What a beautiful continent! We enjoyed learning about the various animals that call Antarctica home and about the adventures of the early explorers to Antarctica.
Post released August 2021
Navigate this page: Booklist, Science, Food, Art, Movies, Game
Maps
- Worldmapblank.com’s Free printable of Antarctica’s Map
- Seterra.com’s Free online geography game for the continents
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Top 3 Booklist
The following lists are a sampling of my favorite books for different age groups.
Preschool/
Kindergarten
Early Elementary
Late Elementary/Middle
Science
Have you heard of the “Lard Glove” experiment? It is amazing how insulating a layer of fat is for the animals that live in Antarctica, especially in the frigid water.
To make the “lard glove,” put a layer of lard between two small plastic bags that do not have any holes, like a ziploc bag. I reused two hand-sized plastic bags that had come in a recent package, and I used vegetable shortening instead of lard.
Next, I set up two bowls with an equivalent number of ice cubes and water. I suppose I could have measured the temperature of the water to be even more scientific. Each person put one gloved hand and one ungloved hand into each of the two bowls of ice water. I timed them to see how long they could keep the ungloved hand in the water. The longest time was 30 seconds, and all of the kids said that they could have kept the gloved hand in for much longer, and the gloved hand didn’t feel cold at all!
We also learned about icebergs and made observations using a model of an iceberg in our kitchen!
Food
Imagining that we were on Shackleton’s expedition in Antarctica, we roasted beans in a can over the fire. Make sure you open the can of beans before you put it in the fire. It’s easier if you put the cans in a pot, too.
Following our iceberg science experiment, we made shaved ice dessert! We added frozen mango, canned lychee, and canned condensed milk for sweetener. We have a very old model of a shaved ice machine, but there are so many options to choose from now.
Art
We attempted a salt watercolor project. It didn’t turn out as spectacularly as I’ve seen before, and I suspect our watercoloring was too dry. The kids still had a great time with this art!
The fourth graders drew and painted maps of Antarctica, and the first grader chose to do a penguin!
Basically, you sprinkle salt on the wet watercolor, which absorbs and displaces the water. It makes neat patterns as the painting dries.
Movies
We watched “Penguins,” by Disneynature, featuring the Adélie Penguin in Antarctica. The script and narration are funny and endearing. There are a few suspenseful sections with predators but my 4 and 5-year old children were okay watching it.
“Chasing Shackleton” is a three episode documentary that details a crew’s attempt to repeat Ernest Shackleton’s voyage on the Endurance and subsequent rescue of his crew. It is truly impressive, especially in their use of the same types of clothing and gear as well as a a replica boat.
Game
Penguins on Ice is a challenging yet fun game of shifting pentominoes. It developed my kids’ logic ability, even for the 6-year old!
