Glacial Landforms: Valleys and Drumlins

Active learning works because glacial landforms are best understood through hands-on modeling and spatial analysis. Moving beyond diagrams lets students see erosion and deposition in action, building lasting understanding of processes that shape real landscapes. These activities let students test ideas, measure outcomes, and correct misconceptions in real time.

• 6th Year
• Global Perspectives and Local Landscapes
• 4 activities
• 20 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Compare and contrast landforms created by glacial erosion (e.g., U-shaped valleys, corries) with those created by glacial deposition (e.g., drumlins).
2. Analyze aerial photographs and topographical maps of Irish landscapes to identify and explain the formation of specific glacial features.
3. Construct a physical or digital model that accurately illustrates the process of drumlin formation, including key elements like ice flow direction and till deposition.
4. Explain how the immense power and movement of past glaciers significantly shaped the topography of Ireland, referencing specific examples.

Concept Mapping

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Modeling Station: U-Shaped Valley Formation

Provide trays with sand and plasticine for valley bases. Students push wooden blocks wrapped in sandpaper to simulate glacial abrasion, observing valley widening. Compare to river models using water flow, then sketch changes.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between landforms created by glacial erosion and those created by deposition.

Facilitation Tip: During Modeling Station: U-Shaped Valley Formation, circulate with a stopwatch to guide students in timed scooping to model side abrasion versus river downcutting.

Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space

Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Concept Mapping

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Map Analysis: Irish Drumlins

Distribute OS maps of County Monaghan drumlin fields. Pairs identify shapes, orientations, and flow directions using keys. Discuss deposition evidence in small groups, creating annotated overlays.

Prepare & details

Analyze how the movement of ice shaped the valleys and hills of Ireland.

Facilitation Tip: For Map Analysis: Irish Drumlins, provide colored pencils for students to trace drumlin alignments and annotate flow directions directly on their maps.

Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space

Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Concept Mapping

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Whole Class: Corrie Diorama Build

Project images of Irish corries like Corrie na Cró in Donegal. Class divides into teams to build layered dioramas with foil for ice and clay for rock. Present formation sequences.

Prepare & details

Construct a model illustrating the formation of a specific glacial landform.

Facilitation Tip: While building the Whole Class: Corrie Diorama, assign roles so every student contributes to modeling the cirque shape, corrie lip, and possible tarn lake.

Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space

Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Concept Mapping

⏱ 20 min·Individual

Individual: Erosion vs Deposition Sort

Prepare cards with landform images and processes. Students sort into erosion or deposition categories, justify with notes from readings. Share in plenary.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between landforms created by glacial erosion and those created by deposition.

Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space

Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Teaching This Topic

Teaching glacial landforms benefits from direct modeling and topographic map work, as these activities reveal the directionality of ice flow. Avoid static diagrams that imply uniform erosion; instead, use simulations where students can adjust variables and observe outcomes. Research shows students grasp scale and direction better when they physically manipulate materials and measure changes as they work.

What to Expect

Students will explain how glaciers shape valleys and drumlins, using correct terminology and process-based reasoning. They will differentiate erosion and deposition in their own models and maps, showing clear links between ice movement and landform features. Collaboration and measurement will reveal their grasp of scale and direction in glacial processes.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Modeling Station: U-Shaped Valley Formation, watch for students who refer to valleys as 'river valleys' without distinguishing erosion types.

What to Teach Instead

Have students compare their U-shaped valley model to a V-shaped river valley model they build first, measuring widths and slopes to identify key differences in formation processes.

Common Misconception

During Map Analysis: Irish Drumlins, watch for students who describe drumlins as random hills unrelated to ice flow.

What to Teach Instead

Guide students to trace drumlin alignments with colored pencils and label ice flow directions on their maps, using the map key to connect shape to movement.

Common Misconception

During Whole Class: Corrie Diorama Build, watch for students who assume corries form through uniform erosion around the mountain.

What to Teach Instead

Ask students to point out the steep back wall (plucking zone) and gentle lip (deposition zone) in their diorama, discussing how ice flow direction affects each side.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Modeling Station: U-Shaped Valley Formation, ask students to sketch a cross-section of their U-shaped valley model, labeling erosion and deposition zones, and write one sentence explaining how glaciers create this shape.

Quick Check

During Map Analysis: Irish Drumlins, collect and review students' annotated maps to confirm they correctly identify drumlin alignments and justify their choices using contour patterns and flow direction arrows.

Discussion Prompt

After Whole Class: Corrie Diorama Build, facilitate a peer feedback session where students describe their corrie to a partner using terms like cirque lip, back wall, and tarn, then revise their explanation based on feedback.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to design a new landform created by glacial deposition, using classroom materials to model it and explain its formation process.
• For students who struggle with abstraction, provide pre-cut foam pieces to assemble drumlin shapes before mapping alignments.
• Deeper exploration: Have students research how drumlins in different regions (e.g., Minnesota vs. Ireland) vary in size and arrangement, linking to ice sheet histories.

Key Vocabulary

Glacial Erosion	The process by which glaciers wear away rock and land through scraping (abrasion) and picking up rock fragments (plucking).
Glacial Deposition	The process by which glaciers drop or deposit the sediment and rock they have carried, often forming distinct landforms.
U-shaped Valley	A long, wide valley with steep sides and a flat floor, carved by the erosive action of a glacier moving through a pre-existing river valley.
Corrie	A bowl-shaped hollow or basin, often found on the side of mountains, formed by glacial erosion and the freeze-thaw action of ice.
Drumlin	An elongated, teardrop-shaped hill formed by glacial deposition, with the steeper, blunter end facing the direction from which the ice advanced.
Till	Unsorted glacial sediment deposited directly by melting ice, often containing a mixture of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders.