The History of Antarctica
Learning Sequence
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Introduction With Gavin
Watch the Video with Daniel and Gavin and discuss the elements of the content explored. You may wish to allow the children to take notes and make any jottings they require as the video is being played.
Once the video is finished, allow your class to ask questions and make a note of these so they can be addressed as the lesson progresses.
In this short course, we will delve into the geography of Antarctica and gain a deeper understanding of its unique features and challenges.
From exploring its past to understanding its present and envisioning its future, this course will provide a comprehensive look at the frozen continent at the southernmost point on the planet.
We will learn about the deep ice sheet that covers the landmass, its isolated location, and the impact it has on the surrounding environment and ecosystem.
Short Course Keywords
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.
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Quote Activity - Frank Wild
As an introduction to this course, we will start by reading a quote, talking about what it means to further understand how we can use these words as lessons to learn from.
Read the following quote and discuss it with your class.
Read this quote and think about what it means and what we can learn from it to make the world a better place!
You may want to note it down in your notebook and draw a nice picture next to it!
Comprehension Activity - The Geology of Antarctica
This activity can be done independently or tackled as a guided reading activity with your students.
Once the children have read the relevant information, they can then work through the comprehension questions until they become too hard. The four levels of questions allow for your students to push themselves until they become too difficult. They may wish to use classroom resources to solve the questions they find too hard or they can be used as extension activities to be completed in free time or at home.
Read the information opposite on the geology of Antarctica and use the information gained from the video above and attempt to answer as many of the comprehension questions as possible.
You may talk to the people in the classroom and use any resources available in the classroom to get the answers. You may even wish to continue your research at home on the questions that you could not solve.
Remember to answer the questions in full sentences and make notes of any diagrams that may help you remember the facts at a later date!
Continent Geology - How Was It Formed?
As a class, read the information regarding the tectonic movement which resulted in the creation of Antarctica. Once the children have understood, they may wish to take notes before researching the creation of their very own continent using the same six time intervals of 200, 160, 120, 100, 30 million years ago, until today.
Some children may wish to continue this geological research and study more about how plate tectonics work around the world.
In this course, we’ll be exploring how Antarctica was formed. Over millions of years, this massive icy continent has shifted positions on the globe, changing its shape and location due to tectonic pressures.
Take a look at the diagram provided and begin to learn about how the Antarctic continent has evolved over time. Once you’ve gained a better understanding, take some time to research your own continent and explore how we were all once connected and are all on a slow geological journey together.
Who knows? We may be re-connected again one day in the future!
Bringing Mathematics to Life - Numbers Under 1
In this course, we will be linking our research on Antarctica to mathematics, and this activity involves investigating numbers lower than 1.
Encourage your class to write their numbers in decimal notations using mm.
The Wingless Midge is the largest land animal on the Antarctic Continent. It measures only 0.6cm (6mm) in length.
Can you find six more creatures from the remaining 6 continents that measure under 1cm in length? Find out an interesting fact about each one.
Real World Learning - Perspective is Everything
Allow your children to read the information provided on the task card. Then, ask your class to discuss how the warming of the Earth can affect every living organism on the planet.
This course is designed to encourage people all around the world to work together and protect the planet’s oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams. A significant part of this effort is understanding the impact of global warming on the ice in the Antarctic region.
Take some time to read the information provided and discuss with your class how the melting ice could affect the animals in the oceans, on the land, and even the human race. Once you’ve gained a better understanding of these effects, it’s time to use this knowledge to write a powerful letter to your prime minister. There’s no time to waste – let’s get started!
Writing a Letter to the Prime Minister
We want your children to use the power of their voice and expression to communicate with the highest authorities in the land. We want them to know that, even as young citizens of the world, they have the ability to use the power of the pen to speak to anyone.
To help get them started, we’ll provide an example letter from the Upschool team, where we’ll highlight powerful verbs and discuss the structure of a letter. Once your children have analysed and discussed the example letter, they can write their own letters. They can decorate them and, once complete, send them to your prime minister or head of state to express their views on issues that concern them.
Who knows? The Prime Minister might even turn up at your school for a discussion on the topic!
Now that we understand the real-world implications of global warming and the destruction of our oceans and waterways, we want to encourage you to write a letter to your prime minister or president and inform them about what we are doing in our school to help protect the environment.
Make your letter original, factual, and passionate. We want the leaders of the world to know that we are working very hard to protect the future of the world, and we would like their support in doing so.
It’s important to remember that if every child on the planet writes a letter to their prime minister or president, there is a very good chance that they will help us in achieving our goals.
You can use our template to help structure your letter. We think that it would be a great idea to personalise your letter and add your own ideas and experiences. You can even use our template to help you get started.
Together, we can make a difference and help protect our planet.
Let's Sketch With Jordan
This activity involves drawing a fascinating animal from the Antarctic 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.
This activity explores an amazing picture taken in Antarctica. We want you to try and recreate it using simple sketching techniques and shading. Our friend Jordan will be helping you along the way, so don’t worry!
To help you get better at drawing, we have a task card that you can use. Once you become an expert at sketching, you can transfer your drawing onto nice paper and give it away as a present.
Remember, you don’t have to make your drawings look exactly like Jordan’s. Make them special and be proud of what you create!
Sketch With Jordan - Video
Let your students watch the video as a visual aid to help them create fantastic sketches. It’s also a good idea for you to watch the video and learn from Jordan alongside the students.
For this sketch, talk to your students about beginning with basic shapes that they recognize to create the simple overall form of the goose. Have them create the larger areas before focusing on the smaller ones to get proportion down.
Details and differences between dark and light portions should be the last things they focus on.
If the students see that you’re invested in the project too, they’ll be even more excited to complete these tasks as a team.
Jordan has created a brief video to aid you in your drawing and shading. Watch the video to improve your drawing abilities, and remember that you can continue practicing your sketching outside of class to become a skilled artist like Jordan.
Best of luck!
Create With Jordan - Full Video
Watch the video with your class and support them as they use the skills demonstrated in the video in their own work tasks.
Watch Jordan’s full video here before starting your creative art project and remember that your work does not need to match Jordan’s exactly. Use it as a guide and try to make your work unique and be as creative as you
Create With Jordan - Ice Flow Landscapes (Short Video)
Through this project, students will understand the size, overlap, detail, and placement aspects to create the illusion of depth. They will also be able to create realistic forms using appropriate changes in values.
Goal: Students will be able to create an accurate depth of field with foreground, middleground, and background.
Elemental Foci: Color, Space, Texture
Principle Foci: Unity, Contrast, Movement
Criteria:
– Establish a horizon line in the vertical center of the composition.
– Create organic shapes for clouds above your horizon line, growing smaller as they move closer to the center of your piece.
– Create geometric shapes beneath your horizon line, growing smaller as they move closer to the center of your piece.
– Use simple cool colors as well as white and black to color and add value to your composition.
– Use smooth value transitions for your clouds, and direct value transitions for your ice flow.
This is an opportunity for you to enhance your artistic abilities and learn more about amazing things that exist in the Antarctic region.
Jordan’s video provides a creative way to showcase what you’ve learned about Antarctica during this short course, while also doing some good for the world.
Take a look at the video and then do your best to follow Jordan’s guidance to make the world a better place with your creative skills.
Let’s get creative!