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The Polar Regions
For hundreds of years the icy areas at each end of the Earth have challenged
explorers. Many brave individuals have risked their lives and some have
lost them investigating the frigid regions of the Arctic and Antarctic.
Some of these heroes were driven by the explorer's longing to make the
first footprints in an unknown land. Others were seeking short sailing
routes from Europe. Still others were searching for good sealing and whaling
grounds. For many years, reaching the North Pole, and then the South Pole,
was the supreme challenge to daring explorers.
Places To Go | People To See | Things To Do | Teacher Resources | Bibliography
Places To Go
Arctic
Studies Center
Visit the Smithsonian Institute's Arctic Studies Center, which is dedicated
to the study of northern peoples, their history and environment.
Wired
Antarctica
Visit Antarctic along with researchers from Canada and the U.S.! Learn
more about why Antarctica is important and what you can be learned there.
This site has worksheets, activities, pictures, and lots of information
about this chilly continent.
Virtual
Antarctica
Relive the excitement of Virtual Antarctica through the gallery of images
and dispatches, or surf into this award-winning web site to learn more
about the vast white continent at the bottom of the world.
All About Glaciers
Find out about the forces that make glaciers.
Arctic Circle
This site serves as a compendium of materials for Arctic studies, focusing
on natural resources, history and culture, and environmental justice.
It provides articles and links for topics such as northern development
and the global economy, ethnographic portraits of indigenous Arctic region
peoples, as well as specific studies dealing with the impact of petroleum,
gas, hydroelectric, and other forms of large-scale natural resource development
in the northern circumpolar regions.
The
Arctic in Popular Culture
The Arctic Regions have brought forth a wide variety of popular imagery,
ranging from Currier & Ives prints to cigarette trading cards to stereoscope
and magic lantern views.
Antarctic Philately
This comprehensive site, best suited for middle and high school students,
provides an awesome combination of stamp collecting and the history of
the exploration of the South Pole. The site includes maps, biographies,
and lots of fascinating information.
South:
The Race to the Pole
This site is about the 'heroic age' of Antarctic exploration, from the
beginning of the 20th century to the end of the First World War. The exhibition
focuses on the expeditions of Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest
Shackleton and the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.
Shackleton's
Legendary Antarctic Expedition
The American Museum of Natural History's handsome companion site to Sir
Ernest Shackleton's Endurance expedition. Exhibition curated by Caroline
Alexander.
Antarctic
Journal of the United States
Antarctic Journal of the United States, established in 1966, reports on
U.S. activities in Antarctica, related activities elsewhere, and trends
in the U.S. Antarctic Program. This is a comprehensive journal describing
sponsored research efforts in Antarctica.
People To See
Alone
on the Ice
In June 1934, Richard Byrd lay alone in a small hut below the polar ice,
hovering near death. No one before Byrd had ever experienced winter in
the interior of the Antarctic. In an age of heroes, he was one of America's
greatest. An explorer, aviation pioneer and scientist, Byrd was also an
egotist, a risk-taker, and, his critics claim, a man who sometimes took
credit for the accomplishments of others.
Robert
Peary
Read about the U.S. Arctic explorer usually credited with leading the
first expedition to reach the North Pole in 1909. Peary's claim to have
reached the North Pole was almost universally accepted, but in the 1980s
the examination of his 1908-09 expedition diary and other newly released
documents cast doubt on whether he had actually reached the pole. Through
a combination of navigational mistakes and record-keeping errors, Peary
may actually have advanced only to a point 30-60 miles (50-100 km) short
of the pole. The truth remains uncertain.
Shackleton's
Antarctic Odyssey
Anglo-Irishman, who in 1914 headed an ill-fated expedition to Antarctica.
Shackleton led his 27-man crew through a harrowing two-year trip to safety
after being stranded on ice floes when their ship, HMS Endurance, sank
in the icy Weddell Sea 1,200 miles from the fringes of civilization.
Matthew
Henson: Arctic Explorer
African-American Matthew Henson was the personal assistant to Lt. Robert
E. Peary and accompanied Peary and four Eskimos to the North Pole on April
6, 1909. Henson, publicly shunned by Peary, never received credit for
his achievement until the final years of his life.
Frederick
Albert Cook
Frederick Cook claimed to have made the first ascent of Mount McKinley
(1906) and to have reached the North Pole on April 21, 1908 (one year
before Robert E. Peary). However, an investigative committee discredited
both of these claims. Although Cook was later imprisoned (1925-29) for
mail fraud, he received an unconditional pardon from President Franklin
D. Roosevelt just before his death.
The
Fate of Franklin
This site is a detailed and comprehensive presentation of materials about
Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin, who commanded an expedition to discover
the Northwest Passage. When his ships got stuck in thick ice, Franklin
and his crew died. Their remains, and a record of the expedition, were
found several years later.
Where
None Have Gone Before: The Life of Roald Amundsen
In 1910 Roald Amundsen set sail in an attempt to reach the North Pole,
but hearing that Peary had apparently beaten him to it, he switched to
the Antarctic and reached the South Pole in December 1911, one month ahead
of Captain Scott.
Things To Do
Wild
Arctic Activities
Do you know where the Arctic is? How about what lives there? This site
contains mazes, puzzles, games and activities designed to help you learn
more about the Arctic environment.
