Tim Jarvis photo courtesy of Anthony McKee
Teacher Resource Material
Primary stage 3
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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CURRICULUM LINKS
PRIMARY Stage 3
English:
Creative Arts:
HSIE:
Outcomes: TS 3.1, TS 3.2, WS 3.9, WS 3.13
Outcomes: VAS 3.1
Current Issues: Antarctica
Patterns of human involvement and use of environments
Ecologically sustainable development of environments
Case study of selected natural or built heritage sites in the world
Outcomes: ENS 3.5, ENS 3.6, SSS 3.7
Science and Technology:
Outcomes: Develop knowledge and understanding of:
living things, the earth and its surroundings, the processes of
designing and making, the selection of technologies and how they
affect other people, the environment and the future
Investigate natural and mad environments
Develop positive values and attitudes towards others, and
science and technology
All activities are colour coded for Stage 3. However, teachers
may use them for Stage 4 or Life Skills programs according to
local requirements.
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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ICONS
Icons are used next to activities to indicate skills being
addressed.
Think carefully about the question and what you want to say in
reply.
Discuss something with a friend, within a group or with your
teacher.
Write a response in the space provided. This could be following
discussion.
Perform mathematical calculations.
Read some information.
Look at some visual material.
Research an issue.
This is an interactive activity.
Make something.
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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GLOSSARY
Antarctic bottom water
The coldest and densest water mass in the ocean. Formed in
particular places in Antarctica when surface water cools and
becomes more dense and so sinks to the ocean floor.
Anthropologist
Anthropologists examine, analyse, report on and compare different
communities and how they grow, develop and interact.
Avalanche
A fall or slide of a large mass of snow and ice which has detached
from where it rested.
Biologist
Biologists study humans, plants, animals and the environments in
which they live.
Calve
When the ice flowing from a glacier reaches a body of water it begins
to float and may break off the glacier becoming an iceberg.
Desert
An area where precipitation is low and evaporation is high creating
very little moisture in the air. Antarctica is a “white desert”.
Ecosystem
A system formed by the interactions of the living organisms (plants,
animals and humans) and physical elements of the environment.
Environment
The total physical and biotic features and influences surrounding a
place or organism.
Geographical issues
Areas of concern that arise due to changes in environments and
which can be in spatial and ecological dimensions.
Geologist
Geologists study the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the
Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it.
Glaciers
Glaciers are snow, compressed over many years, which thicken into
ice masses. They are like rivers of ice and move slowly. Freshwater.
Habitat
The environment in which an organism lives: the land and resources
(food and shelter) required to support an organism.
Hypothesis
A predictive statement which can be tested using a range of
methods: most often associated with experimental procedure.
Ice floe
A large, flat, sheet of sea ice that has broken off contact with the
coast where it was formed and is floating in open water. Sea-water.
Ice sheet
A large, thick mass of ice that covers the land beneath it and is
greater than 50,000 square kilometres. Ice sheets cover Antarctica.
Freshwater.
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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Ice shelf
A large flat sheet of ice that is attached to land along one side and
floats in the ocean. Formed where a glacier or ice shelf has reached
the water and kept flowing. Freshwater.
Ice tongue
A mass of ice projecting from a glacier into the sea. It is still fixed to
and forms a part of the larger glacier. Freshwater.
Iceberg
A massive piece of floating ice that has calved off a glacier or ice
shelf. Icebergs occur in lakes and the ocean and can be the size of
islands or small countries. Only about 10% of its mass is above the
surface of the water. Freshwater.
Inuit
The Inuit is a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples
inhabiting the Arctic regions.
Investigation
Systematic inquiry.
Physical environment
Includes water, air, living things, sunlight and natural features of the
earth’s environment .
Phytoplankton
(Plant plankton) Microscopic plant organisms which grow and live in
the upper layers of the ocean and form the basis of the marine food
web.
Primary materials (History)
Original material written, composed, constructed at the time that is
being studied and about the topic that is being studied.
Primary materials (Science)
Original material collected by the author. It includes measurements,
survey responses, photographs, digital images, maps and sketches.
Secondary sources (History)
Material written, composed, constructed after the event being
studied; not first-hand knowledge.
Secondary sources (Science)
A range of forms of information and data that have resulted from the
investigations of other people, including graphs, diagrams, images.
South Pole
The southern-most point on the surface of the Earth where the
Earth’s axis of rotation intersects.
validity of first hand data
The extent to which the processes and resultant data measure what
was intended.
Zooplankton
(Animal plankton) Microscopic animal organisms, such as tiny
crustaceans and fish larvae, that drift in bodies of water. Zooplankton cannot produce their own food so are consumers.
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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PRIMARY STAGE 3
