Melting Impact

This worksheet is designed for students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 and builds understanding of how melting Antarctic ice affects global systems. Through an informational reading passage and follow-up comprehension and analysis tasks, students explore rising global temperatures, ice sheet loss, sea level rise, ecosystem disruption, and ocean circulation. The activity emphasizes cause-and-effect relationships, scientific vocabulary, and clear explanation of real-world environmental processes.

Academic Focus

• Climate Change & Earth Systems (Grades 6-8) – Understand how Antarctic ice melt influences sea levels, ecosystems, and global climate patterns
• Cause-and-Effect Reasoning – Trace how rising temperatures lead to interconnected environmental consequences
• Science Vocabulary Development – Interpret and apply terms such as sea ice, global temperatures, food web, and circulation
• Informational Reading Skills – Identify key details that explain complex scientific processes

Instructional Support

• Teacher-Created Resource – Developed by educators with strong alignment to science and ELA standards
• Content-Rich Passage – Integrates climate science with real-world environmental impacts
• Critical Reading Emphasis – Encourages students to explain how changes in one region affect the entire planet
• Flexible Use – Suitable for climate units, assessment, independent work, discussion, or homeschool learning

This Melting Impact worksheet helps students build scientific literacy by connecting Antarctic ice loss to global environmental change. By analyzing cause-and-effect relationships and explaining climate processes in their own words, learners strengthen comprehension, vocabulary, and analytical thinking. Ideal for classroom or homeschool settings, this printable resource provides meaningful practice that deepens understanding of climate change and Earth’s interconnected systems.