Sea ice

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sea-ice

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Polar oceans (Arctic and Antarctic)
2. What is the surface coverage?Approximately 7% of Earth's surface; 12% of world's oceans
3. Why does sea ice reflect so much sunlight?Sea ice is very white, so it has a high albedo and reflects a lot of the sun's rays back into space, helping keep the planet cooler.
4. How do animals live on sea ice?Inside sea ice, tiny brine channels hold bacteria, microalgae, and other microbes that feed tiny animals. These tiny animals are food for fish, seals, and even polar bears.

Cryosphere: All the frozen water on Earth, including ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, and snow.
Albedo: The measure of how much light that hits a surface is reflected without being absorbed.
Anthropogenic: Originating from human activity, especially environmental pollution.