• Login
  • Join Us
Royal Geographical Society with IBG
  • About us
  • Geography
  • Schools
  • Professionals
  • In the field
  • Research
  • What's on

Search the Society

Enter keyword or phrase...
Find
Royal Geographical Society with IBG
Back to Resources for schools

Exploring Shackleton’s Antarctica

The aim of the module is to develop an enquiry on the Polar region of Antarctica focusing on Shackleton’s 1914–17 Endurance Expedition

  • Key Stage Two,
  • Module,
  • Landscape systems,
  • The carbon and water cycles, climate and change,
  • Environmental interactions and management
  • Overview
  • Curious continents
  • Fascinating imagery
  • Perplexing poles
  • Shaping of the World
  • Living and learning on the ice
  • Antarctica Day

Overview and context: The Endurance Expedition

In 1914 Sir Ernest Shackleton set out on another Antarctic expedition – this time to cross the continent. He failed. However he achieved one of the greatest feats of turn of the century polar exploration; he returned with all his 27 men – alive.

Centenary 2014-2017

8 August 2014 marked the start of the centenary of Sir Ernest Shackleton's ‘Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition’ - The Endurance Expedition. On this day 100 hundred years ago, The Endurance set sail from Plymouth. Throughout 2014 to 2017 there will be opportunities to forge links to past and present stages of the extraordinary expedition. The Society will be launching The Enduring Eye exhibition on 20 November 2015 which is kindly supported by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, the Governments of the British Antarctic Territory and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Rolex and the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. Several real time expeditions are planned and will provide a meaningful link for learners for then and now comparisons. For additonal information about Antarctica go the the Discovering Antarctica website.

‘Exploring Shackleton’s Antarctica’

The aim of the module is to develop an enquiry on the Polar region of Antarctica focusing on Shackleton’s 1914–17 Endurance Expedition. This sequence of lesson plans will demonstrate geographical based, hands-on, cross-curricular activities such as role play to nurture pupils’ fascination with and curiosity about this significant remote landscape and extreme environment. 

Proven case studies linked to this topic demonstrate how these lessons engage pupils in the geographical skills of developing knowledge within a context and define the physical and human characteristics and processes of a locality. Pupils will progress with their atlas skills, interpreting a range of sources of geographical information and be provided with opportunities to communicate their findings in a variety of ways. The lesson activities develop geographical and context specific vocabulary and literacy through a series of re-iterative activities that expect pupils to develop and use language in a context-specific way. Moreover, opportunities for cross-curricular subject links will be suggested as a starting point to embed this topic to create a half term or full term’s worth of work. In addition children will be offered opportunities to write at length within this geographical context.

Curious Continents

Fascinating imagery

Perplexing Poles

Shaping of the World

Living and learning on the ice

Antarctica Day

 

View the Shackleton animation

Find out more about the Endurance22 Expedition, which located the wreck of Endurance, Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship, in March 2022.

 

Emma Kerr is the Headteacher at Egloskerry Primary School in Cornwall and author and editor of the Shackleton in Schools website. Her interest in Antarctica stems from her great grandfather who was the second engineer on Shackleton’s Endurance Expedition and First Engineer on Shackleton’s final voyage – ‘The Quest’. She is also a member of the Geographical Association Early Years and Primary Committee.

This resource has been developed as part of the Rediscovering London's Geography project, funded by the GLA through the London Schools Excellence Fund. It seeks to improve the quality of teaching and learning of geography in London’s schools, in addition to encouraging more pupils to study geography

 

Downloads

  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Module Overview (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Module Overview (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Module Plan (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Module Plan (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica End of Unit Assessment (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica End of Unit Assessment (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 1 Lesson Plan (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 1 Lesson Plan (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 1 Curious Continents (.ppt)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 1 Factsheet (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 1 Factsheet (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 2 Lesson Plan (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 2 Lesson Plan (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 2 Factsheet (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 2 Factsheet (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 2 Life of Shackleton (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 2 Endurance Expedition Timeline (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 2 Endurance Expedition Timeline (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 2 The Endurance Expedition Crew (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 2 The Endurance Expedition Crew (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 2 Images of Shackleton (.ppt)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 2 Shackleton's Advert (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 2 Shackleton's Advert (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 2 Example of Pupils' Work (.ppt)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 3 Lesson Plan (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 3 Lesson Plan (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 3 Antarctica Expedition Proposal (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 3 Antarctica Expedition Proposal (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 3 Antarctica Expedition Proposal Answer Sheet (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 3 Antarctica Expedition Proposal Answer Sheet (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 3 Factsheet (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 3 Factsheet (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 4 Lesson Plan (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 4 Lesson Plan (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 4 Factsheet (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 4 Factsheet (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 4 Images of Endurance Expedition (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 4 Antarctica Map (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 4 Antarctica Map (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 4 Endurance Expedition Timeline and Historical Overview (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 4 Endurance Expedition Timeline and Historical Overview (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 5 Lesson Plan (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 5 Lesson Plan (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 5 Factsheet (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 5 Factsheet (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 5 Example of Pupils' Work (.ppt)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 5 Postcard Template (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 5 Postcard Template (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 6 Lesson Plan (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 6 Lesson Plan (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 6 Factsheet (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 6 Factsheet (.pdf)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 6 Examples of Pupils' Work (.ppt)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 6 Endurance Crew List (.doc)
  • Exploring Shackleton's Antarctica Lesson 6 Endurance Crew List (.pdf)
  • Download all

Login

Sign in
Forgotten password

Or continue as a guest...

By placing a booking, you are permitting us to store and use your (and any other attendees) details in order to fulfil the booking.
We will not use your details for marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

Continue

This content is restricted

You must be a member holding a valid Society membership to view the content you are trying to access. Please login to continue.

 

Not a member? Find out how to join

Join us today, Society membership is open to anyone with a passion for geography

Find out more

Address

Royal Geographical Society
(with the Institute of British Geographers),
1 Kensington Gore,
London, SW7 2AR

Registered Charity, 208791

E enquiries@rgs.org

T +44 (0)20 7591 3000
 

Follow us

We are the learned society for geography and geographers. Be part of our community by following us on our social media accounts.

  • twitter
  • youtube
  • linkedin
  • facebook
  • instagram

Links

  • MYSOCIETY LOGIN
    Vacancies
    PRESS AND MEDIA
    HIRE OUR VENUE
    PRIVACY NOTICE
    Accessibility
    SITE MAP

  •  

Cookies on the RGS website This site uses cookies to enhance your user experience.