Ice Fishing Lesson #2 - Ice Safety and Exploration

The sun was bright, the breeze was cold, and the day was just perfect! We left home around mid-morning on a quest to scope out the ice for next weekend's ice fishing extravaganza. The hike there was peaceful, as the crunch of icy snow under heavy boots could be heard, not much else. Not too many tracks to note on the trail or ice, but one thing I can say; the squirrels have been busy!

As we reached the lake, one bob house and three fishermen were spotted. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the dog riding on a four-wheeler, with his master driving of course! The ice was as hard as a solid can be. The little bit of snow on top of the ice was more of ice pellets than fluff. We chose the best route available and followed the tracks of a previous snowmobiler who went right across the middle of the lake. (If the ice could hold this snowmobile recently, then it should be able to hold us. We had checked the ice about a month earlier and it had eight inches in the area we were walking toward.)

As we worked our way out of the bay, the goal was to try to stay on the little bit of crunchy snow for traction and near the path of the snowmobiler. (There was lots of exposed ice and boy was it slippery!) We passed an ice fisher checking his tip-ups and had to talk "fish talk". Things like "How thick is the ice today?" and "Any catches?" are common. Another common piece of any conversation out on the ice usually revolves around the idea that just being out there is the best part, no matter how well the fish are or aren't biting. This person we chatted with was happy to report "13 to 14 inches of ice" and "perch"!

Once out into the broad of the lake, "glug, glug, GLUG" echoed across the lake. A-ha! Nature, right on cue, to remind us that the solid we were walking on is floating on top of a liquid, the lake! This sound, along with the loud cracking often heard out on the ice, was the perfect cue to talk about ice safety. It was also a great opportunity to talk about how magical the ice is by allowing us to walk on water for the winter. It's quite a view to be on the lake, looking across, without a boat keeping you afloat!

You've mastered "solid", "liquid", and "gas"! Now it's time to see these three states in action! Find a pond or lake near you and go exploring!

• How do we know if the ice is safe? What are some clues to look for?
• What are some ways to check the thickness of the ice?
• Is the layer of ice one solid mass?
• Is the ice the same thickness across the whole pond/lake?
• What are the fish and frogs doing during the winter?
• How do fishermen get the fish out of the water while ice fishing?
• What is an example of a "solid" here? "liquid"? "gas"?

Here are some resources for the topic of "ice safety":

http://www.crrel.usace.army.mil/ierd/ice_safety/safety.html

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/Fishing_PDFs/Ice_Safety_Brochure.pdf



Math Connection:
Give students a bunch of hypothetical situations to choose from (snowmobile = .25 tons, truck = 1 ton, person = 0.0875 tons , deer = 0.125 tons, etc.). Have the students use the following equation to figure out how thick the ice needs to be for each.

How thick does it need to be?

A simple formula to estimate the minimum ice thickness required to support a load is

where h is the ice thickness in inches and P is the load, or gross weight, in tons.

(source: http://www.crrel.usace.army.mil/ierd/ice_safety/safety.html)

***Math Reminders***

• Follow order of operations (PEMDAS).
• Check your answer and also ask yourself if the answer makes sense.
• Ask yourself, "Now that I've found the mathematical answer, what information have I gained?"

Please feel free to share any adventures you have had out on the ice! A good story is always worth sharing!