Exciting new StoryMaps on Antarctica
Two new exciting StoryMaps introducing Antarctica have just been published in March 2021 by AntarcticGlaciers.org. ESRI StoryMap Collections - AntarcticGlaciers.org
These free resources are aimed at students in UK Key Stage 3 and studying GCSE geography.
The detailed StoryMap An Introduction to the Physical Geography of Antarctica enables students learn about Antarctica's icy features: ice shelves, sea ice, icebergs, glaciers, and understand why these are important and vulnerable to change. An Introduction to The Physical Geography of Antarctica (arcgis.com)
The spectacular Wildlife of Antarctica StoryMap, focuses on emperor penguins. Students can learn about the life of the penguins and that most iconic Antarctic animal, krill! Wildlife of Antarctica (arcgis.com)
Using an interactive satellite image, students can map some penguin colonies from space by looking for their guano deposits and study the sizes of different colonies.
Antarctic Ice with Penguin guano deposits
The StoryMaps are lavishly illustrated with stunning photos and maps and include a wide range of accessible facts, figures and conceptual ideas at appropriate levels. They feature interactive GIS resources, videos and student activities designed to build engagement. The activities include both questions drawing on the content, and innovative interactive tasks such as seeing how an iceberg floats, or what the land looks like beneath the ice. The StoryMaps are fun, and imaginative and an excellent resource for both teachers and students in the classroom, and individuals learning online at home.
Two further StoryMaps are being written, People in Antarctica and Antarctica and Climate Change. The complete collection of StoryMaps will support teaching of the importance of Antarctic at Key Stage 3 including its climate and potential changes, and its wildlife. They will also provide a valuable source of information and ideas for those studying Antarctica as a case study for GCSE.
The StoryMaps were developed by a multidisciplinary team including scientific experts Bethan Davies, Huw Griffiths, Klaus Dodds and Peter Neff, technical experts from ESRI UK and school teachers. They were produced by Laura Bovall and Jen Thornton. The Storymaps were funded by an educational bursary from Antarctic Science Ltd and were supported by the British Antarctic Survey, ESRI, and Geography Southwest.
AntarcticGlaciers.org is run by Dr Bethan Davies, a Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography at Royal Holloway University of London.
Dr Bethan Davies
A wide range of introductory Antarctic resources can be found on the website Introductory Antarctic Resources - AntarcticGlaciers.org