Where In The World Is The Arctic?

ARCTICNATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATIONWhere in the World is the arctic?Summary:Students map the arctic inrelation to their home in orderto learn the location andcountries of the arctic.Grade Level:3-4; 5-8; K-2Timeone class period.Subjects:geography, language arts, math,scienceBackgroundLatitude lines are imaginary linesthat run east/west on the globe inconcentric circles. They are usefulin determining the distance agiven point is north or south ofthe equator. The arctic tundra iscircumpolar, meaning it is anecosystem that spans the globearound the pole. It is found inAsia, North America, and eightnorthern countries within Europe,generally above 60 degrees northMaterials Colored pencils Three maps showing differentperspectives/orientations Copies of Student ActivitySheet Reference maps and atlasesProcedure1. Hand out the world mapsSkillsapplication, comparison,analysisLearning ObjectivesStudents will be able to: Identify the arctic region on aworld map. Calculate the distancebetween where they live andthe arctic region. Record prior knowledge andperceptions of the arctic andcompare these to what theyknow about their owncommunity.Because the arctic is geographicallyfar away from most of NorthAmerica’s population, it is a location that may be difficult forstudents to understand. Thisactivity, and those that follow, willhelp students to identify the location of the arctic circle and its relationship to their own community.The arctic tundrais a nearly treelesszone of land foundbetween the northernice cap and the taiga,a zone of scatteredevergreen trees.latitude. The arctic Circle occursat 66 degrees north latitude.The arctic tundra is a nearly treeless zone of land found betweenthe northern ice cap and the taiga,a zone of scattered evergreen trees.The imaginary line that distinguishes the treeless tundra fromthe taiga is called the tree line.provided and have studentslook them over. Ask the class,Have you ever thought aboutwhich way is “up” on the earth?Does it feel like you are at the“top?“ Are you at the top? Howdo you think people in Australiamight feel about their locationon North American worldmaps? Why would differentmaps be oriented in differentways? Discuss How do the mapsdiffer? What seems most important in each map, and why?Have students locate the continents and oceans on each map.Which map is easiest to use?Why?2. Focus on the map with theNorth Pole at the center(Map 3). Note the location ofthe arctic Circle at 66 northlatitude. This is the imaginaryWHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE ARCTIC?www.nwf.org

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATIONline that is commonly used tomark the boundary of the arcticregion. Which countries of theworld are located within theArctic Circle? Using coloredpencils and a world map oratlas for reference, and workingin small groups, fill in the mapof the arctic using Map I.Include the names ofcountries or continents, thelocation of the Arctic Circle,the North Pole and the ice cap,the Arctic Ocean, and thetundra. Student maps shouldbe saved so they can be usedARCTICagain in other activities in thisguide.3. Determine the latitude of yourschool. How many degrees isyour school from the ArcticCircle? How many miles or kilometers is your school from theArctic Circle? The North Pole?Calculate the distances based onthe scale of the map you areusing. To illustrate the distanceof the Arctic Circle from yourschool, take the class outdoorsand, (using an appropriate scale,for example, one foot on yourschoolyard equals 250 miles.)measure the simulated distancefrom the school to the ArcticCircle (or North Pole). Whenoutside, choose a point that willserve as the location of yourschool and mark it. Then,determine where the ArcticCircle would be based on yourchosen scale and mark that.Next, pick a familiar landmark(i.e., the state capitol, amuseum, zoo, or park) andmeasure how far that landmarkis from your school using a mapand the map’s scale. Then usethe same outdoor scale andmark where that landmarkwould be on the schoolyard.Have students observe andcompare the three distances.4. The arctic is probably a longdistance from your school.Explain that the arctic is usuallya very cold place. Ask studentsto imagine what life is like onthe cold, windy tundra of thearctic. What plants, animals,and people likely live there?5. Have each student fill in theArctic Comparisons worksheetbased on their preconceptionsand existing ideas of the arctic.This is not a research project;rather, students are justrecording their initial ideas.More advanced students canwrite a paragraph about whatthey think the arctic would beSOURCE: UNEPWHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE ARCTIC?www.nwf.org

ARCTIClike—what might they see interms of plants and animals?What would the weather feel like?What might they eat?Below the arctic row on theirworksheets (or a separate page),students should fill in the corresponding information for theirown school community. Whatsimilarities and differences dothey observe? Why do these differences exist between your schoolarea and the arctic?NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATIONModifications forYounger Students(K-2)Modifications forOlder Students(5-8)Help students to identify theirlocation on a world map. Pointout the arctic’s location. Explainto students how far away this is,relative to the size of your state orthe size of the country. For theArctic Comparisons worksheet,have students draw pictures ineach box of the chart and explaintheir drawings to each other.After identifying the arctic onseveral maps, ask students whatkinds of challenges arctic explorersmay have faced in mapping thisarea? Have students investigate thehistory of arctic exploration andtry to find early maps of the area.How did they change over time?AssessmentHave students write a report oressay on how their lives would bedifferent if they lived in the arcticregion.WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE ARCTIC?www.nwf.org

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATIONARCTICWORKSHEETWorld map IWHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE ARCTIC?www.nwf.org

ARCTICNATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATIONWORKSHEET60 S30 S15 S0 Equator15 N30 N45 S60 N45 NWorld map IIWHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE ARCTIC?www.nwf.org

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATIONARCTICWORKSHEETMap IIIMap courtesy of United Nations Environment ProgramWHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE ARCTIC?www.nwf.org

ARCTICNATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATIONWORKSHEETYour eArctic ComparisonsWHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE ARCTIC?www.nwf.org

The arctic is probably a long distance from your school. Explain that the arctic is usually a very cold place. Ask students to imagine what life is like on the cold, windy tundra of the arctic. What plants, animals, and people likely live there? 5. Have each student fill in the Arctic Comparisons worksheet based on their preconceptions