School › Polar regions › Ages 6–7
Brrr! The coldest places on Earth
At the very top and the very bottom of the Earth it is icy cold. Meet polar bears and penguins, find out why the Sun shines at midnight, and make a blubber glove!
Read
The polar regions are at the very top and the very bottom of the Earth: the Arctic in the north and Antarctica in the south.[1][4]
The Arctic is mostly a frozen ocean with land all around it. Antarctica is a huge land covered in very thick ice, with ocean all around it.[1][5]
The poles are cold because the sunlight reaches them low and slanting. The white ice also bounces lots of sunlight back into the sky.[2][7]
In summer the Sun does not go down at all, so it is light all day and all night. In winter the Sun stays away and it is dark for months.[3][4]
Polar bears live in the Arctic. A thick layer of fat called blubber and two layers of fur keep them warm. They hunt seals on the ice.[8]
Penguins live in Antarctica. Emperor penguins stand close together in a big group, called a huddle, to keep warm.[9][10]
Try it: Make a blubber glove
You need
- Four zip-lock sandwich bags
- Vegetable shortening (solid cooking fat), about 4 big spoons
- A spoon
- A bowl of cold water with ice cubes
- Paper towels
- A timer
Safety
Keep hands in the ice water for no more than 10–15 seconds; stop if it hurts. Check for food allergies first. The adult handles the fat. Mop up spills so no one slips, and wash hands afterwards.
What to do
- An adult spoons the cooking fat into one bag and spreads it out.
- Push a second bag inside the first one, so the fat is between the two bags. Close the top with tape. This is your blubber glove.
- Put two empty bags one inside the other. This is your glove without blubber.
- Put one hand in each glove.
- Dip both gloved hands in the ice water for a few seconds only. Take them out at once if it feels too cold.
- Which hand felt colder? Which glove is more like a polar bear?
What happens, and why?
The thick layer of fat slows down the cold reaching your hand, so the blubber hand stays warmer. Polar bears have a thick layer of blubber and two layers of fur to protect them from the cold.[8]
Play: North or south?
Is this in the Arctic (north) or in Antarctica (south)? Tap the right place.
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Quiz
Other ages: Ages 10–11 · Ages 15–16