This resource displays 12 interactive image pairs of glaciers from Glacier National Park in Montana.
The image on the left of each pair is from some point in the early 20th century and the image on the right is more recent.
Viewers are able to move a slider between the images to see how the glaciers have receded over time.
Teaching Tips
Positives
The slider feature on the photos will be engaging for students.
These photo pairs do a great job of illustrating the effect of climate change on glaciers.
The photos can be used in a wide variety of subjects and grade levels.
Additional Prerequisites
This site includes 12 photo pairs, but there are over 60 in the collection. Click the Repeat Photography Project link at the top of the page to read more and view the entire collection. All images are available for download.
Differentiation
These photos would act as a great phenomena to start a Next Generation Science Standards lesson or unit on the effects of global warming or the cause of rising sea levels.
The resource Images of Change by NASA has similar slidable comparison pictures that illustrate climate change. It includes glaciers as well as images from floods, hurricanes, landslides, and droughts.
This resource contains photos that describe the physical process of glaciers and compares the level of retreat from each intervals until 2021. The report is evidence-based, and it is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Science and Engineering
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-3 Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
HS-ESS3-5 Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth’s systems.
Social Studies
Geography
Geography 1: Students understand the geography of the community, Maine, the United States, and various regions of the world by communicating their findings by creating visual representations of the world, showing a basic understanding of the geographic grid, including the equator and prime meridian.
Geography 1 (F1): Students understand the geography of the community, Maine, the United States, and various regions of the world, and geographic influences on life in the past, present, and future by using the geographic grid and a variety of types of maps, including digital sources, to locate and access relevant geographic information that reflects multiple perspectives.
Geography 1 (D3): Students understand the geography of the United States and various regions of the world and the effect of geographic influences on decisions about the present and future by describing the major regions of the Earth and their major physical, environmental, and cultural features using a variety of geographic tools, including digital tools and resources.
