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Locating the North and South Poles
I can locate the North and South Polar regions and describe some of their icy features.
New
New
Locating the North and South Poles
I can locate the North and South Polar regions and describe some of their icy features.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- The geographical North and South Poles mark where Earth’s axis meets Earth’s surface.
- The North Pole is located in the Arctic Ocean and the South Pole in the frozen continent of Antarctica.
- The Antarctic is colder because of its land mass, with high mountains and the Arctic warmer because much is ocean.
- Ice sheets cover land and ice shelves extend over the ocean.
Keywords
Glacier - A glacier is a huge accumulation of ice and snow that moves slowly over land.
Iceberg - Icebergs are large floating chunks of ice, that break off glaciers into the ocean.
Ice floe - An ice floe is a sheet of ice floating in the water.
Ice shelf - An ice shelf is a floating tongue of ice that extends from a glacier grounded on land.
Common misconception
The Arctic and Antarctica are both continents.
Antarctica is a continent but the Arctic is frozen sea ice.
Use a globe to show the relative size of the Arctic and Antarctica and where the UK is located in relation to them.
Teacher tip
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
What is the imaginary line which runs around Earth?
axis
pole
prime meridian
Q2.
Where does Earth get heat from?
people
fire
Q3.
What is Earth tilted on which creates seasons?
Equator
axis
poles
angles
Q4.
The North Pole is in the same hemisphere as which country?
Brazil
Australia
South Africa
Q5.
The South Pole experiences winter in which months?
November - March (UK winter)
all year
never
Q6.
What does a thermometer measure?
rainfall
wind speed
wind direction
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Where is the North Pole located?
Antarctica
Europe
Africa
Asia
Q2.
Where is the South Pole located?
The Arctic
Asia
Europe
Africa
Q3.
Which is colder?
The Arctic
Q4.
What is a floating sheet of ice called?
glacier
ice sheet
ice shelf
Q5.
Which of these describes a glacier?
a large floating chunk of ice, that breaks off glaciers into the ocean
a sheet of ice floating on the water
a floating tongue of ice that extends from a glacier grounded on land
Q6.
True or false? The Arctic is a continent.
true