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 and talk about the Arctic Circle using maps and globes, and describe seasonal changes.

Key Notes

• The Arctic Circle is an imagined circle around the North Pole that surrounds the area known as the Arctic.
• Much of the Artic Ocean around the North Pole is frozen sea ice, two to three metres thick, but this reduces in summer.
• The northern edges of three continents: North America, Europe and Asia, can be found within the Arctic Circle.
• The Arctic Summer has almost continuous daylight and the winter almost continuous darkness.

Vocabulary To Learn

• Arctic Circle: The most northerly major line of latitude.
• Arctic Ocean: The smallest of the world's main oceans, much of it is frozen during its winter months.
• permanent ice: This is ice which never thaws, even in summer time.
• midnight sun: The 24 consecutive hours of sunlight during the Arctic or Antarctic summer.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• The Arctic is just at the North Pole.

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