Global Perspectives and Local Landscapes · 6th Year

Active learning ideas

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.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Natural Environments
• NCCA: Primary - Local Studies

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Provide students with two images: one of a U-shaped valley and one of a drumlin. Ask them to write one sentence explaining whether each landform was primarily created by erosion or deposition, and one key characteristic of each.

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

Activity 02

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Display a topographical map of a region in Ireland known for glacial features. Ask students to identify at least two potential glacial landforms (e.g., a valley that appears U-shaped, a cluster of drumlins) and briefly justify their choices based on map symbols and contours.

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

Activity 03

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are explaining drumlins to someone who has never seen one. How would you describe their shape, how they formed, and their relationship to the ice that created them?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their explanations, encouraging peer feedback on clarity and accuracy.

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

Activity 04

• 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.

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

What to look for

Provide students with two images: one of a U-shaped valley and one of a drumlin. Ask them to write one sentence explaining whether each landform was primarily created by erosion or deposition, and one key characteristic of each.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

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.

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.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

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

  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.

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

  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.

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

  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.

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Methods used in this brief

• Concept Mapping