Class: Senior Secondary School 1 (SS1, SS 1, SSS1, SSS 1)
Term: 3rd Term
Week: 10
Age: 15 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: Geography
Curriculum Theme: Geography
Previous Lesson: Action of Winds.
Topic: Glacier action
Subject Matter: meaning of ice glacier and glaciation, glacier erosion features in highland areas, glacier deposition features in lowland areas including roche moutonnee crag and tail boulder clay erratics drumlins and eskers, economic importance of glacier features, regions where glacier landforms are found

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain:

Define ice glacier and glaciation.
Identify glacier erosion features in highland areas.
List glacier deposition features in lowland areas.
State the economic importance of glacier features.
Mention regions where glacier landforms are found.

Affective Domain:

Appreciate the impact of glaciers on landforms.
Show interest in studying different landform processes.

Psychomotor Domain:

Draw annotated diagrams showing some glacier landforms.
Locate on a map regions where glacier landforms occur.

Participate actively in discussions about glacier action.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

9 Years Basic Education Curriculum for Senior Secondary Schools.
State Unified Scheme of Work for Geography SSS 1.
Essential Geography for Senior Secondary Schools by O. A. Iwena.

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

Films showing glacier movement and landforms.
Models of glacier landforms.
Annotated diagrams of various glacier features.
Sketches of glacier erosion and deposition.
World map.

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils understand how glaciers shape the Earth’s surface. Learning about glacier action explains the formation of unique landforms and their importance, which helps pupils better understand the physical environment around them.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils have a basic understanding of different types of landforms and agents of denudation from previous lessons.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Glacier Action

Meaning of Ice Glacier and Glaciation

An **ice glacier** is a large, perennial accumulation of crystalline ice, snow, rock, sediment, and liquid water that originates on land and moves downslope under the influence of its own weight and gravity.

**Glaciation** is the process by which glaciers form and spread, and their effect on the landscape through erosion and deposition.

Glacier Erosion Features in Highland Areas

Glaciers erode highland areas through processes like plucking (pulling away rocks) and abrasion (grinding rocks). The following are features formed by glacier erosion:

Cirque (Corrie or Cwm) – An armchair-shaped hollow with steep back walls and an over-deepened basin, often containing a tarn (lake).
Arete – A narrow, knife-edge ridge formed when two cirques erode back-to-back or side-by-side.
Pyramidal Peak (Horn) – A sharp, pointed mountain peak formed when three or more cirques erode a mountain from different sides.
U-shaped Valley (Glacial Trough) – A valley with a characteristic ‘U’ cross-section, formed by the widening and deepening action of a glacier.
Hanging Valley – A tributary valley that is left at a higher elevation above the main glacial valley because the main glacier eroded more deeply.
Fjords – Long, narrow, deep inlets of the sea, bordered by steep cliffs, which are submerged U-shaped glacial valleys.
Roche Moutonnée – An elongated bedrock outcrop shaped by glacial abrasion on the ‘stoss’ (upstream) side, making it smooth and gently sloping, and by plucking on the ‘lee’ (downstream) side, making it steep and jagged.

Glacier Deposition Features in Lowland Areas

As glaciers melt, they deposit the material (till or boulder clay) they carried. The following are features formed by glacier deposition:

Boulder Clay (Till) – Unsorted mixture of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders deposited directly by a glacier.
Erratics – Large boulders transported by a glacier and deposited in an area with different bedrock geology.
Drumlins – Elongated, oval-shaped hills of till, typically streamlined in the direction of ice flow.
Eskers – Long, sinuous ridges of sand and gravel, deposited by meltwater rivers flowing within or beneath a glacier.
Terminal Moraine – A ridge of till deposited at the furthest extent of a glacier.
Lateral Moraine – A ridge of till deposited along the sides of a glacier.
Medial Moraine – A ridge of till formed when two glaciers merge, combining their lateral moraines.
Ground Moraine – A sheet of till spread over a wide area beneath the glacier.

Economic Importance of Glacier Features

Glacier features have several economic benefits:

Tourism – Glacial landscapes, such as fjords, cirques, and U-shaped valleys, attract tourists, boosting local economies.
Hydropower – Glacial meltwater is a significant source of water for hydroelectric power generation.
Water Supply – Glaciers act as natural reservoirs, providing fresh water for drinking and irrigation in many regions.
Mineral Deposits – Glaciers can expose mineral deposits or transport valuable sediments.
Fishing – Fjords provide sheltered deep waters suitable for fishing and aquaculture.

