Antarctica and Southern Ocean learning resources

Learn about Antarctica and the Southern Ocean in terms of their ecosystem, and human impacts such as fishing and climate change.

Celebrate International Antarctica Day (1 December) and learn more about the Southern Ocean, the history of Antarctic harvesting, Krill and Antarctic fisheries.

The following resources have been developed in partnership with the International Antarctic Centre.

About the Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean otherwise known as the Antarctic Ocean includes parts of the south of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian ocean and their tributary seas surrounding Antarctica below 60° S. It is unbroken by any other continental landmass. Test your 'Southern' Ocean Literacy knowledge using our Kahoot! Quiz.

Southern Ocean

Kahoot Quiz: Southern Ocean Literacy

Test your knowledge of the Southern Ocean using our Kahoot Quiz.

Krill, Whales, Food Webs & the Antarctic Krill Fishery

Did you know that Antarctic Krill can be seen from space? Or that Southern Ocean whale poop in plays a significant role in the maintenance of our climate?

Use these slides, worksheets and Kahoot!quizzes to find out more about these and other fascinating facts about Antarctic krill, whales and food webs.

Krill, Whales, Food Webs & the Antarctic Krill Fishery

Krill & Antarctic Krill Fishery - Slides

Use these slides to develop knowledge about krill and the Antarctic Krill Fishery.

Antarctic Krill Fishery Worksheet

Develop your knowledge of krill and Antarctic krill fishing using this worksheet.

Kahoot Quiz: Krill & the Antarctic Krill Fishery

Test your knowledge of krill and the Antarctic Krill fishery using this Kahoot! Quiz.

Kahoot! Quiz: Antarctic Ocean Krill

Test your knowledge about Antarctic Ocean Krill using this Kahoot! quiz.

Antarctic Whale Slides

Use these slides to learn about Antarctic krill, whales, whale poop and how whales help our climate Southern Ocean around Antarctica!

Links to the New Zealand curriculum

The Antarctic Fisheries resources are adaptable but target Year 9/10+ learners and link to the New Zealand Curriculum:

Social studies Level 3	Understand how people make decisions about access to and use of resources.
Social studies Level 4	Understand how exploration and innovation create opportunities and challenges for people, places, and environments.
Social studies Level 5	Understand how people’s management of resources impacts on environmental and social sustainability.
Science Level 3/4: Nature of science	Use their growing science knowledge when considering issues of concern to them.
Science Level 5: Nature of science	Develop an understanding of socio-scientific issues by gathering relevant scientific information in order to draw evidence-based conclusions and to take action where appropriate.
Technology Level 3: Nature of technology / Characteristics of technology	Understand how society and environments impact on and are influenced by technology in historical and contemporary contexts and that technological knowledge is validated by successful function.

And Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga

Tikanga ā iwi Level 4	Explain how places reflect the past interactions between people and the environment.
Tikanga ā iwi Level 4	Explain how exploration presents opportunities and challenges for people, places, and environments.
Pūtaiao Level 4: Natural world / Environment	Investigates biological food chains, and the effects of human actions on these.
Pūtaiao Level 6: Natural world / Environment	Recognises the effect of human actions, and natural processes, on an ecosystem in Aotearoa New Zealand.

History of Antarctic Fisheries & Harvesting

Antarctica is very cold and hard to get to! Yet living creatures have been harvested from Antarctica since 1790! Use these slides, worksheets and Kahoot! to build and test knowledge of the history of Antarctic harvesting.

History of Antarctic Fisheries & Harvesting

History of Antarctic Harvesting & Fishing Slides

Use these slides to learn more about the history of Antarctic fisheries. In the past not only fish but seals, penguins and whales were all harvested from the Southern Ocean. Now there are strict rules around what can and can't be taken and how much can be caught.

History of Antarctic Harvesting & Fishing Worksheet

Use these worksheets to learn more about the history of marine harvests in and around Antarctica.

Kahoot! Quiz: Antarctica Fishing History - capture of seals, penguins, whales and fish!

Test your knowledge about the history of marine animal harvesting from Antarctica and the Southern Ocean using this Kahoot! Quiz.

Antarctic fishing stories - 'Beating Bird Bycatch'

Learn how smarter fishing practices dramatically reduced the number of seabird deaths amongst fisheries of the Southern Ocean.

Kahoot! Quiz: Antarctic fishing stories - beating bird bycatch

Quiz to accompany the Marine Stewardship Council story on 'Beating Bird Bycatch' - Smarter fishing practices dramatically reduce the number of seabird deaths See: http://beating-bird-bycatch-stories.msc.org

Links to the New Zealand curriculum

The Antarctic Fisheries resources are adaptable but target Year 9/10+ learners and link to the New Zealand Curriculum:

Social studies Level 3	Understand how people make decisions about access to and use of resources.
Social studies Level 4	Understand how exploration and innovation create opportunities and challenges for people, places, and environments.
Social studies Level 5	Understand how people’s management of resources impacts on environmental and social sustainability.
Science Level 3/4: Nature of science	Use their growing science knowledge when considering issues of concern to them.
Science Level 5: Nature of science	Develop an understanding of socio-scientific issues by gathering relevant scientific information in order to draw evidence-based conclusions and to take action where appropriate.
Technology Level 3: Nature of technology / Characteristics of technology	Understand how society and environments impact on and are influenced by technology in historical and contemporary contexts and that technological knowledge is validated by successful function.

And Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga

Tikanga ā iwi Level 4	Explain how places reflect the past interactions between people and the environment.
Tikanga ā iwi Level 4	Explain how exploration presents opportunities and challenges for people, places, and environments.
Pūtaiao Level 4: Natural world / Environment	Investigates biological food chains, and the effects of human actions on these.
Pūtaiao Level 6: Natural world / Environment	Recognises the effect of human actions, and natural processes, on an ecosystem in Aotearoa New Zealand.