Science·Polar Regions·conceptual
Comparing Arctic & Antarctic
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
Suggested ages 7–9
Evidence of understanding
- 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 Comparing Arctic & Antarctic 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?
Standards alignment
No external standards are linked to this topic.