The magnetic south pole changes position from year to year but is, in general, hundreds of miles away from the geographic pole.

(2) Arctic vs. Antarctic.  Ask students to compare and contrast the "Arctic" and the "Antarctic." What are the similarities and the differences?  For example:

(3) Solar System Review. Review the rotation of the earth around the sun and how it affects the earth’s seasons.

(4) Point of Reference. Point out the location of your city on the globe. Ask what effect it would have on your climate and local plant/animal life if your position moved northward toward the north pole? Southward to the equator? Even further south toward the South Pole? We tend to take our local environment for granted as the "normal" state of things. By taking a trip to the "end of the earth" we gain an appreciation for why things are the way they are at our particular spot on the globe!

Antarctica is the only continent governed and protected by international treaty, and dedicated to scientific research and exploration. It has no indigenous population. Antarctica is colder, windier, drier (humidity and precipitation), and higher (average altitude) than any other continent. It is, of course, the only continent covered by ice and snow, and the only continent with no towns or cities or McDonald’s!

No country or individual owns Antarctica or any piece of it. Several countries (not including the U.S.) have established overlapping historic claims to parts of Antarctic territory, but the Antarctic treaty requires that they take no further action with respect to these claims. Eighteen countries do operate approximately 40 research stations on the continent.

Major sources of power for Antarctic camps and stations are solar power, wind power (from windmills), battery power, and gasoline/kerosene (for engines and generators.)

The sun is up 24 hours a day in the Antarctic summer, because the southern end of the globe is tilted toward the sun in this portion of the earth’s orbit around the sun. The sun never rises in the Antarctic winter, because the South Pole is pointed away from the sun at that point. The Antarctic seasons are the opposite of Northern Hemisphere seasons; their summer is during our winter.

Vinson Massif (Mt. Vinson) is the tallest mountain in Antarctica. At 16,076 feet, it is considerably less tall than Mt McKinley, which is approximately 20,000 feet tall. However, it is still very challenging to climb because of the unpredictable weather conditions.

No; flightless birds like the penguin survived in Antarctica precisely because there are no predatory terrestrial animals like the polar bear. The same thing occurred on the Galapagos Islands.

Meteorites land on Antarctica at the same rate that they land elsewhere on earth, but the Antarctic ice sheet acts as a trap that collects and preserves them. The ice sheet migrates outward from the South Pole to the edges of the continent. If the ice sheet meets a mountain on the way to the ocean, ice is pushed up the side and meteorites can be exposed by the action of wind and ablation (evaporation).

Meteorites are important to study because they are rocks that date from the formation of the solar system, and they can be used to study the formation and evolution of planets and moons. Getting a rock sample from another planet or asteroid would normally involve a very expensive round-trip space journey! Meteorites can also be examined to see if there is any evidence that life has existed outside of earth, in our solar system.

Antarctica is sometimes called the "Poor Man’s Space Shuttle" because it provides an excellent environment for many types of space science. A number of prototype telescopes at the South Pole take advantage of the high altitude, clear atmosphere, and 24-hour winter darkness. Several prototypes of planetary exploration robots have been tested in Antarctica because of the similarity to the terrain of Mars. The study of the microorganisms of Antarctica, and their survival strategies, is very useful in the field of exobiology (study of life forms that might occur on other planets). The many meteorites found in Antarctica can be studied for clues to the formation and evolution of the solar system. Even the study of the effects of isolation on winter personnel at the South Pole yields valuable insights for space travel.

Scientists are concerned that global warming, caused by the build-up of greenhouse gasses, might eventually cause melting of the polar ice cap. This would raise the level of the world’s oceans, and a rise of only three feet would displace 100 million people from their homes near sea level. Scientists are actively studying the status of the ice cap for any changes. They also study the atmosphere itself for global levels of pollutants, and they study the Southern Ocean for its role as a "sink" for excess carbon dioxide.

Ozone protects the earth from harmful ultra-violet radiation. The ozone hole is located over Antarctica but is present for only a few months each year, during the Antarctic spring. It forms there because of the unique stratospheric clouds that form over Antarctica each spring, providing surfaces upon which CFCs can react to destroy ozone molecules.

Roald Amundsen and his expedition were the first people to reach the South Pole, in December 1911. They were very experienced in snowy terrain and used dogs to help them haul their supplies. Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition was headed to the South Pole at the same time, and they made it to the Pole second, in January 1912. Because of poor planning and inexperience, coupled with bad weather, they died on their return trip.

The United States.

Fire is actually one of the biggest hazards for any Antarctic facility or camp. If fire destroys buildings and tents, or disables power supplies, it can leave the occupants without shelter from bad weather, and without communications capability to ask for help. Therefore, a lot of time is spent on fire-fighting training and drills.

Difficulties included lack of communications with Base Camp, the challenge of staying warm, the heaviness of food and clothing supplies, and difficulties of crossing the dangerous terrain on foot. Among modern technologies, the airplane has probably had the most remarkable effect on exploration. However, there are many modern technologies that help even explorers who choose to travel on foot: for example, GPS (global positioning satellite) receivers to determine one’s exact position, communications radios to stay in touch with Base Camp, better weather forecasting techniques, new lightweight fibers for warm clothing, and freeze-dried food supplies. At the South Pole, e-mail communication and Internet access improve morale considerably in the long isolated winter season. Unfortunately there is still no cure for "bad hair." :-)

This is, of course, a matter of speculation, but it is likely that there would be conflict over various countries’ territorial claims, and efforts made to validate those claims (such as more facilities being built). There would very likely be mining for minerals, especially on the Antarctic peninsula. The environment would not be protected by treaty, and so there would undoubtedly be more environmental damage from activities on the continent, with negative consequences for the unique animal life on Antarctica. Maintaining Antarctica as a protected continent preserves it in its uniquely pristine state for future generations.