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Jack and Jayne's Webquest
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Jack and Jayne's Webquest
Grade 6, 2011, Virtual Antarctic Expedition, Part 1
Welcome explorers to your first Antarctic expedition!
Your journey begins now! Complete the following tasks to continue your journey and venture into the depths of Antarctica! During your expeditions you are required to take notes in the research booklet provided to you in class. Remember, the key to being a great explorer is to collect information along the way. Good luck!
Task 1 – Introduction to Antarctica:
Click on the link to begin your expedition and discover the beauty of Antarctica:
Antarctica Questions! Click on the word document below to answer the following questions:
Lesson - Task 1 - Questions.docx
Reminder: Ensure you save the document to your ‘Antarctic Expedition’ folder.
· What information did you know about Antarctica prior to this expedition?
· What does the Antarctic mean to you?
· Is it a place of importance? Why?
Task 2 – Locating Antarctica on a map of the world:
All great explorers use maps to assist them on their expeditions. To help begin your expedition you must first locate Antarctica on the classroom globe!
Using an A-4 sheet of paper and a pencil, sketch your own map of Antarctica. Don’t forget to label it!
Using the classrooms world map, list and identify Antarctica’s neighboring countries using the word document below:
Lesson 1 - Task 2 - Neighboring Countries.docx
Reminder: Once you have completed these task please ensure you save the word document and place the sheet into your ‘Antarctic Expedition’ folder!
Task 3 - Fun Facts about Antarctica (Work sheet - filling in the blanks)
The following are some fun facts about Antarctica that every explorer should know:
Antarctica is located at the South Pole and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean.
Over 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice.
It is the driest and coldest continent on earth. Antarctica is the fifth largest continent based on size, but it is the smallest in population with a population of 0 (although some people do visit).
Some animals to survive in the cold and dry climate of Antarctica.
These animals include penguins, seals, and the snow petrel (a bird).
Antarctica has no countries and no portions of the continent are owned by any country.
Antarctica is the windiest place on earth.
There is as much ice on Antarctica as there is water in the Atlantic Ocean.
The lowest recorded temperature in history was -128 degrees F in Antarctica.
Use the information from the fun facts to complete the work sheet provided and fill in the missing words
Reminder: The work sheet is to be completed without looking at the above fun facts.
Click on the link below for access to the 'Fun Facts' worksheet:
Antarctica Fun Facts - Work Sheet.docx
Click on link below to access further information on Antarctica; Its wildlife, landscape, climate, human activity and governing Antarctic treaties:
Reminder: Remember to record any useful information in your research booklet!
End of Lesson 1
Grade 6, 2011, Virtual Antarctic Expedition, Part 2
Welcome back explorers to your second Antarctic expedition!
Now you are experienced explorers it is time to venture further into the Antarctica to discover new and exciting facts about the wildlife, human activity and history of this amazing continent. We hope you have been collecting information along the way! Complete the following tasks to continue this truely amazing
journey into the unknown.
Task 4 - Research mission - Exploring Antarctica, it's wildlife, climate and landscape
The link below is a powerpoint which describes and visualises what it would be like to travel to Antarctica. Carefully look and read through each slide. Using the Antarctic research book provided to you in class you are required to take notes and collect information you think would be useful if you were on a exploration. The information you collect will help you complete the next part of your expedition. Good luck!
Once in the site in order to view the power point you must double click Antarctica Last Continent, Version 2:
Task 5 - Research - Introduction to the history Antarctic Exploration/human involvement/ Explorer Sir Douglas Mawson
Click the link to view the Antarctic Timeline for exploration:
It is evident from the above timeline that people have been exploring Antarctica for over a hundreds years. One explorer in particular became very well-known and respected for his expeditions to the Antarctic. His name was
Sir Douglas Mawson
and he was Australia's greatest Antarctic explorer. He made four trips to the Antarctic:
in 1907-09 with Shackleton's British Antarctic Expedition;
in 1911-14, having declined to join Scott's ill-fated Antarctic journey, as leader of the Australasian Antarctic expedition;
and twice between 1929 and 1931 as leader of the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE).
Click the link below to watch a short introduction video on Sir Douglas Mawson:
Throughout his time in the Antarctic Sir Douglas Mawson collected a variety of useful information and encountered the hardships of the harsh Antarctic climate. During this time he recorded everything in his dairy. The writing below is one of Sir Douglas Mawson's dairy entries during his expedition to Antarctica
'Tuesday November 12 was an interesting day. The greater part of the track was over rippled, level ice, thrown into many billows, through devious pressure-hummocks and between the inevitable crevasses. The coast was a kaleidoscope of sable rocks, blue cascades, and fissured ice-falls. Fifteen miles ahead stood an island twenty miles long, rising in bare peaks and dark knolls. This was eventually named David Island.'
'The dogs were working very well and, if only a little additional food could be procured for them, I knew they could be kept alive. Zip broke loose one night and ate one of my socks which was hanging on the sledge to dry; it probably tasted of seal blubber from the boots. Switzerland, too, was rather a bother, eating his harness whenever he had a chance'
Task 6 - Diary Entry
Your task is to write your own dair entry. You must use your imagination to think what it would have been like traveling through the Antarctic over a hundred years ago. When writing your dairy entry you are to pretend you were traveling with Sir Douglas Mawson during one of his expeditions. Your diary entry must describe the
the living conditions
or any other hardships you thing an explorer may have experienced during an expedition
Use the word document below to create your own dairy entry.
End of Lesson 2
Year 6, 2011, Virtual Antarctic Expedition, Part 3
Welcome explorers to our final expedition. You are now extremely experienced Antarctic explorers!
By now you should have a great deal of information you have collected during previous expeditions. This information should have been collected using a variety of maps, work sheets, Word documents, Power points, dairy entries, research booklet and a variety of other information from various internet sites. Your knowledge of Antarctica is indeed advanced and you are now ready for the final stage of our journey. Complete the following tasks and you will truely become an Antarctic Explorer!
Task 7 - Researching environmental threats to Antarctica and ways to prevent such threats
Mission: As an Antarctic Explorer you are required to collect information which will protect the Antarctic from any current or future environmental threats. Using your research booklet, explore the link below and collect information on possible environmental threats and what is being done to prevent them:
Task 8 - Creating a poster to alert people to the future environmental threats to Antarctica
You are to create a poster using cardboard, coloured pencils and other classroom resources which alerts people to the future environmental threats faced by Antarctica. Use the information you have collected along with your research booklet to help you think of ideas and concepts which may help design your poster.
Task 9: - Reflection Questions
Using the knowledge you have gained and information you have collected you are required to answer the following questions. These questions will help you reflect on your virtual Antarctic expidition as you complete the final task of your journey:
Why don’t people live in Antarctica permanently?
Which countries surround Antarctica?
How does human interaction affect Antarctica?
How can Australia help the way Antarctica is being treated?
What do I believe an effective treaty should consist of?
How has Antarctica changed?
Click the link below to answer the questions in a word document:
Task 9 - Reflection Questions.docx
Reminder: Remember, once you have completed the task you must save the Word document to your 'Antarctic Expedition' Folder.
Congratulations explorers you MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
End of Lesson 3
End of Webquest Lessons
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