Comparing Arctic & Antarctic

CONCEPTUAL

Science›Polar Regions|Ages 7—9|ID: mt_z9jn9HogfE

Compare the Arctic and Antarctic in detail — the Arctic is an ocean covered by floating sea ice with surrounding land masses (Canada, Russia, Greenland, Scandinavia), while Antarctica is a continent larger than Europe buried under ice up to 4 km thick; polar bears, Arctic foxes, and walruses live only in the Arctic while penguins, leopard seals, and albatrosses are found only in the Antarctic

Mastery Evidence

State that the Arctic is a frozen ocean surrounded by land (name at least two bordering countries), while Antarctica is a continent covered by ice sheet up to 4 km thick
Correctly assign at least three animals to the Arctic and three to the Antarctic
Name at least two differences in human presence: indigenous peoples in the Arctic vs research stations only in Antarctica

Assessment Prompt

“Can [child] explain in detail how the Arctic and Antarctic are different — which animals live where, that one is frozen ocean and the other is a frozen continent, and which countries border the Arctic?”

Prerequisites2

Polar Animals
softAges 5—7
Arctic vs Antarctic
hardAges 5—7

Show full prerequisite tree

Polar Animals soft
Knowing a range of polar animals enriches the detailed comparison
- Arctic vs Antarctic hard
  Must know Arctic vs Antarctic before learning which animals live where
  - Where Are the Poles? hard
    Must know where the poles are before comparing Arctic vs Antarctic
- Penguins soft
  Penguins and polar bears are the anchor species; other animals build on these
  - Arctic vs Antarctic hard
    Must know penguins live in Antarctic (not Arctic) from the comparison topic
    - Where Are the Poles? hard
      Must know where the poles are before comparing Arctic vs Antarctic
- Polar Bears soft
  Polar bears are the anchor species; other animals build on these
  - Arctic vs Antarctic hard
    Must know polar bears live in Arctic (not Antarctic) from the comparison topic
    - Where Are the Poles? hard
      Must know where the poles are before comparing Arctic vs Antarctic
Arctic vs Antarctic hard
Detailed comparison builds on basic Arctic vs Antarctic distinction
- Where Are the Poles? hard
  Must know where the poles are before comparing Arctic vs Antarctic

Unlocks5

Polar Climate Zone
hardAges 9—11
The Race to the South Pole
softAges 7—9
Antarctic Treaty & Research
hardAges 9—11
Inuit & Sami Peoples
hardAges 7—9
The Arctic Tundra
hardAges 7—9