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THE ARCTIC REGION

CONSEQUENCES OF A WARMING WORLD

Objectives:
• Compare and contrast the human and environmental characteristics of
the North and the South Pole.
• Identify, locate and map the Arctic Circle, including the eight countries
that lie within its boundaries, and the indigenous people that live
within the borders of these states.
• Explore the challenges the new Arctic faces.

1) Arctic or Antarctic?
Intro Kahoot on some differences between the Arctic and the Antarctic.
Keyword activity.
Arctic vs Antarctic video (4’24)
There are ………………………………………………… about the
……………………………, especially when compared to …………………………….
For example, polar bears and penguins do not live in the same regions;
…………………………… live in the Arctic only, while …………………………… are
found in Antarctica, South Africa, and South America.
Humans have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years, and the Arctic is home to
almost …………………………….…………………… today, many living in
…………………………….……………………. .
Antarctica has …………………………….…………………………………; there are
over 60 research stations, where staff reside seasonally or annually.
There are …………………………….…………………… within the Arctic region, and
……………………… within the Antarctic region. However the Antarctic is governed
………………………… by …………………………….……………………………….…
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2) Exploring the Arctic: identifying, locating and mapping the Arctic

The Arctic is a ………………………… and surprisingly …………………………
region of ………………………………………..…
Exploring the Arctic video (11’22).
The Arctic can be defined by …………………………, ………………………… and
…………………………………
The Arctic Circle is an …………………………………… of …………………………
located at ……………………………… 33 minutes (66°33’ above the equator). Here
the sun never ……………………… on the summer solstice (…………………………)
nor …………………… on the winter solstice (…………………………).
The following ………………………………………… exist within the Arctic Circle:
…………………………, …………………………, ………………………… (Denmark),
…………………………, …………………………, …………………………,
…………………………, and ………………………………….. (Alaska). The average
temperature of the warmest month (July) in the Arctic is
………………………………., and the ……………………………………………… is
the northern limit of stands of trees on land (above this line of latitude, trees do not
grow).

3) Peoples of the Arctic

The Arctic (Arctic Circle definition) covers 14 million square kilometres or
approximately ……………………………………………., but hosts a population of
only ……………………………….
Of the 4 million, …………………… small groups of ………………………………….;
can be found. There have been ………………………… in the Arctic for at least
………………………… according to bones found in Russia. Some believe people
have lived up North for much longer or up to …………………………………….., no-
one knowing for sure. Although many Arctic indigenous groups
………………………… some similar traits, each region and community has its
………………………………………….…
For thousands of years these people have survived in one of the
………………………………………. in the world. Most of them live
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…………………………………………, so traditionally the only wood to which they

had access was …………………………. In most areas the growing season has
been too short to raise any …………………………. In many areas they endure
months of ………………………… in the winter. In many places temperatures can
get very low and the wind can be very strong. This harsh environment
………………………………………….. of the Arctic peoples.
Note: The term Eskimo was once used to name
……………………………………………………… Now, however, names in
………………………………… are preferred. Inuit, Inupiat, Gwich’in, Yup’ik and
Inughuit are names used to refer to Arctic indigenous peoples in Alaska, Canada
and Greenland.
Almost all of these indigenous people live today as a ………………………… within
the …………………………………………………………………… Only in
………………………… are the ………………………… in majority (……………% of
the population), while in ………………………… ………………………… of the
population in the ………………………………… is indigenous. In
………………………… and ……………………………., indigenous peoples are only
a small fraction of the population or around ……………%, …………………………
having an indigenous population of around ……………%.
Despite the fact that some …………………………………….. are still spoken in the
Arctic, …………………………, ………………………… and …………………………
languages are the most ………………………… languages today.
The Arctic is home to almost four million people today – Indigenous Peoples, more
recent arrivals, hunters and herders living on the land and city dwellers. Roughly 10
percent of the inhabitants are Indigenous and many of their peoples distinct to the
Arctic. They continue their traditional activities in the context of an ever-changing
world. Yet, as the ……………………………………………………., so do
…………………………, cultures, traditions, languages and …………………………
of Indigenous Peoples and other communities.
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4) Challenges the new Arctic faces

A) Climate change
The Arctic may seem like a frozen and desolate environment where nothing ever
changes. But the climate of this ………………………………………… region can be
both an ……………………………….. of the climate of the rest of the Earth and a
………………………… for weather patterns across the globe.
Why is Arctic climate change’s canary in the coal mine video.