A. Timeline
S3
S4
Construct a timeline of exploration in the Antarctic region
and other world events of the time of Shackleton’s
expedition. The timeline needs to be to scale and record
at least ten of the events listed below. Label each event
with a date and title.
1773
British explorer James Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle in
January and circumnavigates Antarctica. He does not sight land,
but finds evidence that a southern continent exists.
1788
The First Fleet arrives in Australia.
1891 - 1821
Thaddeus Bellingshausen, a Russian naval officer,
circumnavigates Antarctica and is the first person to cross the
Antarctic Circle since Captain Cook.
1823
British whaler James Weddell discovers the sea later named after
him and reaches the most southerly point to date. No one else
penetrates the Weddell Sea again for 80 years.
1840
British naval officer and scientist James Clark Ross takes two
ships, the Erebus and the Terror, to within 80 miles of the
Antarctic coast. He is stopped by a massive ice barrier, known as
the Ross Ice Shelf. He also discovers an active volcano that he
names after his ship Erebus.
1885
Karl Benz builds the first motorcar.
1899
Carsten Borchgrevink leads a British expedition to Cape Adare and
builds huts. This was the first time that anyone had spent a
winter on land in Antarctica.
1901
Australia becomes an independent nation with Federation.
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1902
Robert Falcon Scott leads his first Antarctic expedition to the
South Pole, with Ernest Shackleton and Edward Wilson. They are
forced to turn back two months later having reached 82˚ south,
suffering from snow blindness and scurvy.
1903
The Wright brothers make the first powered airplane flight.
1907 - 1909
1912 - December
1912 – January
Ernest Shackleton leads an expedition to within 156 km of the
South Pole, but turns back after supplies are exhausted.
Norwegian Roald Amundsen is the first to reach the South Pole.
Robert Falcon Scott reaches the South Pole three weeks after
Amundsen.
1914
World War One begins.
1915
Ernest Shackleton returns to Antarctica in October in an attempt
to complete the first crossing of the continent. The attempt is
unsuccessful.
1916
Ernest Shackleton and five men depart Elephant Island on an 800
nautical mile voyage across the Southern ocean to reach South
Georgia. According to Sir Edmund Hillary, “this attempt to rescue
all of Shackleton’s 28 men stranded in Antarctica is the greatest
survival story of all time”.
1956
A United States of America aircraft lands at the South Pole, the
first people since Scott in 1912.
1958
The first successful land crossing via the South Pole is led by
British geologist Vivian Fuchs with New Zealander Edmund Hillary
leading the backup party.
1961
Antarctic Treaty comes into effect.
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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B. History of Shackleton's Epic
Supplied by Shackleton Epic http://shackletonepic.com/
"We bailed with the energy of men fighting for life."
(From South: Sir Ernest Shackleton)
With Englishman Robert Scott and Norwegian Roald Amundsen having reached the South Pole
in 1912, Sir Ernest Shackleton, not to be outdone, embarked on the most ambitious polar
expedition of all time – the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition – a bid to cross Antarctica from
the Weddell Sea coast to the Ross Sea coast.
Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition planned to utilise two ships to accomplish its
mission: the Endurance would carry Shackleton and his main party across the Weddell Sea to
a landing site near Vahsel Bay from which Shackleton would begin his cross-continent journey,
while a second ship, the Aurora, under the command of Aeneas Mackintosh would embark
from Hobart, Australia to a landing at McMurdo Sound in order to enable a second crew to lay
a series of inland supply depots for the final portion of Shackleton’s march across the
continent via the South Pole.
On the Weddell Sea side, however, things did not go as planned, with the Endurance
becoming trapped and finally crushed by pack, leaving Shackleton and his crew with little
hope of survival. Rather than succumbing to the inevitable, they eked out an existence on the
pack ice, drifting north for another five months from November 1915 to April 1916 until the
melting ice finally released them into the Southern Ocean.
It was 1916, the First World War raged on, and the crew of the Endurance numbered 28 men
in three small wooden lifeboats adrift in the roughest ocean in the world under the command
of the ever-sanguine Shackleton. The men paddled and sailed for several harrowing days to
reach Elephant Island – a bleak and remote island home only to colonies of Elephant seals
and penguins.
With the long dark winter looming, and his men half-starved and desperate, Shackleton realised he would have to go for help or all would die. What followed was what Sir Edmund Hillary
described as the greatest survival story ever undertaken: Shackleton and five men left
Elephant Island in late April 1916 on an 800-mile voyage across the notoriously treacherous
Southern Ocean in the lifeboat James Caird.
For 17 days they battled constant gales, terrible cold, and mountainous seas in a leaking
22.5 ft wooden boat, not only finding but managing to land on the small, remote island of
South Georgia. Shackleton and two of the crew of six from the James Caird, Worsley and
Crean, then climbed over the precipitous, heavily glaciated mountains of South Georgia to
reach the refuge of the whaling station at Stromness on the other side – a journey that the
world’s top mountaineers in the modern era have been unable to replicate in the time Shackleton took.
Ultimately Shackleton was able to save the remaining crew of the James Caird on the other
side of South Georgia and rescue all 22 of the crew members who had been left stranded on
