Polar bears: Activity 3: Trouble Describe what has happened to the amount of ice since 1980 by finishing the paragraph: ‘In 1980 there were more than 6 million square metres of ice. Since then..’ Explain why sea ice is important to polar bears. In summer, the ice near the shore melts. Polar bears wait on land until it returns. They use stored fat to keep them alive. The ice melts earlier now. Explain how this change affects the bears. More and more hungry polar bears are wandering into towns in Alaska each summer. Why is this a problem? Student sheet 3