11-13 yrs old
Climate & Environment
Geography
Technology
Antarctica: why people go there, how it is impacted by climate change, what the environmental characteristics are
July 10, 2018
Data table for research stations in Antarctica
Map of Antarctica
Labels of countries and their research station locations included.
What is the land of Antarctica primarily used for?
What animals inhabit the land?
What are the issues facing Antarctica, its inhabitants and ecosystems?
How do scientists have an impact on the environment in Antarctica?
What are some of the research focuses in Antarctica?
- Use online research strategies to identify at least 3 different research stations in Antarctica (the table that is listed on Wikipedia about research stations is a great starting point and is included in the external references). Locate each station on the linked copy of the Antarctica map (see external references) and discuss with a partner the structural features of each station. Is it a permanent structure or a temporary/seasonal structure?
- Once 3 research stations have been identified and discussed in the pairs/groups, this will serve as a starting point for students to design their own research station that has a low environmental impact and could be moveable. Students need to decide where it will be located and what building materials will be used. Once a design for the building has been created, students then build it on the Minecraft map of Antarctica at the location they have decided on.
- Students need to collect screenshots of their progress constructing their research station and keep this evidence in a word document with a sentence summarising each point in their progress.
- Once the construction is complete, students are to take a final screenshot and upload it in a separate word document for publishing to either their Google Classroom page or a class blog, including the name of their station and a description entailing its purpose.
1. Students use appropriate research sources and strategies for conducting investigations into Antarctica's research stations.
2. Students use the labelled map of Antarctica in an appropriate manner to locate and identify research stations, as well as the location where they want to build their own.
3. Students can check their building against their map of Antarctica and pinpoint its location.
4. Students can describe the impact of their chosen research structure on the surrounding environment and animal populations.