Elephant Island – an epic triumph of endurance
and leadership.
Launching the
James Caird,
1916.
Photograph by
Frank Hurley
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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The 21st Century Expedition
Supplied by Shackleton Epic http://shackletonepic.com/
"…then, just when things looked their worst, they changed for the best. I have marvelled
often at the thin line that divides success from failure and the sudden turn that leads from
apparently certain disaster to comparative safety." (From South: Sir Ernest Shackleton)
Shackleton Epic has been in development since 2008, when Alexandra Shackleton,
granddaughter of Sir Ernest, approached renowned British/Australian adventurer Tim Jarvis
AM FRGS, with the idea of an expedition to
honour one of the greatest leadership and
survival stories of all time.
Now, a crew of five British and Australian
adventurers have joined expedition leader Tim
Jarvis, AM FRGS, in an attempt to become the
first to authentically re-enact Sir Ernest
Shackleton’s treacherous boat voyage from
Elephant Island to South Georgia, followed by
the difficult crossing of its mountainous
interior.
To this day, no-one has successfully recreated
Shackleton’s complete ‘double’ journey across
sea and land using traditional gear.
British/ Australian adventurer Jarvis, 46, a veteran of multiple polar expeditions,
believes it is the most challenging expedition of his life.
The only concessions to the use of period equipment are the storage of modern
emergency equipment and radios on board Alexandra Shackleton, and the presence of
a support vessel. The British and Australian team members include Skipper Nick Bubb,
Mountain Leader WO2 Barry Gray RM, Sailor and Navigator Paul Larsen, Expedition
Bosun Petty Officer Seb Coulthard RN FRGS, Expedition Cameraman Ed Wardle; and
Reserve Sailor Paul Swain.
On January 23 Jarvis and his crew
set out to emulate Shackleton’s
voyage across 800 nautical miles
of the most challenging and
treacherous seas on the planet –
the Southern Ocean – sailing from
Elephant Island to South Georgia
aboard Alexandra Shackleton, an
exact replica of Shackleton’s
22.5’ (6.9m) whaler, James Caird.
Jarvis and his crew are presently
at South Georgia and he and two
of his crew will traverse its
mountainous interior shortly, to
reach the former whaling station
at Stromness.
The expedition will culminate in a
pilgrimage to Shackleton’s grave at Grytviken.
Jo Stewart. Shackleton Epic
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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C. Geography and Climate
Getting Started
A blank outline of Antarctica is
available for free download from
the following web page:
www.worldatlas.com/webimage/
countrys/polar/anaroutl.htm
Map Work
Use an atlas or other reference to identify geographic
features and significant sites within Antarctica.
Locate each of the places listed below and mark them as
directed. Use a black pen unless otherwise instructed.
1.
Label East and West Antarctica.
2.
Mark the South Pole with a black spot and label it.
3.
Add Elephant Island and South Georgia by drawing its
outline and labelling it.
4.
Draw a line to show the Ross Ice Shelf, the Ronne Ice Shelf
and the Larsen Ice Shelf. Colour each ice shelf pink.
5.
Label the following seas: Ross, Amundsen, Bellinghausen,
Weddell, and colour them light blue.
6.
Use a compass to draw the Antarctic Circle and label it.
7.
Add Cape Horn and Falkland Islands by drawing its outline
and labelling it
On the map where you have already marked the geographical
features draw a dotted line to show the route that Shacklton’s
party followed.
Research
Geographically the Falkland Islands and Cape Horn were
closer to Elephant Island. Use an encyclopaedia or the
Internet to learn about why Shackleton choose to travel to
South Georgia.
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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Jo Stewart. Shackleton Epic
Collage
Create a visual summary of the environment in Antarctica
by making a collage. Collect images of Antarctica from
travel brochures, magazines, reference books and the
Internet which depict the landscape and fauna (land and
sea) evident on the continent.
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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Jo Stewart.
Shackleton Epic
Glaciology and Rising Temperatures
View:
www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/2886106.htm
This can be streamed from the ABC website or
alternatively can be downloaded. In addition, the
narration is available for download.
Once you have viewed the program, answer the
questions on the following page.
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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Jo Stewart. Shackleton Epic
Questions - Glaciology and Rising Temperatures.
1.
What percentage of the world’s snow and ice are found in Antarctica?
2.
What is happening to the world’s biggest ice sheet?
3.
If air temperature has increased by half a degree Celsius for each
decade over the past 50 years, what is the overall increase in
temperature in that time?
4.
What is one effect of this increase in temperature?
5.
What is the major concern about the ice shelves collapsing?
6.
Why is water warming in the Southern Ocean?
7.
How can scientists measure the depth of the ice mass?
8.
How is ice melting from below the ice mass?
9.
Explain how sea levels may rise.
10.
How many metres do scientists predict that sea levels may increase
this century?
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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Something to Think About - Rising Sea Levels
Half of the world’s population live in low-lying places
close to the coast. A rise in sea level would have a huge
impact on many communities. Here are some scenarios
of what would happen if the sea levels rise by one metre.

