Antarctic Research Station
In Antarctic Research Station, narrator Sir David Attenborough shares the story of Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen, the first explorers to reach the South Pole. Learn about how research at the South Pole has developed and see inside the Scott-Amundsen Research Station. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.
Lesson Express
Q: What is the Antarctic Plateau? What did you learn about it?
A: The Antarctic Plateau is an unbroken sheet of ice that is larger than western Europe. It is the coldest, windiest, most lifeless place on Earth.
Q: What are two features that allow the Amundsen-Scott Research Center to withstand extreme conditions?
A: It has a sloping edge to deflect winds and is built on stilts to rise above the snow.
Q: What are some features inside the station? Why do you think Sir David Attenborough described this as a “space station on Earth”?
A: Students may mention bunk rooms, medical areas, greenhouses, laboratories, a dining hall. They may mention that the research center is secluded, without access to the outside world, or that it is self-sufficient, just like a space station.
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In Climate Change and Warming Seas, Sir David Attenborough highlights what researchers are learning about warming seas and its impact on the health of our planet. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Traversing Extreme Winters in Antarctica, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how two animals, the Weddell seal and the emperor penguin, live in the extreme environment of Antarctica. Watch the aurora borealis in the northern and southern hemispheres. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
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In Diving to the Depths of the Ocean, narrator Sir David Attenborough dives into sea life in one of the most unimaginable places. With no light present and freezing temperatures, it’s simply amazing to see the abundance of species thriving at these depths. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Climate Change and Warming Seas, Sir David Attenborough highlights what researchers are learning about warming seas and its impact on the health of our planet. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Traversing Extreme Winters in Antarctica, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how two animals, the Weddell seal and the emperor penguin, live in the extreme environment of Antarctica. Watch the aurora borealis in the northern and southern hemispheres. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In The Animals That Make up the Antarctic Food Web, narrator Sir David Attenborough shares information about the animals that make up the Antarctic food web. Watch minke whales, humpback whales, fur seals, and krill. Learn about icebergs in the Antarctic. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.