Magic Tree House Science:The Arctic & Antarctica

Welcome to our exploration of the world’s coldest

climates with Jack and Annie!

We will begin in the Arctic.

Welcome to our exploration of the world’s coldest

climates with Jack and Annie!

We will begin in the Arctic.

My name is Peter and I am a Polar Bear. I live in the Arctic where it is incredibly cold.

I am going to tell you some things about the Arctic and show you some pictures of what it is like to live there. I hope everyone is wrapped up and ready to go on our Arctic adventure.

This is a map of the world showing the Arctic where I live.

Why do you think the Arctic is colored white?

What might this tell you about the weather in the Arctic?

Here are some pictures of the Arctic to help you imagine what it would feel like to live here.

In January and February, temperatures in the Arctic can drop to as low as 29 degrees BELOW zero. It is so cold your spit would freeze before it hits the ground!

In January and February, temperatures in the Arctic can drop to as low as 29 degrees BELOW zero. It is so cold your spit would freeze before it hits the ground!

Areas of the Arctic with flat, dry land and no trees are part of the tundra. Tundra covers about 20% of the world.

Areas of the Arctic with flat, dry land and no trees are part of the tundra. Tundra covers about 20% of the world.

The Arctic is very dry because cold air doesn’t hold moisture well.

Scientists refer to it as a “polar desert”.

There are hardly any plants in the Arctic because it is too cold for them to grow. The ground is permanently frozen in places. Scientists call this permafrost.

The ice floats on the water in the ocean in the Arctic.

There is some other ice we also see in the ocean....

This is an iceberg.

It is a very big piece of ice which has broken off and is now floating in the ocean. Icebergs appear at the surface, but the bottom of the iceberg extends much deeper into the water than what can be seen.

I’ve taken some pictures of some of the other animals that also live here in the Arctic with me.

Look closely at the pictures and see if you notice anything that most of these animals have in common.

Do you know what animal this is?

It is an Arctic Fox. He has deep, thick fur which helps to keep him warm.

Do you know what animal this is?

She looks a bit like a rabbit but she is actually a hare. Hares are bigger than rabbits.

What kind of animal do you see here?

This animal swims in the ice cold ocean and also likes to come and lay in the snow.

Whales live in the icy cold Arctic Ocean. This killer whale is beautiful and playful, but he is also a fiersome predator in the ocean.

Here is a picture of a polar bear family.

The Arctic is a strange and fascinating place made mostly of ice, sometimes it is called the polar ice cap.

Did you notice what all these animals have in common?

They all have thick white fur.

Why do you think it might be good to have thick, white fur in the Arctic?

There are two ways the thick, white fur helps animals of the Arctic.

There are people who live in the Arctic and scientists visit, too. They often carry their luggage on sleds because that is the easiest way to move things around here!

Sometimes people use dogs to pull their sleds across the deep

snow.

The Artic is freezing cold for 3 reasons:

The sun’s rays travel far.

Ice and snow reflect heat.

Ice and snow chill the air.