Arctic and Antarctic Unit Study Ideas

We have started our Antarctic & Arctic Continent studies. I have quite a few different things that we will be learning while exploring Antarctica and the Arctic region I have put together for our Arctic and Antarctic unit study ideas. Today I’m sharing the different Arctic and Antarctic work pages, arts & crafts, sensory ideas, science experiments, and more that my kids will be working on the next couple weeks. I will be sharing pictures and more ideas of our Antarctica Continent Box later on.

Arctic and Antarctica Science Activities and Experiment Ideas –

There are lots of fun experiments and science activities that we have planned for our upcoming unit, some that the kids will choose from are:

• Each of the kids are researching an endangered animal from Antarctica and researching what is being done to help their populations.
• One of our all time favorite experiments for kids to try is the “blubber glove” experiment which is such a fun and eye opening way to see how blubber works on Arctic animals to help them stay warm!
• This is a fun experiment on learning the potential impacts of the warming of the atmosphere called melting Ice.
• Students can do this salt concentration experiment to find out how cold-blodded animals survive in subfreezing waters!
• This is a fun way for students to keep track of the Antarctic Ice Sheet changes over years time to see the effects of global warming.
• Here is a fun experiment teaching kids the difference in volume for water, snow, and ice!
• Here is a fun 3rd grade science/social studies lesson for the Antarctic Region.
• Penguin Science offers a few different science projects on penguins and also has lots of useful information, videos, pictures, webcams, and more!
• Ellen McHenery’s Basement Workshop shared this fun Antarctic board game you and your kids can play while learning about the Antarctic Continent, I have really enjoyed some of the fun games this site offers, we used a game they had before for our Space theme and were very happy with it!
• NASA’s Lima site has some amazing picturtes, information, and more I think almost half of the projects and photos inside our Antarctica Continent Box came from this site.
• Kindergarten Crayons offers a cute penguin printable for your kids to label.

Geography of Antarctica –

• Cool Antarctica offers many pictures, videos, information and more about the Antarctic Geography.
• Discovering Antarctica has lots of information, games, maps, and so much more for students and teachers to explore.
• NOAA offers tons of beautiful photos to use for your Antarctica & Arctic studies.
• Antarctic Sun offers many tips, photos, ideas, news, and more!

Arctic and Antarctica Books We are Reading – 

This is a list of the books we will be focusing on during our studies.

  

Antarctica and Arctic Arts/Crafts-

• Emperior Penguin coloring page from Enchanted Learning.
• Last year we made a crystal tree out of Borax and water with food coloring.

• The kids enjoyed making coffee filter snowflakes to hang around the house.

• Snow flake paintings were a fun and easy project for the kids to do.
• This is such a cute Eskimo craft, using a paper plate. I did notice the link on Pinterest didn’t work for this craft, but it seems simple enough to make from looking at the picture 🙂
• The Australian Government Antarctica Division – site offers some adorable Antarctic Scientist Paper Doll printables.
• Easy Preschool Crafts For Kids offers an easy polar bear craft idea along with 12 other Arctic animal craft ideas.
• Leap into learning shared a Learn how to draw a penguin printable!

Arctic and Antarctica Sensory Ideas

• Last year we filled one of our bins with snow from the yard and added in our Arctic Toobs. It was a fun way to learn Arctic Vocabulary.

• Our Winter themed Sensory Bin.

• Play Based Learning shared this fun sensory Bin idea for your Arctic Unit.
• No Time For Flashcards shared this cute Arctic Sensory Play Idea!
• One Hook Wonder shared this fun idea for an Ice Berg Sensory bin!

Arctic and Antarctica Online Games-

•  Discovering Antarctica has a fun game for kids on what to wear in Antarctica.
• National Geographic offers a fun game where kids work to keep a penguin egg warm.

Arctic and Antarctica Practical Life Trays-

• Pouring snowflake confetti from 1 cup to the other.

• Pouring blue water into cups.

• Washing Arctic Toobz animals.

• Practice dressing for winter.

• Seasonal clothing sort.

• Count the snowflakes cards with clothes pins for the answer.

 

• Use the strawberry huller to transfer snowflakes from 1 cup to the other.

• Jojoebi shared some FREE Penguin 3 part cards.

Misc. Useful Links about the Arctic and Antarctic

• ABC Teach offers a whole unit on Tundra & Arctic that has many themed pages in quite a few different subjects.
• Visit the online South Pole Adventure Web Page adventure which has lots of neat information about Antarctica including live webcams, activities, questions & answers, photos, and more.
• Here are some Antarctic Lesson Plan Ideas, including elementary, middle, & High School Ideas!
• Deb at Living Montessori Now has put together an amazing list of Montessori inspired Arctic and Antarctic Unit Ideas. She has lots of amazing resources from around the web!
• The Polar Conservation Site lists tons of information including maps of current research bases.
• Here are some fun Arctic Animal Bingo Cards, for a fun Bingo game with your kids.
• Carisa over at 1+1+1=1 shared some Antarctic/Arctic calendar cards with great info about misc. Arctic and Antarctic information.

Hands on Learning about the Arctic and Antarctic Regions

Stop over and see what Arctic and Antarctic ideas made it inside of our Antarctica Continent Box.

For more Antarctic and Arctic ideas head over and check out my Antarctica Pinterest Board.

Follow Mama Of Many Blessings’s board Antarctic and Arctic Ideas For Kids on Pinterest.

What is your favorite Arctic or Antarctica activity to do with your kids? Leave a comment below letting me know!

I am linking up with these great linky parties, head over for more great ideas to try with your kids!