Melting Impact Answer Key

The passage explains how Antarctica’s massive ice sheets are melting more quickly due to rising global temperatures. As sea ice weakens or breaks apart, the added water causes global sea levels to rise and affects coastlines around the world. Animals such as penguins and seals lose important feeding and resting areas, disrupting the Antarctic food web. Scientists study these changes carefully because Antarctica plays a major role in Earth’s climate and ocean circulation.

Reading this passage strengthens students’ ability to identify cause-and-effect relationships by connecting melting ice to various environmental outcomes. It also helps readers practice finding key details that show how changes in one region can affect the entire planet. Students expand their science vocabulary by encountering terms like “sea ice,” “global temperatures,” and “circulation.” Engaging with informational texts like this improves their ability to read critically and explain real-world processes clearly.