Tuvalu is a tiny country made up of a group of islands in the
South Pacific. It would be almost completely underwater
with a one metre rise of the ocean. Its entire population of
11,000 people would have to be evacuated and relocated.

London, the capital city of England, would completely
change as the Thames River would flood putting important
landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament at risk.

China is the world’s most populated country. If the sea level
rises by one metre one third of Shanghai would be
underwater. Throughout the country more than 70 million
people would be affected.
Handout: What happens when icebergs melt?
nsidc.org/quickfacts/icebergs.html
An informative handout about icebergs. Others also
available on ice sheets and ice shelves.
Experiment: Melting ice
www.theteacherscorner.net/lesson-plans/science/
experiments/turnice.php
An experiment which demonstrates the behaviour of ice
as it melts.
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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Jo Stewart. Shackleton Epic
C3. Climate Change – Should we be worried?
Extension Activity - View
www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/2886137.htm
Antarctica is the most pristine and
untouched environment in the
world. Scientists believe that
signs of climate change will
become evident first in Antarctica.
The rest of the world can then
be informed about possible risks
and the impact on the enviroment
so that necessary precautions
and action can be taken.
This can either be streamed from the ABC website or
downloaded. The narration is available for download.
To encourage discussion on climate change and other environmental issues
view and discuss this eight minute extract from ABC’s Catalyst: Southern Ocean
Sentinel. This extract is in two related parts about the effects of climate
change.
1.
Focus on the Mertz Glacier, which snapped off the
Antarctic mainland in February 2010.
2.
Look at pteropods (phytoplankton) and how they can warn society of
future climate change.
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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Exposition, Debate or Oral Presentation
Consolidate learning in this area and express a point of
view. Students will be required to do additional research.
Use resources in the library and the Internet to research the topic.
Students could write an exposition covering some or all of the
points OR conduct a debate on one of the questions listed below
OR make an oral presentation.
1.
Are you concerned about how environmental change will
affect the Antarctic region? Consider land, air and sea when
responding.
2.
As Antarctic tourism increases, the pressures on the
environment will only grow. Should tourism be permitted in
Antarctica and if so how should it be managed?
3.
What are the consequences of Antarctic environmental
change?
4.
How are science and technology used to limit the impacts of
human activities in Antarctica?
Just for fun!
www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/educationresources/puzzles-and-games
A source of PDF puzzle handouts available for students
who finish work early:
1.
The Antarctic Environment
2.
A Journey South
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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Jo Stewart. Shackleton Epic
D. Animals in Antarctica
Australian Antarctic Division Resources
www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/fact-files/
animals
Detailed information about animals in Antarctica which
can be viewed for discussion or note taking. It
provides excellent visual images of the animals.
www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/educationresources/whos-eating-who
Who’s eating who? This is a PDF resource that can be
printed off for classroom use.
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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D1. Identifying animals from Antarctica
Play the interactive game as a pre-activity or reward
There are PDF sheets available for
download for each animal. These
would provide good visual aids for
the classroom wall or could be
utilised by the students to locate
and record a few key points of
information about the animal.
www.nationalgeographic.com/crittercam/antarctica/
These animals from Antarctica provide important links in the food web within
that ecosystem. Some of these animals are unique to Antarctica.
The objective is to identify different animals. Once selected, photographs
appear on screen plus general information about the animal including their
prey and predators.
Research and then draw and appropriately colour
each of the following onto A4 paper
Jo Stewart. Shackleton Epic

Krill: groups

Fish: icefish, toothfish, cod

Squid

Flying birds: South Polar skua, petrel, albatross

Penguins: Adélie, Emperor, Chinstrap, Gentoo

Seals: crabeater, Weddell, fur and leopard

Whales: humpback and Orca (killer)
*Allocate an animal to each to child to ensure that a
suitable number of each animal is represented to
create a food web.
* Activity next page
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Jo Stewart. Shackleton Epic
Draw and colour for food web*
Using visual aids from websites or reference books
from the library, draw pictures on A4 paper of each
of the animals listed above. Colour the picture in
appropriately.
Cut out the pictures and keep for building a food web
representing Antarctica.
Groups of krill should be drawn.
*instructions next page
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D2. The Food Web
Food webs are representations of the predator-prey relationship
between species within an ecosystem. Organisms are connected
by the fact that each member of the group feeds on the one below
it.
Watch:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR9L_k_GJEo
View this four minute David Attenborough clip from BBC Worldwide. It provides a good introduction to krill and the humpback
whale, which is relevant for constructing a food web.
Create an Antarctic Food Web
Start to understand the ecosystem in Antarctica by creating a
visual food web on the classroom wall. Follow the instructions
below.
Step 1:
On the classroom wall mark out a large triangle, with the base at
the bottom. Divide this into four layers to represent different
levels of the Antarctic food web.
Step 2:
Discuss and define what a food web is. Label each level as:

