Ice by the Numbers: teacher key

The Arctic and Antarctica, grade 8 edition, written for 8th grade. Count the ice of the polar regions in square kilometers and meters, then meet the peoples of the Arctic and see how Antarctica differs.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. How many ice sheets does Earth have?
   • Five
   • Two (answer)
   • One
2. What are ice shelves?
   • Floating sheets of ice connected to the land (answer)
   • Ice found only in Greenland
   • Domes of ice
3. Why is Arctic sea ice typically thicker than Antarctic sea ice?
   • It is deeper underground
   • It is saltier
   • It stays in the cold basin and piles into ridges as floes collide (answer)
4. How did Inuit build igloos?
   • By carving a cave
   • By stacking blocks of ice in a spiral to make a dome (answer)
   • By stacking rocks
5. What do the Sami and the Nenets do with reindeer?
   • Herd them and use them for meat (answer)
   • Race them
   • Release them

Words

• outlet: way out
• floes: ice pieces
• permafrost: frozen ground
• maritime: near the sea