Study Guides

Unit Summary

This unit explores the North and South Poles through their locations, climates, landscapes, wildlife and ways of life. Pupils learn to compare the Arctic and Antarctic using maps, images and geographical vocabulary to describe features of cold environments.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain what the Antarctic Treaty is and can explain some reasons why people go to Antarctica.

Key Notes

• Due to its inaccessibility, the continent of Antarctica has only been visited and explored over the past 250 years.
• People first went to the Southern Ocean and Antarctica hunting for whales, then explorers raced to the South Pole.
• The Antarctic Treaty is there to protect the continent and states no one country can claim it as its own.
• There is no permanent population in Antarctica but scientists and tourists visit the continent.

Vocabulary To Learn

• whaling: Whaling is the hunting of whales for oil and meat
• Antarctic Treaty: The Antarctic Treaty is a set of rules signed by 54 countries to protect Antarctica
• tourism: Tourism means people travelling to a different place from where they live for a holiday
• research: Work done to collect information in an organised way in order to increase understanding about a topic is known as research

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Antarctica has its own government.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Antarctic wildlife Study Guide
• Arctic wildlife Study Guide
• Living in the Arctic Study Guide
• Locating the North and South Poles Study Guide
• The North Pole and the Arctic Study Guide
• The South Pole and the Antarctic Study Guide
• The world's cold places Study Guide