Tertiary Consumers (Predators)

Secondary Consumers

Primary Consumers

Primary Producers
Step 3:
Have students create small drawings, paintings or craft items to
represent life from the Antarctic seabed. eg: small crustaceans,
worms, shellfish, molluscs, sea urchin, starfish, sea cucumbers,
small corals and sponges.
Step 4:
Paint the lowest level at the base with sponge technique and
finger painting to demonstrate the mass of micro-organism life
forms. Explain phytoplankton and zooplankton.
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Step 5:
Along the very bottom of the base paste the art and craft
representing the seabed.
Step 6:
Scatter the drawings of animals from the activity in C1 on the floor
of the classroom. Select various pictures, identify the animal and
get the students to name it and give some basic information
about it. Discuss what it might eat and where it belongs in the
food web. Start categorising different groups and then pin the
pictures into each relevant section of the food web, ensuring that
the top level has the least pictures to demonstrate that at the top
there are very few.
Do animals adapt to their environment?
Experiment:
The “Blubber Glove” experiment demonstrates how
animals such as seals and penguins have adapted to
Teacher information only
The class should produce a web
that reflects the following:
Tertiary Consumers (Predators):
Orca (Killer) whales
Secondary Consumers: whales,
seals, large fish, penguins
Primary Consumers: krill, shrimp,
small fish, squid
Primary Producers: phytoplankton,
zooplankton and seabed communities
their environment, allowing them to keep warm in such a
freezing environment. It is an excellent exercise.
www.gma.org/surfing/antarctica/blubber.html
Conclusion
To summarise what has been learned write an exposition
explaining the food web, specifically with reference to krill.
Exposition:
What is the importance of krill to the Antarctic ecosystem?
Just for fun!
Puzzle sheet about krill. It is available for download as a PDF
www.antarctica.gov.au/aboutantarctica/education-resources/
puzzles-and-games
Make penguins out of pipe
cleaners
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Shackleton Epic Expedition leader
Tim Jarvis. Jo Stewart
Shackleton Epic
E.
Clothing
How do you dress to survive in the coldest, windiest place on earth?
Polar explorers both in Shackleton’s time and now need to wear clothes
that would protect them from ferocious winds and extreme cold temperatures that could drop to 50˚ Celsius below freezing. Layers work best as air
is trapped between each layer and this air acts as insulation. Layers could
be added or removed depending on the current weather conditions.
Headwear and footwear was very important too.
The clothing had to:
Shackleton Epic Expedition.

keep the body warm

cover extremities such as ears and fingers

allow sweat to disperse

be light and comfortable to allow for movement
British explorers to the South Pole used clothing made from woollen and
cotton fabrics, favouring gabardine. They rarely wore fur except for their
long wolf skin outer mittens. The Norwegians adopted Inuit clothing, wearing animal skins (seal, fox, wolf, reindeer, bear) from head to foot. Modern
synthetic materials have revolutionised cold weather clothing. They are
thermally efficient, breathable and windproof.
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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Modern Antarctic Clothing
Watch: What to wear in Antarctica?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkNWIKaPX70
View this four minute film from the Natural History Museum UK showing what types of
clothing are worn in Antarctica today.
Shackleton
Epic Sponsor
Group at Port
Lockroy
Jo Stewart.
Shackleton
Epic
Read: Modern Antarctic Clothing.
www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/science/
clothing_in_antarctica.htm
What do you wear? This article discusses different clothing required for active and
passive situations in Antarctica.
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Table: Use the YouTube video, previously read articles
and catalogues to find pictures of appropriate clothing
for living and working in Antarctica today. Create a table
following the sample below. From your research cut out
and paste in or draw the garments.
Garment
Picture
Socks
Fabrics
Natural – wool.
Or synthetic
Outer Shell
Add your own
Example of Layers of Clothing
Clothing used by Shackleton
Four main layers were worn over the body, but often multiple
items were worn making seven or eight layers. Imagine wearing
that many layers of clothes!
Shackleton Epic Expedition leader
Tim Jarvis in period clothing.
A Kumar. Shackleton Epic

snow goggles

neck gaiter (you will need to research the meaning of this)

woollen cap and helmet

thick shirt

woollen sweater

jacket

underwear; vest and long johns

woollen socks

woollen gloves

wolf skin mittens

gabardine trousers
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How many layers?
Make a model of a polar explorer wearing multiple
layers of clothing. Go to:
www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/educationresources/puzzles-and-games
Blank outlines of polar explorers and their layers of
clothing are available as PDF sheets from this website. There is a male and female character. Download
and make the required number of copies so each
student can have one blank outline and enough copies
of the relevant clothing. Have samples of appropriate
fabric available: woollen fabric of varying textures,
thick
Step 1:
Select which items of clothing to dress the figure in and cut them
out, removing the tabs.
Step 2:
Use the paper clothing to trace the shape onto a piece of suitable
fabric for the item. Cut out the shape and paste the piece of
fabric over the paper. Repeat this process for every item. Extra
fabric can be cut out to represent multiple layers.
Step 3:
Piece together the clothing of the explorer by pasting every layer
onto the blank outline. Make sure that the under garments are
pasted on first and the outer garments are pasted on last.
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Which materials provide the best insulation for extreme cold
conditions?
Experiment:
Working in pairs, conduct an experiment to test the
insulating properties of different fibres and fabrics.
Follow the instructions below.
Materials required:
Procedure:
Outcomes:

