Slip Sliding Away: Exploring how glaciers move

Explore How Glaciers Move

�Place your glacier goo in a mound on your table or on the top of an overturned cup

• With a vis a vis pen, draw 3 lines on your goo
• Sketch your glacier in your notebook
• Take a slow motion movie or several photos over 5 minutes
• Draw arrows on your sketch to show how the glacier moves

�

Explore How Glaciers Move

Slip Sliding Away: Glacier Dynamics

1. Pour glue into the 75 mL water
2. Stir thoroughly with the plastic knife--scrape bottoms and side while stirring
3. Splash Borax solution into the glue mixture while stirring continuously until it begins to pull together
4. Squeeze it with your hand and keep incorporating Borax solution until liquid is almost/to all mixed
5. Pat dry with a rag towel (NOT paper towels)
6. Set aside on the table

STEP 1

STEP 2--Mix

Glacier Goo Video is on YouTube and icedrill-education.org

Explore How Glaciers Move

�Place your glacier goo in a mound on your table or on the top of an overturned cup

• With a vis a vis pen, draw 3 lines on your goo
• Sketch your glacier in your notebook
• Take a slow motion movie or several photos over 5 minutes
• Draw arrows on your sketch to show how the glacier moves

�

1. Invert one of your cups
2. Place your goo on top
3. Draw 3 lines with your vis a vis pen or a marker
4. Set up a time lapse video on your phone if you have that option OR take a few pictures as you observe its movement
5. Predict what you think will happen.

Setting up the Elevation Model

What Variables Can We Test with this Model?

Explore �the Materials

Materials available

U-shaped valley

Elevation “legs”

Sandpaper

Spray oil

Toothpicks

Blue goo

White goo

Red goo

Markers

�

What Variables Can We Test with this Model?

Manipulated (Independent) Variables:

Elevation

Rough bed (sandpaper)

Lubricated bottom

Mass of glacier goo

Placement of mass of goo

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Responding (Dependent) Variables:

Angle of elevation

Time/speed

Relative speed of movement sides to middle

Relative speed of movement top to bottom

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Others?

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�1. Choose one variable to test.� --Write an investigable question. (How does THIS- � (manipulated)- affect THAT-(responding)?�2. Write a hypothesis (statement) from your question. (Example: Dropping a ball from a higher elevation (manipulated variable) will make it bounce higher (responding variable). �2. Set up your experiment.�3. Collect data in your notebook for at least 3 tests of your hypothesis.�4. Conclusion: Our data suggests...

Questions considered:

1. Does the center top of the glacier move faster, slower or the same as the sides?
2. Does the top surface of the glacier move faster, slower or the same as the bottom?
3. How does a lubricated bed affect glacial speed?
4. How does elevation affect the speed of the glacier?
5. How does a glacier flow when it hits and obstacle?
6. How does the mass of the glacier affect glacial speed?

With your group, choose a question below, or write one of you own…�

Teacher Set-Up�“Goo-ing with Bill”

Glacier Goo Directions

https://icedrill-education.org/portfolio/slip-sliding-away-exploring-glacier-dynamics/

Clean-UP

Legs in bag

2 long

2 medium

3 shorts

1 short in 2 T’s

2 T’s

2 elbows

Chute (wipe it clean with paper towels)

Pam Spray

Toothpicks

Dots