Lesson Plan: Himalayan Glaciers and Climate Change in Bhutan

Here is a step-by-step guide to using this lesson plan in the classroom/laboratory. We have suggested these steps as a possible plan of action. You may customize the lesson plan according to your preferences and requirements.

Step 1: Topic introduction and discussion (Go to the Reading)

1. Use the reading, ‘Landforms’ by Southern Kings Consolidated School, Prince Edward Island, Canada, to define landforms, different types and characteristics.
2. Use the links provided in the reading to introduce your students to landforms such as valleys, plateaus, mountains, plains, hills, loess, and glaciers.
3. Click on ‘Games’ at the top of the page to enable your students to test their knowledge about basic physical features of the earth.

Step 2 : Discuss further (Go to the Reading)

1. Use this reading, ‘All About Glaciers’ by National Snow & Ice Data Center, to teach your students about different aspects of glaciers.
2. Use the tabs on the left side of the text box to navigate to different topics like how glaciers are formed, the components of a glacier, and the types of glaciers.
3. Discuss with your students how glaciers affect people and what the dangers associated with them are.
4. Finally, navigate to the section on ‘glaciers and climate change’ to explain to your students how warming temperatures have resulted in rapid melting of glaciers.
5. Discuss how retreating glaciers have been documented using satellite imagery in various regions of the Himalayas, for example, the Gangotri Glacier.
6. Explain how glacier lakes are formed due to meltwater from glaciers that gets accumulated behind fragile morainic banks at the snout of the glacier.
7. Describe how increased snowmelt from glaciers greatly raises the level of accumulated water in glacial lakes, adding pressure to the morainic banks that are vulnerable to breaking down and causing GLOFs.
8. Use the text to discuss the devastation caused by recent cases of GLOFs in Huaraz, Peru; Uttarakhand, India; and Lemthang Tsho, Bhutan.

Step 3 : Extend the understanding (Go to the Video)

1. Use the video, ‘GEF -Bhutan: Silent Tsunami’ (up to 5.45 min) by Global Environment Facility to explain to your students the perceived threat of GLOFs for a largely mountainous Himalayan country like Bhutan.
2. Use the tool to discuss past occurrences of GLOFs and the possible destruction of resources, infrastructure and livelihoods due to sudden GLOFs in the future.
3. Use the video to discuss the urgent need for preemptive action against the buildup of glacier lake meltwater levels and explain how Bhutan has enlisted the help of international organizations to adapt to this need for action against the effects of climate change.
4. Explain the disaster management strategies of installing early-warning systems like water-level sensors in remote glacial locations and the early release of water from the glacier lakes that show dangerous levels of snowmelt accumulation.

Step 4: Classroom/Laboratory Activity (Go to the Activity)

1. Use this simulation, ‘Glaciers’ by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado, Boulder, to explore how environmental conditions such as temperature and precipitation affect the thickness, velocity and the glacial mass budget of glaciers.
2. NOTE: This simulation is available in several languages.
3. Encourage your students to vary these conditions and measure changes in the glacier using the instruments from the built-in toolbox.
4. Use the in-built graphs to enable your students to visualize changes in glacier-length over time, the equilibrium line altitude against time, the glacial budget against elevation and air temperature against elevation.
5. Use the sample learning goals to encourage discussion on the given points and enhance student understanding of the topic of impact of temperature and precipitation on the dynamics and nature of glaciers.
6. Discuss how this is related to real-life scenarios of effect of climate change induced variations in global temperatures and precipitation patterns on glaciation globally.

Optional: Use the ‘Teacher-submitted Activities’ under the tab ‘For Teachers’ to explore more activities using this simulation. This will require a login/registration to access the teacher submitted activity plans.

Suggested questions/assignments for learning evaluation :

1. What are glaciers? How are they formed?
2. Describe the components of a glacier.
3. What are the different types of glaciers found?
4. How do glaciers affect the land on which they are formed?
5. How are glaciers affected by climate change?
6. Describe the threat posed by GLOFs in mountainous regions of glaciation.

The tools in this lesson plan will enable students to:

1. define what are glaciers and describe their components
2. describe the different types of glaciers
3. understand how glaciers are affected by climate change
4. discuss the dangers posed by glaciers and the disaster management strategies employed to mitigate them

If you or your students would like to explore the topic further, these additional resources will be useful.