Empty baby food jar with lid

Warm water

Rubber band

Thermometer

Graph paper

Fabrics cut into 20cm squares. Try polar fleece, T-shirt
material, woollen fabrics, towelling, woven linen, sweatshirt
fabric, fur, various knits
Select a square of material and describe its properties. e.g.: type,
thickness, knitted or woven, natural or man-made synthetic.

Pour warm water into the jar. Take the temperature of the
water and record.

Immediately put the lid on the jar, wrap the fabric around
and fasten it with a rubber band. Record the exact time that
the lid was put on.

After exactly 20 minutes remove the fabric and the lid.
Record the temperature of the water.

Work out the difference between the start and finish
temperatures.

Record the difference in temperature on the graph, labelling
the type of fabric used.
Make a judgement about which materials provide good insulation.
Discuss the common features of good insulators.
Decide what fibres/fabric you think provide the best insulation.
Record responses on the next page and graph the data.
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16
14
Heat Loss – Degree of difference
12
10
8
6
4
Knitted
Fur
Sweatshirt
fabric
Woven
Linen
Towelling
Wool
T-shirt
material
Polar
Fleece
2
Materials Tested
Which fabrics are best for extremely cold weather?
What were some of the common features of good insulators?
Which fibres/fabric provides the best insulation?
Shackleton Epic Expedition Skipper Nick Bubb. Paul Larsen.
Shackleton Epic
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F. Food additional information from Supplied by Shackleton Epic http://shackletonepic.com/
Food was very important to the men on expeditions to the Antarctic. Food was rationed to ensure that they
would have enough for the duration of their stay. The Antarctic explorers did not have access to enough fruit
and vegetables. These foods were often dried or powdered as they as they were not able to grow food in
the Antarctic climate. The lack in nutrients from fresh fruit and vegetables often resulted in illnesses such
as scurvy. It was important that the Antarctic explorers ate a good diet, to provide sufficient nutrition and
energy. The cook had to be very resourceful and create new dishes with what was available. Local wildlife
was often killed for food
Pemmican
This is an early form of a processed food first invented by the Hudson Bay Company and based on
traditional Native North American Indian recipes. It was planned to be very compact, very nutritious and to
remain edible for a long time.
There are many recipes for Pemmican, but basically it consists of a mixture of pounded dried beef with beef
fat (tallow) - other meats or mixtures of meats may be substituted for beef. Explorers of the heroic age of
Antarctic exploration would take great care in where they bought their Pemmican from and the recipe that it
was made to. Pemmican would provide nearly half of the total calories eaten out in "the field".
Pemmican was a basic nutritious food that also had the added advantage of remaining edible for years
though it is not terribly appetizing. It was often made up into a thick meat soup when simmered with melted
snow/ice and Bovril known as "Hoosh"; this was eaten with sledging biscuits. Shackleton’s pemmican was
devised in conjunction with Sir William Beveridge (Army food expert). Pemmican ingredients were: Beef
protein preferred (Dried lean beef, Beef suet, Coarse Oatmeal, Sugar, Salt)
Sledging Biscuits
Along with Pemmican, sledging biscuits are part of polar lore. They are approximately 2" x 3" (7.5 cm 2) and
fairly thick for biscuits. They are hard and rather like the boring crackers you get left in a mixed box of
"biscuits for cheese" at Christmas.
Along with pemmican, Huntley & Palmer’s sledging biscuits were one of the mainstays of food for Antarctic
field parties. So much so in fact that sledging biscuits from Scott's 1912 polar expedition and Shackleton's
voyage to South Georgia on the James Caird have even come up at auction in the last few years with price
tags of $1,000 each.
James Caird Eating Routine (three times a day)
Cooking was done by two people sitting opposite each other, their backs against the side of the boat. The
‘Primus’ stove was placed on the floor and secured down using feet. Half a pound of sledging ration per
man was then thrown into a 2 gallon ‘Nansen’ cooking pot. A third man would assist with securing the pot if
