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Ice Fishing

Articles/Websites

Grades7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Geography

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Provided by PBS Wisconsin Education
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What it is

  • This article is about the shortening of ice-cover season in Wisconsin and why this shortening is taking place, while the video is about a Wisconsin couple who are noticing this change when ice fishing.
  • Students will learn that the length of the ice-cover season in the Northern Hemisphere has declined since 1880.

Teaching tips

Positives

  • The video is engaging and incorporates story-telling to connect this topic to human experiences.
  • The article is concise and easy to understand.

Additional Prerequisites

  • Students need to have a basic understanding of how ice forms on lakes and what might prevent it.
  • You may want to define terms for your students from the article to support comprehension.

Differentiation

  • This resource could enhance a lesson about how worldwide reliance on fossil fuels has lead to changes in the Earth's environment.
  • This resource could augment a classroom discussion on climate change's impact on aquatic ecosystems.
  • Chemistry or environmental science classes could use this resource as a hook for lessons about the specific heat of water, aquatic ecosystems, or hydrogen bonds.
  • This resource could support a classroom discussion on how shorter winters impact ecosystems around the world.
  • Use the teaching tips provided to extend this lesson, monitor a lake in your area, or make a connection to a book about climate change in Wisconsin.

From the scientist review

This resource from Climate Wisconsin provides a short (~3 minute) video about ice cover on lakes in Wisconsin and how climate change is affecting the freezing and thawing of the ice. A brief discussion of the properties of water that contribute to temperature change is also provided. Teaching tips are provided along with additional resources that students can utilize to explore the effects of climate change on ice cover in Wisconsin. This resource would be a great addition to a classroom discussion about climate change and the effects that are not always visible to everyone.
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