glacial activity.

Before You Start

Weathering and Erosion

Why: Students need to understand the basic processes of weathering and erosion by water and wind to grasp how glaciers are a more powerful agent of change.

Earth's Surface Features

Why: A foundational understanding of different landforms like mountains, valleys, and plains helps students recognize how glaciers modify these existing features.

Key Vocabulary

Glacial Erosion	The process where glaciers wear away rock and soil through abrasion (scraping) and plucking (lifting chunks of rock).
Glacial Deposition	The process where glaciers drop or deposit sediment and rocks that they have carried, often forming distinct landforms.
Moraine	A ridge or mound of unsorted rock and sediment deposited by a glacier, marking its former edge or path.
U-shaped Valley	A valley with steep sides and a broad, flat floor, carved by the immense power of a moving glacier, contrasting with V-shaped river valleys.
Fjord	A long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created when a glacier erodes land below sea level and the sea later floods the valley.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Glaciers are stationary ice sheets that do not move or change shape.

What to Teach Instead

Glaciers flow like slow rivers due to gravity and pressure, reshaping landscapes over time. Hands-on modeling with deformable materials lets students see and feel this movement, correcting static views through direct manipulation and peer observation.

Common Misconception

All glacial landforms are erosional; deposition does not occur.

What to Teach Instead

Glaciers both erode and deposit, creating moraines from till piles at their edges. Sorting simulations with ice and sediment reveal depositional patterns, as students collaborate to classify features and link them to processes.

Common Misconception

Glacial processes only affect mountains, not flat areas.

What to Teach Instead

Glaciers flatten and deposit across lowlands, forming drumlins and outwash plains. Mapping exercises on regional landforms show widespread effects, helping students through discussion revise limited ideas about terrain.

Active Learning Ideas

Modeling Lab: Glacier Erosion

Provide groups with clay mountains, wooden 'glaciers' (blocks wrapped in sandpaper), and trays. Students push the blocks downhill to simulate abrasion and plucking, then compare before-and-after valley shapes. Discuss results and sketch changes.

45 min·Small Groups

Map Analysis: Canadian Glacial Features

Distribute topographic maps of areas like Banff or the Canadian Shield. Pairs identify and label U-shaped valleys, moraines, and fjords, then trace glacier flow directions. Share findings in a whole-class gallery walk.

35 min·Pairs

Simulation Game: Depositional Landforms

Use playdough for bedrock and shaved ice mixed with sand as glacial till. Groups melt ice slowly over 'valleys' to form moraines and kettles, observing sorting by water flow. Record with photos and measurements.

50 min·Small Groups

Predictive Debate: Glacier Retreat

Divide class into teams to research current glacier data from sources like Parks Canada. Debate impacts on water resources and coasts, using evidence from models. Vote and reflect on predictions.

40 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• Geomorphologists study glacial landforms to understand past climate changes and predict future landscape evolution, informing land-use planning in regions like Banff National Park.
• Civil engineers consider glacial deposits, such as sand and gravel from moraines, as crucial resources for construction projects in areas like Southern Ontario, impacting infrastructure development.
• Tour operators in British Columbia's coastal regions highlight fjords as major attractions, drawing visitors who experience the dramatic landscapes carved by ancient glaciers.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Present students with images of different landforms (e.g., a U-shaped valley, a drumlin, a fjord, a river valley). Ask them to label each as either 'erosional' or 'depositional' and briefly explain their reasoning based on the landform's characteristics.

Discussion Prompt

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a scientist studying a region with retreating glaciers. What two key pieces of information about water resources or sea levels would you prioritize collecting and why?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their priorities and justify their choices.

Exit Ticket

On an index card, have students draw a simple sketch of one glacial landform (erosional or depositional). Below the sketch, they should write one sentence explaining how the glacier created that specific feature.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main erosional and depositional landforms from glaciers?

Erosional landforms include U-shaped valleys, fjords, cirques, and hanging valleys from glacial abrasion and plucking. Depositional ones feature moraines (ridges of till), drumlins (streamlined hills), eskers (sinuous ridges), and kettles (depressions from melting ice blocks). Students best grasp these by contrasting models of each type, noting sharp erosional edges versus rounded depositional mounds.

How do glaciers move and reshape Earth's surface?

Glaciers move via basal sliding on meltwater and internal deformation of ice crystals, driven by gravity. They erode by freezing-thawing cycles and grinding bedrock, while depositing unsorted till during retreats. Classroom simulations with weighted ice blocks demonstrate flow speeds of centimeters per day, making the gradual power tangible for students.

What active learning strategies work best for teaching glacial landforms?

Hands-on glacier models using clay, ice, and sand allow students to replicate erosion and deposition in small groups, turning abstract concepts into observable actions. Pair map analysis of Canadian sites with simulations reinforces identification skills. These approaches build spatial reasoning and retention, as collaborative debriefs connect personal experiments to textbook diagrams and real-world examples.

How does glacier retreat affect water resources and sea levels?

Retreating glaciers reduce freshwater storage, leading to summer shortages for rivers and aquifers in regions like the Rockies. Meltwater contributes to sea-level rise, threatening coastal areas. Students explore this through data graphing of glacier mass balance from sources like Natural Resources Canada, predicting local impacts and discussing adaptation strategies in structured debates.