Grades 5-8

1. Glaciers Making Minnesota
Power Point by Joe Fasen

2. The Glaciers Begin
• Glaciers begin to form in the artic sea due to a
cooling world – 20,000-50,000 years ago.
• The world continues to cool and more glaciers
freeze at the poles pushing ice outward.
• Eventually they cover Minnesota.

3. How Glaciers Formed the land
• Glaciers melted and froze around
pebbles.
– The pebbles acted as teeth ripping
the ground.
– Some places the glaciers cut
deeper than in others.
• In other place the glaciers acted
as bulldozers.
– Pushing the land from some places
and into other places
• Large amount of Iron found in MN
actually were formed on Canadian
soil.

4. • This tearing and pushing left the land very
holey.
• 10,000 years ago
– Earth begins to warm up again.
– Glaciers melt.
– Water goes in the holes and craters left by them.

5. So What?
• This is how Minnesota's lakes, rivers, hills and
plains were formed.
– Lake Itasca was filled by glaciers.
– Lake Superior and the other great lakes were giant
depressions scooped and smooshed by glaciers.
• Glaciers made Minnesota, Minnesota 