the boat lurched suddenly.
Daily meal consisted of: ‘Hoosh’, followed by one biscuit, 4 lumps of sugar, ¼ lbs of ‘Streimers’ nut food
and a cigarette rolled from plug tobacco and tissue paper.
Drinking water Aside from water used in cooking, each man received ±1 gill
(1/4 pint) per man, per day and, one cup of hot milk served to each man every 4
hours (at watch change over or when anyone appeared to be extra cold).
Towards the end of the voyage water was rationed even more to the point where
hot milk was not served at watch change over. Their only water intake on day 1517, was from food alone.
Old kitchen, base A Port Lockroy Jo Stewart. Shackleton Epic
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Kilojoules – Calories
Every item a person eats each day adds to the energy that they are able to
use. Today this energy is measured in kilojoules, but at the time of
These two web pages outline what Shackleton's expedition to Antarctica it was measured as calories.
types of food were available to
The explorers had to eat food that was high in calories to keep their energy
Polar explorers in the early
levels high while living in the difficult Antarctic conditions.
1900’s and why diet was
important to their health. Includes
Instructions for making pemmican
Convert these figures into kilojoules.
http://
www.coolantarctica.com/
Antarctica%20fact%20file/
science/food.htm
Today children need about 2100 calories a day.
Today adult men need about 2500 calories a day.
www.coolantarctica.com/
Antarctica%20fact%20file/
science/food2.htm
In the early 1900s explorers in Polar regions needed
about 6000 calories a day.
4.2 kilojoules = 1 calorie.
Table
Track your eating habits for one day. Construct a table in
order to compare this to the diet of an explorer in
Antarctica to understand the significance of nutrition and
energy in their daily diet. Use the table provided and follow the instructions below.
F1. Compare your diet to that of a polar explorer
Step 1: Over the course of one day track everything you eat. Record it on the table in
the relevant category of carbohydrate, protein, fat, and fruit and vegetables. Try
to work out an accurate amount of kilojoules per item. A list of some foods has
been included as a guide.
Step 2: Compare the total amount of kilojoules you consumed in one day to the
sledging rations in the web document at:
http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/science/food.htm
Step 3: Calculate the kilojoule differences for each item of food.
Step 4: Discuss why explorers in Antarctica needed to consume more calories than an
adult male living in normal conditions.
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Kilojoule Count Chart
Meal
Food
Kilojoules
Breakfast
Porridge
470
Toasted muesli
510
Rice Bubbles
450
Corn Flakes
455
Weetbix
420
Piece of toast
300
English muffin
500
Raisin toast
355
Boiled or poached egg
300
Milk 1 cup
700
Banana
360
Orange Juice
200
Slice of bread
300
Slice of ham
135
Slice of cheese
340
Butter
460
Tomato
60
Peanut Butter
515
Apple
265
½ Mango
280
Popper
465
Soft drink
625
Water
0
Hamburger pattie
660
Roast beef
895
Steak
985
Chicken breast baked
940
Lamb chop
1015
Roast lamb
890
Grilled bacon
810
Pork butterfly
810
Grilled fish finger
235
Snapper grilled
245
Potato
270
Spaghetti
285
Rice
445
Peas
160
Spinach
15
Carrots
90
Lunch
Dinner
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My Daily Food Intake
Food
Carbohydrate
Protein
Fat
Fruit & Veg
Kilojoules
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Snacks
TOTAL KJ
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G. Medical Issues in Antarctica
For Shackleton and his men on the expedition, the conditions for
exploration in Antarctica were very difficult. The weather was
extreme. Their diet was very limited and rationed to ensure they
would not run out of food. Living conditions were not comfortable.
These three things impacted the health of members of
Shackleton's crew and there were many medical issues and illness that were common and had to be avoided. Some of the
problems experienced were frostbite, snow blindness,
hypothermia, dehydration, scurvy and sunburn.
Students require:
Memory Game:
Create cards to memorise six different illnesses or
medical conditions experienced by Polar explorers. Use
the cards to play a memory matching game. Use the
table and follow the instructions below.

