6 Form PACE WORK 21.05.20

6 Form PACE WORK 21.05.20

Тема: Північний і Південний полюси

In this lesson, we  will revise what we have learnt about the model of Earth, we will learn about the descoveries of the North and South Poles, and explorers Robert Peary and Roald Amundsen.

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What does our Earth look like? What is situated on its top and at its bottom?

Make up sentences using any two of the words written on the board in each. Remember there should be at least 12 words in each sentence.

Rotate                                   Desert                                      Ruler                                     Pancake

Revolve                                   Sled                                         Dog                                       Journey               

 Camel                                  Round                                        Flat                                        Globe     

 Circle                                    Edge                                      Ocean                                    Continent

For example: In the past both camels and dogs were used for transportation.

Read the text “People Discovered the North and South Poles”

The North Pole

We all know that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole. But just where is the North Pole? We know it's north. Is there a giant pole there? Let’s take a look at the place where Santa makes his home.

Where is the North Pole?

So where exactly is the North Pole? Well, the Earth rotates or spins around an axis. If you were to draw a line at the axis through the center of the Earth, that line would exit the Earth in two places. At the bottom of the Earth, it would exit at the South Pole and at the top would be the North Pole. The North Pole is the northernmost place on Earth. 

North Pole Location

Is it ice or land?

There is no land at the North Pole, but it is covered in a thick layer of ice around 6 to 9 feet thick. So you can stand there and Santa can have his home there.

How cold is it there?

In the winter, temperatures average around minus 29 degrees F (-34 deg C). In the summer it is quite a bit warmer at plus 32 degrees F (0 deg C). This may sound pretty cold, but is actually quite a bit warmer than the average temperatures in the South Pole.

Who discovered the North Pole?

There is actually a lot of controversy around who was the first explorer to visit the North Pole. Robert Peary claimed to have reached the pole in 1909, however, he didn't have very good proof and many people have argued that he didn't make it. The first fully verified visit to the North Pole was by explorer Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile who flew over the pole in an airship named the Norge in 1926.

Axis of the Earth

The Earth rotates around an axis

What country is it in?

The North Pole is not in any country. It is considered part of international waters.

Fun Facts about the North Pole

When you are standing on the North Pole, any direction you point is South!

All the lines of longitude meet at the North Pole.

The nearest land is around 700 miles away.

During the summer the sun is always up. The sun rises in March and sets in September. That's a really long day and night!

The magnetic North Pole is different from the true North Pole.

Roald Amundsen (1872 - 1928) was an explorer of the North and South Poles. He led the first expedition to reach the South Pole and was the first person to visit both the North and South Pole.

Where did Roald grow up?

Roald was born in Borge, Norway on July 16, 1872. He grew up in Norway with his three brothers. His father, who was involved with shipping industry, died when Roald was just 14 years old. Roald had dreamt of becoming an explorer, but his mother wanted him to become a doctor. He followed his mother's wishes until she died when he was 21 years old. Then he left school to pursue his dream of exploring.

Roald became a crewmember on various ships traveling to the Arctic. In 1887 he was first mate on a ship named the Belgica. It became the first expedition to survive the winter on the Arctic. Roald learned valuable lessons of survival during these early trips that would help him later on. One was that fresh seal meat had vitamin C which would help in curing scurvy. Another was to use animal skins rather than wool coats to keep warm.

Northwest Passage

In 1903 Roald commanded his own expedition on his ship the Gjoa. He traveled to the magnetic North Pole and was the first to discover the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. This passage had been searched for over many centuries. Roald's ability to navigate and survive this trip was a great accomplishment.

South Pole

Roald next planned an expedition to reach the North Pole. However, when he heard that Robert Peary claimed to have already reached the North Pole, he made last minute plans and decided to pursue the South Pole. He kept this a secret until the last minute. He was in a race with British explorer Robert Scott to be the first to the South Pole.

On January 14, 1911 Amundsen's ship, the Fram, arrived at the Bay of Whales in Antarctica. They set up camp there and prepared for the trip to the South Pole. Roald made sure that the dogs were well fed. One of the crew, a carpenter named Olav Bjaaland, redesigned the sleds they would use. He lowered the weight from 195 pounds to 50 pounds. This lower weight would be crucial in saving energy during the trip.

They set out to reach the South Pole ten months after arriving on Antarctica on October 20th. There were five men, 52 dogs, and four sleds. At first they traveled quickly, but soon they had to pass over mountains and avoid dangerous crevasses. Finally, after nearly two months of hard traveling, they reached their destination. On December 14, 1911 Roald Amundsen planted the Norwegian Flag at the South Pole.

All five of Amundsen's crew returned safely to base camp, but only 11 dogs made it back alive. The expedition took 99 days and traveled over 1,800 miles.

At the South Pole

Amundsen and the Norwegian Flag at the South Pole

Robert Scott's British expedition reached the South Pole 35 days after Amundsen. Unfortunately, they did not make it back alive, but were found frozen to death months later.

North Pole

Amundsen still had the goal of reaching the North Pole. In 1926 he joined an expedition with Umberto Nobile aboard the airship Norge. They flew over the North Pole in May in what was is considered to be the first undisputed (many people dispute Robert Peary's claim) visit to the North Pole.

Rescue Attempt

Roald died in a plane crash during a rescue attempt on June 18, 1928. He was trying to save some of the crew of one of Nobile's airships that had crashed.