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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can identify some of the wildlife found in the Antarctic and explain how it is affected by seasonal change

      Key learning points

      1. All the creatures that come to the Antarctic feed in the sea.
      2. Penguins are only found in the Southern Hemisphere.
      3. Many species of penguin visit the Antarctic during the summer because of the abundant food and hours of daylight.
      4. The Emperor Penguin is the only species of penguin that remains in the Antarctic throughout the winter months.

      Keywords

      • Breeding - Breeding is when animals have babies

      • Species - A species is type of plant or animal that shares characteristics

      • Survive - To survive is to continue to be alive

      Common misconception

      Polar bears live in Antarctica.

      No polar bears live in Antarctica, they live in the Arctic.

      Teacher tip

      Teacher could encourage pupils to share the information about their animal in a short presentation to the class or make a class display. You may want to ensure pupils choose a good range of animals, and avoid Emperor Penguins due to the focus of second learning cycle.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Antarctica is located in the hemisphere.

      Correct Answer: southern, Southern, south

      Q2.
      What is it like during Antarctic winter?

      Correct answer: Dark all day and night
      Light all day and night
      Dark for 12 hours and light for 12 hours

      Q3.
      Which words best describe the climate in the Antarctic?

      Correct answer: Cold
      Correct answer: Windy
      Wet
      Mild

      Q4.
      When is summer in Antarctica?

      May - September
      Correct answer: November - March
      Never

      Q5.
      What happens to Antarctica in the winter?

      It shrinks (gets smaller)
      Correct answer: It grows
      It stays the same size

      Q6.
      Which animal do you find in the Arctic but not in Antarctica?

      Penguins
      Seals
      Correct answer: Polar bears

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Where do all the creatures that live in Antartica feed from?

      The land
      Correct answer: The sea
      The nearest continent - South America.

      Q2.
      Penguins are only found in which of the following?

      The Northern hemisphere
      Correct answer: The Southern hemisphere
      The Tropics

      Q3.
      Which of these Penguins is the only one to live in Antarctica all year round?

      Correct answer: Emperor penguin
      Chinstrap penguin
      Rockhopper penguin
      Gentoo penguin

      Q4.
      How do emperor penguins stay warm?

      They find a cave to sleep in
      They go underwater
      They build an igloo
      Correct answer: They huddle together

      Q5.
      How does the male penguin look after the egg while the mother penguin hunts for food?

      Correct answer: They sit on top of the egg
      They dig the egg into the snow
      They keep the egg under their wing

      Q6.
      Which of these is not a feature of penguins?

      webbed feet
      thick feathers
      huddle together
      Correct answer: big eyes

      To help you plan your 2 geography lesson on: Antarctic wildlife, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...