What the Poles Hold: teacher key

The Arctic and Antarctica, grade 12 edition, written for 12th grade and up. Where the poles begin, what their ice remembers, who keeps Antarctica and what scientists still ask. A full look at the Arctic and Antarctica.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. How do most scientists define the Arctic?
   • As the area south of the equator
   • As the area inside the Arctic Circle (answer)
   • As only the Arctic Ocean
2. What does an ice core's layer record?
   • The year in which that snow fell (answer)
   • The age of the ocean
   • The speed of the wind
3. Why is Arctic sea ice typically thicker than Antarctic sea ice?
   • It is closer to the ocean floor
   • It is made of fresh water
   • It stays in the cold basin and piles into ridges (answer)
4. What does the Antarctic Treaty set Antarctica aside for?
   • Peaceful science (answer)
   • Mining
   • Military bases
5. What do Weddell seals do to keep breathing holes open?
   • Rasp the new ice with their teeth (answer)
   • Dig with their flippers
   • Swim around them

Words

• latitude: distance from equator
• molt: shed fur
• demilitarised: free of military
• glycoproteins: antifreeze molecules