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Current page navigation: Poles apart | Race for the pole | Explorers' journals | The Antarctic Treaty | Icebergs galore

Poles apart

The North Pole is surrounded by the Arctic Ocean and three continents – Europe, Asia, and North America and is called the Arctic. There is no ocean around the South Pole and it is a separate continent called Antarctica.

These two websites will help you find answers for the 'Poles apart' game.

• Antarctica animals
• 'The World Factbook – Antarctica'

1. Now open the Poles apart game and use the helicopter to return the animals back to their correct Pole.

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Race for the pole

By the late 19th century, Antarctica was the last unexplored continent on earth. Unknown whale and seal hunters were probably the first humans to set foot on the continent, but it was not until the 20th century that Britain, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Norway, France and Belgium began competing against each other to discover the South Pole and claim it as their new territory.

This is the advertisement that Ernest Shackleton placed in the newspaper for his trip to the South Pole.

'Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.'

1. Design this advertisement as it would appear in a newspaper you would buy today. What words would you choose to encourage people to join Shackleton's expedition team?

   You need to attract people's attention so think about using:

   • positive, exciting, eye-catching words
   • images
   • different fonts
   • colours.

Email your advertisement to ed@tki.org.nz.

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Explorers' journals

Explorers often kept records of their thoughts, observations, and details of events from their lives. They usually kept illustrations (photographed or hand drawn) as records in their journals.

1. Read about some famous Antarctic explorers from the list of websites below.
2. Write a journal entry making sure you include events from the websites, personal feelings, experiences, predictions of events to come, and observations from your chosen explorer.
3. Here are a couple of journal examples for you to see how they are written.
4. So what was the race between Shackleton and Scott?
5. To plan an expedition to Antarctica you need to be well prepared.
   • Open the webquest book to learn the hardships that Shackleton and his crew went through as they raced to the South pole. This timeline will also help you.
• Visit Robert Scott's hut to see what conditions they lived in.
• Read briefly about the other famous Antarctic explorers, especially Roald Amundsen the first person to the South pole.
• History of the Ross Dependency is the piece of the continent that is claimed by New Zealand.

Email your journal entry to ed@tki.org.nz.

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The Antarctic Treaty

Antarctica is the only continent with no one country controlling it. In 1959 the Antarctic Treaty was signed to control the actions of people in Antarctica and to try and preserve the special features of this continent.

1. Use this 'Antarctica International' website to help you answer these three important questions.
   • Who 'owns' Antarctica?
   • How is Antarctica ruled?
   • Which countries are interested in Antarctica and why?
2. To show your new learning about the Antarctic Treaty, design a flowchart to show all the important parts of the treaty. Remember to open the PDF files in the 'Antarctica International' website as there are maps and diagrams to help you.

Email your treaty flowchart to ed@tki.org.nz.

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Icebergs galore!

Do you know that there are far more icebergs at Antarctica than at the Arctic? In fact 93% of the world's icebergs can be found around this southern continent.

1. Scroll down the page and use the information from this iceberg website to make a PowerPoint about icebergs.
2. Here are some things to think about as you visit this website.
   • Examine the size of an iceberg below the water.
   • Compare icebergs from the Artic and the Antarctic.
   • Investigate how icebergs are named.
   • Explore the map and see where icebergs are placed around the Antarctic continent.
   • View previously found icebergs that have been photographed from space.

Email your iceberg PowerPoint to ed@tki.org.nz.

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