Regions Where Glacier Landforms Are Found

Glacier landforms are typically found in regions that have experienced or are currently experiencing glaciation. These include:

High mountain ranges (e.g., Alps, Himalayas, Rockies, Andes).
High latitude areas (e.g., Greenland, Antarctica, parts of Canada, Scandinavia, Alaska, Patagonia).
Regions that were covered by ice sheets during past ice ages (e.g., northern Europe, northern North America).

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Lecture, Demonstration, Question and Answer, Visual Aids

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Set Induction
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to recall agents of denudation and different types of landforms they have learned about. The teacher then introduces the topic “Glacier Action” and states the lesson objectives.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the questions and listen attentively to the introduction.
Learning Point: Pupils recall prior knowledge and are prepared for the new topic.

Step 2: Meaning of Ice Glacier and Glaciation

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Definition
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what an ice glacier is, using images or a film clip to illustrate its appearance and movement. The teacher then defines glaciation and its overall impact on the landscape.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, take notes, and ask questions for clarification.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the basic concepts of glacier and glaciation.

Step 3: Glacier Erosion Features in Highland Areas

Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Illustration/Discussion
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses diagrams, models, and sketches to explain and show various glacier erosion features such as cirques, arêtes, pyramidal peaks, U-shaped valleys, hanging valleys, and fjords. The teacher explains the process of formation for each.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the instructional materials, listen to explanations, and identify the features. Some pupils may attempt to sketch the features.
Learning Point: Pupils identify and understand the formation of glacier erosion features.

Step 4: Glacier Deposition Features in Lowland Areas

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Categorization
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains how glaciers deposit material and describes key depositional features like boulder clay, erratics, drumlins, and eskers, using diagrams or models. The teacher also clarifies Roche Moutonnée as both an erosional and depositional feature.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, take notes, and differentiate between the various depositional features.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the formation and characteristics of glacier deposition features.

Step 5: Economic Importance of Glacier Features

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Elaboration/Application
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher discusses the economic importance of glacier features, highlighting benefits such as tourism, hydropower, and water supply. The teacher encourages pupils to think of other potential benefits.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils contribute ideas and note down the economic importance.
Learning Point: Pupils identify the economic benefits derived from glacier landforms.

Step 6: Regions Where Glacier Landforms Are Found

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Location/Mapping
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses a world map to show regions where glacier landforms are prevalent, pointing out high mountain ranges and high-latitude areas. Pupils are guided to locate some of these regions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the map and identify the regions mentioned.
Learning Point: Pupils can locate areas with significant glacier landforms on a map.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

Define an ice glacier.
Mention three features formed by glacier erosion.
List three features formed by glacier deposition.
State two economic importance of glacier features.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Summarization
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarizes the main points of the lesson, reinforcing the understanding of glacier action and its resulting landforms. The teacher assigns homework: “Draw and label an annotated diagram of either a U-shaped valley or a drumlin.”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and copy the homework assignment.
Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and prepare for further study.

Lesson Keywords

Glacier – A large mass of ice moving slowly over land.
Glaciation – The process of ice formation, movement, and its effects on land.
Cirque – An armchair-shaped hollow formed by glacial erosion.
U-shaped valley – A valley with a characteristic ‘U’ cross-section formed by a glacier.
Drumlin – An elongated, oval hill of till deposited by a glacier.
Esker – A long, winding ridge of sand and gravel deposited by glacial meltwater.
Erratic – A large rock transported by a glacier to a different geological area.
Till (Boulder Clay) – Unsorted sediment deposited directly by a glacier.

Differentiation

For pupils who grasp concepts quickly, the teacher can provide additional research questions on specific glacier types or the impact of climate change on glaciers. For pupils needing more support, the teacher can provide simplified diagrams and allow for peer tutoring or group work during the identification of landforms.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Ensure that the visual aids (films, models, diagrams) are clear and accessible to all pupils. Encourage active participation and questioning throughout the lesson to check for understanding. Emphasize the real-world examples of glacier features and their importance.