Social Studies: Arctic and Antarctic: Geography and Climate
Comparing Earth’s cold polar regions
Social Studies: Arctic and Antarctic: Geography and Climate
Comparing Earth’s cold polar regions
Social Studies - Grade 2-3
- 1
The Arctic is near the North Pole. The Antarctic is near the South Pole. Which region is at the top of most world maps?
Look for the North Pole on a globe or map.
The Arctic is at the top of most world maps because it is near the North Pole. - 2
Circle the word that best completes the sentence: Antarctica is a land continent covered mostly by ice, but the Arctic is mostly an ocean covered by sea ice. Antarctica is mostly land / ocean.
Antarctica is mostly land. It is a continent covered by a thick sheet of ice. - 3
Write one way the Arctic and Antarctic are alike.
Think about temperature, ice, and snow.
The Arctic and Antarctic are alike because both are very cold polar regions with ice and snow. - 4
Write one way the Arctic and Antarctic are different.
One difference is that the Arctic is mostly ocean with sea ice, while Antarctica is a continent covered by ice. - 5
A thermometer in Antarctica shows a very low temperature. What kind of clothing would a scientist need to wear there?
Think about what you wear on a very cold winter day.
A scientist would need to wear very warm clothing, such as a heavy coat, gloves, boots, and a hat. - 6
Polar regions get long days in summer and long nights in winter. During winter in the Arctic, would it be light all day or dark for much of the day?
During winter in the Arctic, it can be dark for much of the day because polar regions have long winter nights. - 7
Look at this list: polar bear, penguin, seal, walrus. Which animal is best known for living in Antarctica?
Penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, and polar bears live in the Arctic.
The penguin is best known for living in Antarctica. - 8
Look at this list: polar bear, penguin, seal, whale. Which animal is best known for living in the Arctic?
The polar bear is best known for living in the Arctic. - 9
Why is it hard for many plants to grow in the Arctic and Antarctic?
Plants usually need warmth, sunlight, soil, and water to grow.
It is hard for many plants to grow there because the climate is very cold and the ground is often frozen or covered with ice and snow. - 10
The Arctic has people living in some places around it, including towns and Indigenous communities. Antarctica has no permanent towns. Which region has permanent towns and communities?
The Arctic has permanent towns and communities in some places around it. - 11
A map key shows white for ice and blue for ocean. If a map of the Arctic has a lot of blue under the ice, what does that tell you?
Use the map key to match each color to what it means.
It tells you that much of the Arctic is ocean covered by ice. - 12
Complete the comparison: The Arctic is in the north. The Antarctic is in the ____.
North and south are opposite directions.
The Antarctic is in the south because it is near the South Pole.