Glacial landscapes

3. Snowdonia

Required Resources

• Student Worksheet 3a-4c
• Slides 15-23

Delivery

• Use Slides 15-18 to introduce the three erosive ice processes which helped produce the British glacial landscape (freeze-thaw action, abrasion and attrition).
• Display Slides 19-23 which contain images of the various features caused by glaciation in Snowdonia (including ridges, peaks, cwms, glacial lakes and U valleys).
• Explain to students that they are going to test a hypothesis that states the following: "The colder or less sunny the location of cwms, the more erosion of glacial cwms will occur".
• Distribute Student Worksheet 3a -3c which contain an ordnance survey map of Snowdonia and tables for students to record their findings. Students should use a compass or protractor (or rough use of the compass arrow on the map) to determine the orientation of the cwms in Snowdonia. Once they have completed the measurements table, students should plot the number of bearings at similar angles into a circular graph to help them decide whether the hypothesis is true or not.
• Distribute Student Worksheet 4a which contains an illustration of a valley containing features of glacial erosion. Distribute a copy of Student Worksheet 4b. Ask students to match the descriptions on Student Worksheet 4b to the diagrams of the glaciated features.

Differentiation

Lower Ability:

Lower ability students should be given Student Worksheet 3c and 4c which contains descriptions of each feature to help to identify them.