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 locate the North and South Polar regions and describe some of their icy features.

Key Notes

• The geographical North and South Poles mark where Earth's axis meets Earth's surface.
• The North Pole is located in the Arctic Ocean and the South Pole in the frozen continent of Antarctica.
• The Antarctic is colder because of its land mass, with high mountains and the Arctic warmer because much is ocean.
• Ice sheets cover land and ice shelves extend over the ocean.

Vocabulary To Learn

• glacier: A glacier is a huge accumulation of ice and snow that moves slowly over land.
• iceberg: Icebergs are large floating chunks of ice, that break off glaciers into the ocean.
• ice floe: An ice floe is a sheet of ice floating in the water.
• ice shelf: An ice shelf is a floating tongue of ice that extends from a glacier grounded on land.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• The Arctic and Antarctica are both continents.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Antarctic wildlife Study Guide
• Arctic wildlife Study Guide
• Living in the Antarctic Study Guide
• Living in the Arctic 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