Arctic Theme Page
This comprehensive web page created by NOAA includes essays on key Arctic issues by respected Arctic scientists, Frequently Asked Questions About the Arctic, a North Pole web cam, educational links, and more.
Secrets of
the Ice
Follow a group of scientists from the University of New Hampshire on a
four-year research expedition to Antarctica. Their goal is to learn what
the lasting effects on the world might be if human-induced atmospheric
changes continue to melt its ice cap.
South Pole Adventure
Page
Want to know the current temperature at the South Pole? This clear and
interesting site offers a range of science activities related to the South
Pole. Or submit your weather experiment ideas, and maybe scientists will
conduct it and send you the results!
Antarctica:
Research Stations and Territorial Claims
View a detailed map showing location of Antarctic research stations and
the land claims made by various nations to slices of the Antarctic pie.
The
Endurance
Hoping to partly finance the expedition through advance sale of photographic,
movie, and story rights, British polar explorer Ernest Shackleton hired
photographer Frank Hurley to record, in still and moving pictures, his
expedition to Antarctica. At this site you can view the stunning results
of Hurley's efforts.
Teacher Resources
Arctic
Animals: A 1st Grade Unit
This UEN Virtual Tour takes a look at animals of the Arctic.
Teachers Experiencing
Antarctica and the Arctic
The U.S. National Science Foundation sponsors this program for science
teachers to experience scientific research taking place in the polar regions.
Teachers certified at the high-school or equivalent level and in good
physical condition are encouraged to apply. Awardees spend a field season
working along scientists in the field and posting electronic daily journal
entries. Among the goals are enhancing teachers' professional development
and playing up the importance of science in the classroom.
Building
an Igloo
Build, explore, and experience an igloo as part of the Inuit and Eskimo
heritage.
Hunt
for Arctic Animals
An Internet treasure hunt for Arctic animals
Polar
Connections
How can two of the most isolated, forbidding places on Earth also be among
its most valuable for scientific research? Why do people the world over
find the North Pole, with its polar bears, and the South Pole, with its
penguins, so endlessly fascinating? Helping your students discover the
many answers to these questions is the mission of this web site and the
15 activities it presents.
Bibliography
- Alexander, Caroline. The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic
Expedition. Knopf, 1998.
- Arms, Myron. Riddle of the Ice: A Scientific Adventure into the Arctic.
Anchor Books, 1999.
- Arthur, Elizabeth. Antarctic Navigation. A. A. Knopf, 1995.
- Bainbridge, Beryl. The Birthday Boys. Carroll & Graf, 1995.
- Barrett, Andrea. The Voyage of the Narwhal. W.W. Norton & Company,
1999.
- Baughman, T.H. Before the Heroes Came: Antarctica in the 1890s. University
of Nebraska Press, 1999.
- Beattie, Owen et al. Frozen in Time. Greystone Publishing, 2000.
- Berton, Pierre. Arctic Grail. The Lyons Press, 2000.
- Cherry-Garrard, Apsley. The Worst Journey in the World: Antarctic,
1910-13. Carroll & Graf, 1997.
- Cole, Joanna. The Magic School Bus in the Arctic : A Book About Heat.
Scholastic, 1998.
- Cookman, Scott. Ice Blink: The Tragic Fate of Sir John Franklin's
Lost Polar Expedition. John Wiley & Sons, 2000.
- Crossley, Louise. Explore Antarctica. Cambridge University Press,
1995.
- Elmore, Larry et al. Ice Continent : A Story of Antarctica. Soundprints
Corp. Audio, 1997.
- Heacox, Kim. Antarctica: The Last Continent (National Geographic Destinations).
National Geographic Society, 1999.
- Huntford, Roland. The Last Place on Earth (Modern Library Exploration).
Modern Library, 1999.
- Huntford, Roland. Shackleton. Atheneum, 1986.
- Huxley, Elspeth Josceline. Scott of the Antarctic. Brompton Books
Corp, 1990.
- Lansing, Alfred. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage. Avon,
1960.
- Lopez, Barry. Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern
Landscape. Bantam Books, 1996.
- Mawson, Douglas and Ranulph Fiennes. The Home of the Blizzard: A True
Story of Antarctic Survival. St Martins Press, 1999.
- May, John. The Greenpeace Book of Antarctica. Macmillan of Canada,
1988.
- Nansen, Fridtjof and Roald E. Amundsen, Roland Huntford. The South
Pole. Cooper Square Press, 2000.
- Pielou, E.C. A Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic. University of Chicago
Press, 1994.
- Preston, Diana. A First Rate Tragedy: Robert Falcon Scott and the
Race to the South Pole. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998.
- Rubin, Jeff. Antarctica. Lonely Planet Publications, 1996.
- Scott, Robert Falcon and Beryl Bainbridge. Scott's Last Expedition:
The Journals. Carroll & Graf, 1996.
- Shackleton, Ernest Henry.The Heart of the Antarctic: Being the Story
of the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909. Carroll & Graf,
1999.
- Shackleton, Ernest. South. Carroll and Graf Publishers, 1998.
- Steger, Will. And Jon Bowermaster. Crossing Antarctica. Dell Publishing
Company, 1993.
- Wheeler, Sara. Antarctica: The Falklands & South Georgia. Globe
Pequot Press, 1997.
- Wheeler, Sara. Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica. Random House,
1998.
- Worsley, F.A. Shackleton's Boat Journey. Norton, 1998.
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