Glaciers School Trips

If your geography students are studying the glaciated landscapes of the UK, a school trip can really help them to better understand the processes and landforms associated with glaciers.

You could stay in the UK and explore how some of our most iconic landscapes were created by glaciers. Or you could go abroad to give your students the unforgettable experience of seeing a glacier for themselves.

Glacier school trips in the UK

The Yorkshire Dales are famous for limestone pavements, which were created when glaciers scoured the bedrock. Your students will be fascinated by the opportunity to explore this spectacular evidence of glacial erosion.

The Yorkshire Dales are also home to many U-shaped valleys, carved out by glaciers during the last ice age. And when the glaciers retreated, they left behind banks of moraine and fields of drumlins. Visiting some of these will help to bring the geography they’ve learnt in the classroom to life. Your students will better understand the effect that glaciers have had on the landscape and will deepen their understanding of the processes that have created the landscape they see before them.

Glacier school trips abroad

While a school trip to the Yorkshire Dales can show your students the effects that glaciers have on a landscape, the one thing it can’t offer is the opportunity for them to see a glacier for themselves.

Iceland and the Swiss Alps both offer the opportunity to see glaciers and are fantastic destinations for supporting this topic both at GCSE and A Level.

In Iceland, students will experience first-hand the natural system of a glacier and how geomorphological processes affect the landforms within this dynamic landscape.

You’ll be able to visit the Sólheimajökull glacier, which will be an unforgettable experience for your students. They’ll likely be impressed by its size, but it’s currently retreating at a rate of about 100m every year. Your students will be able to see how the glacier has carved out the valley and this will help bring glacial processes to life for them.

An excellent alternative to a trip to the Swiss Alps – here your students will enhance their understanding of glaciers whilst experiencing the ecosystems and biodiversity of this alpine country.

This diverse destination offers something for all ages – A-Level students can use this destination for their case studies, while GCSE students may like to complete a field activity related to glaciers.

You’ll be able to visit Langgletscher where, as well as seeing a glacier for themselves, your students will also be able to follow a trail that tells the story of how the landscape around the glacier was created, and how the glacier has changed over time due to nature, climate change and human activity.