Climate Change at the Poles · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

The Poles Are Warming Up

Science · Polar Regions · ages 9-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. In the ice-melting feedback loop, what happens right after sea ice melts?

    • The ocean instantly freezes again
    • Dark ocean water is uncovered and absorbs more heat
    • Nothing else changes

  2. About how much has Arctic sea ice shrunk each decade since 1979?

    • About 13%
    • About 1%
    • About 50%

  3. Melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica add water to the ocean and raise sea level.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Sea ice extent starts at 100 units. It loses 13 units in the first decade and 13 more in the second decade. About how many units are left?

    Answer: ______________

  5. Dark ocean water absorbs more heat than white ice does. What does that extra heat do to nearby ice?

    • It freezes more of it
    • It has no effect on the ice
    • It melts more of it

  6. Why is thawing permafrost a problem for climate change?

    • It releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas
    • It releases pure oxygen
    • It cools the atmosphere down

  7. Thawing permafrost releases methane, which traps extra heat. How does this connect to the ice-melting feedback loop at the poles?

    • Methane cools the poles, slowing down ice melt
    • Methane has no link to temperature at all
    • The extra trapped heat adds to the warming that melts more ice, feeding the same loop

  8. A student says, 'Once ice melts, it's just gone, it doesn't affect anything else.' What is wrong with this idea?

    • Melted ice always refreezes by the next day
    • Melting ice exposes dark ocean that absorbs more heat, causing even more melting
    • Ice melting has no connection to ocean color
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

The Poles Are Warming Up W1-mt_Fqna9qHffr-s1

  1. Dark ocean water is uncovered and absorbs more heat · Once the reflective ice is gone, the darker ocean underneath is exposed and soaks up more of the sun's heat.
  2. About 13% · Scientists have tracked roughly a 13% drop in Arctic sea ice every ten years since 1979.
  3. True · As ice sheets lose mass, that water flows into the ocean and sea level rises.
  4. 74 · 100 minus 13 minus 13 leaves about 74 units.
  5. It melts more of it · The extra absorbed heat warms the water and air nearby, which melts more of the surrounding ice.
  6. It releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas · Frozen ground called permafrost holds old plant matter. As it thaws, that matter breaks down and releases methane.
  7. The extra trapped heat adds to the warming that melts more ice, feeding the same loop · Methane traps heat like other greenhouse gases, adding to the warming that drives the ice-albedo feedback loop.
  8. Melting ice exposes dark ocean that absorbs more heat, causing even more melting · Melting ice starts a feedback loop: less ice means more heat absorbed, which means even more ice melts.
Worksheet · LightMySky