24 cardboard cards the same size

Pictures collected from the Internet - at least one for each of
the illnesses

Scissors, glue, pen/pencil

Table of information

(see next two pages for template)
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Name
Symptoms
Prevention
FROSTBITE
Partial freezing of exposed
body parts such as
fingers, ears, toes, and
nose. Includes tingling,
blister formation, and
gangrene.
Avoid tight fitting boots,
being wet; change wet
clothes ASAP. Wear
beanies, mittens instead
of gloves. Maintain good
circulation.
SNOW
BLINDNESS
A loss of vision and
inflammation of the eyes.
Caused by the bright glare Wear protective goggles
off ice and snow. Serious with UV protective lenses.
and painful, but usually
temporary.
HYPOTHERMIA
An abnormally low body
temperature resulting
from extreme exposure to
cold weather.
Wear layers of waterproof
and windproof clothing to
create insulation. Avoid
sweating too much;
change wet clothes ASAP.
DEHYDRATION
Excessive loss of water
from the body. If
untreated can lead to
shock.
Carry good water supplies
or a stove to melt snow
when travelling.
SCURVY
(LACK OF
VITAMIN C)
Spongy and bleeding
gums, bleeding under the
skin, and extreme
weakness.
Eat lots of fresh food. In
particular eat fruit and
vegetables that are high
in vitamin C.
SUNBURN
Picture
Inflammation or blistering Wear sunscreen when outof the skin caused by
side and reapply hourly.
overexposure to direct
Cover as much skin as
sunlight.
possible.
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Aim of the game:
To match and group four cards together for each medical
issue.
How to prepare:
There are 24 cards, six of which are blank. There are four cards
for each illness: Name, Symptoms, Prevention, Picture
For each blank picture card do a internet image search and find a
suitable picture for that illness. Print the image and paste onto
the card.
Cut out the cards.
office.microsoft.com/en-us/
images
How to play:
 Shuffle the cards and lay all of them face down.
 Select a card and turn it over to display the information
 Select another card and turn it over. If the information matches,
select a third card. If the information does not match turn both
cards back to be blank.
 Memorise where the cards are so that you can remember where
matching cards lie
Players may only keep cards when all four matching cards have
been found
What was life like?
Imagine you are an explorer in Antarctica. You are ill and have
been suffering from some of the complaints mentioned above.
How are you feeling? What are you going to do?
Diary:
Write a diary entry, while wearing gloves or mittens, to
experience empathy with the men from Shackleton's
party. Imagine you are ill with one or two of the medical
issues experienced by the men. Explain where you are,
what you are doing, what your condition is and express
how you feel physically and mentally.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
WWW.SHACKLETONEPIC.COM
HTTP://SHACKLETONEPIC.COM/MEDIA-COVERAGE/
HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=PFRXCTU_VFY
Shackleton Endurance Aurora map2.png - Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Antarctic Explorers: Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton biography early life and his expeditions, suitable for background reading for stage 3 up.
http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/Ernest%20Shackleton_Trans-Antarctic_expedition.htm
Account of Shackleton’ expedition, the crushing of Endurance and links to photographic images
BBC - History - Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton biography and image suitable for background reading for stage 3 up.
Sir Ernest Shackleton - Antarctic explorer : Explorers & leaders : Sea & ships fact files : Sea & ships : Explore online :
RMG
Ernest Shackleton biography and image suitable for background reading for stage 3 up. Links to other useful information
of Shackleton’s activities
Scott Polar Research Institute » Picture Library catalogue » Shackleton-Rowett Antarctic Expedition 1921-22
Images from Shackleton-Rowett Antarctic Expedition 1921-22
http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/library/archives/shackleton/articles/
34 images of Shackleton artifacts available
NOVA Online | Shackleton's Antarctic Odyssey | Classroom Resources
Lessons plans regarding the climate conditions of Antarctica, Shackleton’s’ journey, navigation and ice bergs grades
level 5-8
NOVA Online | Shackleton's Antarctic Odyssey | Escape from Antarctica
Escape from Antarctica an interactive activity where students need to navigate Shackleton’s route. Also information on
how a sextant works and how to navigate by sextant
http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/events/exhibitions/2011/finding_antarctica/docs/finding_antarctica_guide.pdf
Link to State Library of NSW exhibition, the PDF guide for background knowledge.
The Heart of the Great Alone: Scott, Shackleton & Antarctic Photography | The Royal Collection
Images from Shackleton’s Endurance expedition by Frank Hurley
Shackleton Centenary Expedition
Images and information about Shackleton’s expedition and the exhibition put on by the American Museum of Natural
History
Welcome to the Shackleton Foundation
Information about Shackleton and 100 year anniversary
Shackleton : The James Caird Society
The James Caird Society, established in l994 and a registered charity, is the only institution that exists to preserve the
memory, honour the remarkable feats of discovery in the Antarctic and commend the outstanding qualities of leadership
associated with the name of Sir Ernest Shackleton, KCVO (l874-l922).
Australian National Maritime Museum 2013 ©
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Print:
Worsley, Frank A. (1999) Shacklton’s Boat Journey, Pimlico, Random
House. London
Australian Science Teachers Association (2007) Antarctic Science- a resource of ideas for Teachers for National Science Week 2007.
Film:
Shackleton - YouTube
Clip using original footage useful for introducing the topic.
Shackletons Antarctic Adventure Part 1 - YouTube
Shackletons Antarctic Adventure Part 2 - YouTube
Shackletons Antarctic Adventure Part 3 - YouTube
Morgan Stanley production White Mountain Films, NOVA WGBH Boston
2001. Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure is an IMAX film about the Imperial
Trans-Antarctic Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton between 1914 and
1917. Directed by George Butler, the film was released in February 2001
and was narrated by Kevin Spacey. It documents Shackleton's journey
aboard the Endurance.
Daylight returns, 1915
Photograph by Frank Hurley
ANMM Collection
00034264
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Presenting Partner
Major Sponsors
Official Supplier
Broadcast Partner—Europe
Conservation Partner
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