The Geography of the Arctic
Learning Sequence
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Introduction
During this short course, we will start to understand the geology, the geography and the geological history of the place where students currently live. Using this as a benchmark or starting point, we will then delve into what life looks like in the Arctic and how it affects each and every organism on the planet.
This will allow students to have a concept of time and the difference between time and geographical time, which is usually on a larger scale.
This course is all about gaining perspective.
This course is delivered directly to you from the island of Svalbard, which is the most northern city in the world.
We’re starting our learning journey by understanding the history of the location of the Arctic Circle.
We will start to understand how the Earth moves continuously, creating new landscapes, new continents and new countries, and we will start to understand that everything under our feet is consistently and continuously moving.
These movements are extremely small and very, very slow, but over time, these slow movements create new landscapes, new landforms, and even mountains that are right behind us today.
You are going to research your own country and start to understand its origins, its history, and the journey throughout the geographical time that your country has been through.
‘Nature’s secret is patience.’
Keywords Activity
Introduce the spelling word list and choose from this list of tasks that can be repeated and expanded upon if necessary.
Copy the words into a spelling list/vocabulary book for later reference.
Put each of the new words into a sentence and underline the new vocabulary in red pencil
Place the words in alphabetical order in a list.
Use a dictionary to define each of the words and place them into a vocabulary book.
Try to represent each of the words using a picture or a symbol and play the guessing game. (which image is matched to which word)
Write a paragraph containing all of the new vocabulary.
Make a vocabulary wall containing all of the new words.
Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for the words and create a synonym list.
These words will help you during this course. You may already know some of these words however practice makes perfect!
First, read the words and then try to define them as simply as possible.
An example has been completed for you. You can write these into your books, and draw a picture to match or simply complete the task card.
Read and Discuss - Warm-Up Activity
During this activity, we will read information booklets on the Arctic Circle based on various subjects. It is a wonderful idea to read these together as a class or have this as a guided reading activity.
The information included on the task cards is short and sharp and includes lots of statistics and facts which will make it very easy and digestible for the students in your classroom.
Read the following information booklet with the people at your table and try to use the information you heard in the introduction video to answer the following questions:
These questions are all about the history of the Arctic and the geology and geography involved!
1. Which countries have sovereign territory in the Arctic Circle?
2. What is special about the Arctic Ocean?
3. What happens to the ocean in the wintertime?
4. What best describes a glacier?
5. Why is part of the island of Svalbard given the nickname Spitsbergen?
6. Has Svalbard always been near the North Pole?
7. What shape are the valleys that glaciers create?
8. How old is the island of Svalbard?
Local Study - Where Were We?
Before students can start to understand the geography and the geology of the Arctic area, it is first, very important for them to understand their own local area and country
During this part of the course, if we want students to understand the history of the world, plate tectonics and the drifting of the continents over the last 300 million years, this will give them some perspective on when their country once stood in terms of the supercontinent Pangea.
From this understanding, our students will then conduct some research on their own country and start to understand how some of the landforms were created and how their country has moved across the globe over several millions of years. They may even start to discover where their country may lie in the future.
Take a look at the following video which explains that 300 million years ago, all of the countries and continents we know today, were once joined together in a huge supercontinent called Pangea.
The ground you are standing on and the land beneath your feet was also part of this supercontinent. It has been moving and drifting for millions of years and is still moving today.
This movement is called continental drift and it is these movements that cause the landforms such as mountains, hills, valleys and even rivers that we see in the Arctic and in your local area too.
Watch the video closely and use this knowledge to start your research on the local area where you live!
Researching Your Local Area!
Let’s explore a fascinating animal from the Antarctic and have your students draw it using simple sketching techniques and just a pencil and paper.
We’re incredibly fortunate to have Jordan Brun from Young Art USA as our guide throughout this process.
Let your students take a look at the task card with Jordan’s example, and then they can use the video below as a guide to attempt to draw the same thing using Jordan’s techniques.
Once your students have mastered the technique, you might want to let them make a final version on special art paper, which could be used as a portfolio piece or framed and given as a present.
Now is your turn to research the geological history of your local area.
Use the following task card and follow my example of the geographical features of Australia, to conduct your own research on your country, town, city or even continent.
Your objective is to find out more about its geological history, its landscape and the formations which are all around you.
You might want to use these questions as a guideline whilst doing your research.
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Where is your city located on the world map?
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What is the largest mountain closest to where you live and how was it formed?
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Is the place where you live predominantly covered with forests, ice, mountains, deserts or grassland?
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Which tectonic plate does your country sit upon? Is it currently moving and in which direction?
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What is the longest river closest to where you live and what kind of work does this river do?
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What are some special and interesting facts about the country where you live?
You will need to conduct research, and this may involve you asking people you know, reading books or researching on the internet to find out the answers to the questions above.
Remember, the more knowledge that you gain, the more perspective you will have on where you are placed in the world and the importance that you have in influencing the rest of the planet.
Follow-Up Activities
Extension Activity #1 - Leadership
Older students over the age of eight can partner up with a younger child in your school, and pass on the knowledge they have gained from this short course and take it to the younger cohorts within your school and develop their own leadership skills.
Please take a look at the very simple and child-friendly lesson plan. This should be read and understood by the students before they prepare their lesson and their learning for a younger child.
The reasoning behind this methodology is to develop leadership, confidence, responsibility and communication skills between the older and younger students within your school. This will bring the cohort closer together and build a sense of community throughout your entire educational establishment.
Charles S. Lauer said ‘Leaders don’t force people to follow—they invite them on a journey.’ It is now time for you to invite a younger child to take a journey with you. A journey of discovery!
We want you to pass on the knowledge you have gained during this short course to a younger student whilst developing leadership mentorship and with the responsibility of working with the youngest student in the school.
You may think that this is a task which has no meaning. However, to the younger child in the school, it will have a huge influence on the way that they approach education and the way they feel within school.
You will be a continuous safety net, almost like a big brother or sister to a younger student in the school, whilst also developing leadership, communication, and the confidence to be able to lead into the future.
Use this template to help you plan your lesson and gather your resources before you head down to the younger children’s classroom, to reteach what you have just learned.
Extension Activity #2 - Landform Hunt!
Allow the students to take home a copy of the geology scavenger hunt.
This extension activity will allow your students to try to find these geographical and geological features in their own local environment and for further research. Students can then start to discover why they exist, how long they have been there, and how these landforms are created through geological and geographical processes.
There are many types of landforms around the world, and during this extension activity, we want to give you the challenge of trying to find all of the geographical and geological landforms on the chart opposite.
Make a copy of this chart and take it home with you and over the next few weeks try and see if you can find these geographical and geological features around your local area. You may wish to ask your mum, your dad, your grandma, or your grandad if they take you on a walk somewhere in the countryside, where you can possibly find out if these landforms exist near you
If you want to do further research, you could then discover how these landforms are created and where else they can be found in the world.
