All About Antarctica

1. Have students research the continent of Antarctica to learn about its land forms, resources, climate, industry, agriculture, and wildlife. What special characteristics do animals have in order to thrive in such a frigid climate? Why is the Antartic Peninsula particulary sensitive to changes in global temperatures? Students collect facts and pictures about this South Pole continent.
2. To make a globe that displays facts about Antarctica, have students use a compass and Crayola® Erasable Colored Pencils to draw 12 circles, each with a diameter of approximately 5 1/2 inches (14 cm). Within each circle, draw a pentagon, with each line measuring about 3 inches (7.6 cm). Each point of the pentagon must touch the sides of the circle. Cut out the circles with Crayola Scissors.
3. Using colored pencils and/or Crayola Crayons, students color the background of each pentagon in soft, light colors and write important information about Antarctica on each of the 12 pentagons. Include illustrations of items such as maps, birds, insects, animals, and housing.
4. To assemble the globe, fold all five lines on each of the 12 pentagons upward. Place one circle face down, resting on its edges. Attach one edge from each of five more circles to it with a Crayola Glue Stick. Continue to join the edges until all six circles are connected, forming one-half of a ball. Make another half-ball in the same way with the remaining six circles. Attach the edges of the top half to the lower part of the globe.

LA: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

LA: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

LA: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

LA: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

MATH: Classify two-dimensional figures in a hierarchy based on properties.

SCI: Construct drawings or diagrams as representations of events or systems.

SCI: Use grade level appropriate understanding of mathematics and statistics in analyzing data.

SS: Recognize examples of cause and effect relationships.

SS: Use appropriate resources, data sources, and geographic tools to interpret information.

SS: Locate and distinguish among varying landforms and geographic features, such as mountains, plateaus, islands, and oceans.

VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

VA: Select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.

For students with eye-hand coordination issues, the teacher can provide an oak tag circle template with the pentagon already inscribed.

From their personal globes and the projects of several others, students gather vocabulary terms that are descriptive of Antarctica. Students can create a vocabulary bulletin board to display and define each of these terms or create an original PowerPoint presentation which includes a slide for each of these terms. Each slide should also include a graphic or photograph which enhances understanding of the term's meaning. The team can show their presentation to the class or save it to an electronic file for small group/individual viewing.

A Week in the Life: Students collaborate to prepare for a week's vacation in Antarctica. Since there are no resorts there, students will create a list of all items they will need for this excursion. The group will cooperatively write a journal of their week and illustrate it using Crayola colored pencils, water colors, and/or pastels. This journal will be housed in the classroom for viewing. Classroom resource to assist with this investigation: Antarctica by Mel Friedman.

Students become environmentalists. Students research recent changes in the continent and discuss possible reasons for these changes. What do these changes signal about what is going on here on Earth? Are these good for the environment? If not, what can students do, individually or collectively as groups, to help protect further deterioration of this continent?

Admiral Richard Byrd, born in Virginia on October 25, 1888, was the first person to fly over the South Pole. He also led the first exploratory expedition to Antarctica and spend a winter living on the frozen continent. Research information about Byrd and other Antarctic explorers and summarize your findings in essay format. Provide an illustration of your findings to accompany the writing piece. Use Crayola colored pencils, water colors, and/or pastels to illustrate