B) A symbolic example of climate change: the Northwest Passage

Climate change is increasingly opening up the …………………………………………,
an …………………………………………………… north of the Canadian mainland.
Back in the …………………………………… there was a race to map and navigate
the Northwest Passage through the Arctic Ocean as a ………………………………
between the ……………………………………………………. The problem was that
even in the summer the route was mostly ……………………………………………….
On one of the ………………………………………………… - that of the UK's
………………………………………………………… - all
………………………………………… after their two vessels got stuck.
Today, more than 170 years later, a warming Arctic means that the route is
increasingly accessible for a few months each summer.
And according to some estimates, Arctic ice is retreating to the extent that the
Northwest Passage could become an
…………………………………………………………… . For shipping firms
transporting goods from China or Japan to Europe or the east coast of the US, the
passage would …………………………………………………… journeys that currently
go via the Panama or Suez canals.

C) Expanding border claims

The ice in the Arctic is …………………………. Melting arctic ice means
……………………………………………………: ……………………………. in the
Arctic ocean and access to ………………………………..…
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Because of this, the Arctic nations are now moving to expand their
…………………………………… How do borders impact the development or
preservation of the Arctic? Who owns / think they own the Arctic? Who owns the
Arctic video.

Climate change continues to fundamentally ………………………… this

……………………………………………………, as increasing heat and the loss of ice
drive its transformation into a …………………………, l ………………………… and
more ………………………………………..…
The ………………………… of the Arctic has serious implications for
…………………………………….. and ……………………………………………………,
and most of the world sees it as a …………………………………..… . But for five
Arctic nations — …………………………, …………………………,
…………………………, …………………………, and ………………………… — it
also presents an …………………………: access to promising
……………………………………..; and untapped
………………………………………………………….…
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Keywords activity
Can you guess what keywords match these definitions?

• Earth’s southernmost continent, encapsulating the South Pole:

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ or the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

• The northernmost polar region: the _ _ _ _ _ _

• An imaginary line of latitude located at 66 degrees 33 minutes (66°33’

above the equator). Here the sun never sets on the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [2 words] (June 21st)
nor rises on the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [2 words] (December 21st):
the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

• A type of contour line that connects points of equal temperature (tip:

comes from the ancient Greek ‘equal’ and ‘hot’): _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

• Ground that is permanently frozen, often to great depths, the surface

sometimes thawing in the summer: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

• A cold, treeless area between the arctic sea ice and the tree line. The
lower layers of soil are permanently frozen, but in summer the top
layer of soil thaws and can support low-growing mosses, lichens,
grasses, and small shrubs: _ _ _ _ _ _
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Exploring the Arctic

What and where is the Arctic?

1- What is the first way in which we can define the Arctic?

a) It is the region…

b) Complete and circle the correct answer:

The Arctic circle is …………………………….. (latitude / longitude)
In this zone, there is one day with …………………………………. (called
…………………………) and one day with 24 hours of
………………………………………….

2- What is the second way in which we can define the Arctic?

a) It is the region north of the ………………………………………………………….,
meaning that north of that line it’s
…………………………………………………………..
b) What does this broadly correspond to?

c) Take your map and complete it with the 10°C July isotherm.

3- How many Arctic nations are there and what are they?
a)

b) Locate them on your map.

4- True or False?
These nations have sovereignty over land that lies within the Arctic circle.

5- What is the Arctic Council?

6- How many people live in the Arctic and who are they?

7- True or False?
Tundra is a cold, treeless area between the arctic sea ice and the tree line. The
lower layers of soil are permanently frozen, but in summer the top layer of soil
thaws and can support low-growing mosses, lichens, grasses, and small shrubs.
Coursera video (https://www.coursera.org/lecture/frozen-in-the-ice/what-and-where-is-the-arctic-5yZRm )
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8- What is ‘permafrost’?

9- What are the two ice sheets on the planet? If it all melted, what would the
sea level rise for each be?

10- What is the Arctic ocean the realm of?

11- True of False?

The Arctic is a very homogenous environment.

12- What is Arctic Amplification?

13- Name minimum 3 symptoms of climate change in the Arctic region and
their impacts.

14- What is the Mosaic expedition?

Coursera video (https://www.coursera.org/lecture/frozen-in-the-ice/what-and-where-is-the-arctic-5yZRm )

Arctic Map

www.polarbearsinternational.org | POLAR BEARS INTERNATIONAL 4

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The Arctic vs Antarctica Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5VRoGTF60s (4.24)

1. What does ‘Arktikos’ mean?

2. What are the Arctic and Antarctic surrounded by?

3. Where can you find the following animals?

- polar bears: ……………………………………….
- penguins: ……………………………………….

4. How deep is the water in the Arctic?

5. What is the average winter temperature in the Arctic?

6. How big is Antarctica?

7. How thick is the ice in Antarctica?

8. What is the average precipitation on the coast of Antarctica?

9. How many people stay at research stations throughout the continent?

10. Give two of the reasons why it is colder in Antarctica than it is in the Arctic:

11. What do the polar regions do for the rest of the world?

Source: Adapted from History Wizard

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