subject: When A Class Can Come To Antarctica Via Internet Linkup [print this page] Legos and playing outside are what this boy loves and he also likes messing around on the computer plus penguins. Early next month, this first grader will get a chance to see his beloved birds in the wild, as they waddle across the ice and feed their newly hatched chicks on the snowy shores of Antarctica. There will be an internationally known explorer and filmmaker who will be joining him and his parents on a journey to the Antarctic Peninsula.
Seldom do children his age travel to such an icy continent as this one. This kind of traveling even makes his friends want to celebrate the trip. A reason for such jubilation would be that his classmates won't be left behind. An Internet linkup will be their way of joining in the exploration so as not to cost thousands of dollars. Wherever students may be, everyone has the chance to view this trip's live video coverage.
In order for questions to be raised and answers to be given live, the pilot youth program uses a site. To increase learning from this experience, teachers will be coming up with grade level activities that will build on the boy's dispatches. For the first graders they will tackle the weather, geology goes to the fourth graders, and fifth graders get forces in motion.
And a family adventure for the family. To be the voice of reason is why she will join the trip and the mother said this after mentioning how much the boy loves nature. I want to show them that with a little motivation, you can do anything you really want in your life, he says.
A webcast is not that extraordinary. Another first would be this interactive experience with children for this explorer who is the first American to ski to the South Pole and first to ice bike 250 miles across Antarctica. Usually, his numerous trips there since 1999 involved adult pursuits like scientific purposes and extreme skiing even. The people he considered to be the best recipients for the knowledge of Antarctica that he could share were the children. The program for kids was though up about a year ago.
Great timing is what this decision falls on for the March of the Penguins movie has just promoted Antarctica as the destination for adventure. Chance may have led to the explorer and the boy's mother coming together. Years ago was when the mother went to a local university with the 42 year old explorer but they lost contact only to regain it after hearing about his website from a mutual friend.
The 14 day expedition began in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the boy made his first live dispatch, and then it worked its way south. Then the travelers boarded a 100 passenger cruise ship, with a group of tourists who originated in Toronto for their voyage across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula and surrounding islands. Considering the roughest sea weather during the entire trip, the 600 mile, 30 hour ride was probably the most dangerous part.
What the Drake Passage provided them was an experience to see elephant seals, whales, and dolphins in their habitat. When they arrive at the peninsula, they will then ride rubber boats to the nearby islands that could not be gone to at other times due to ice. Scheduled stops include scientific research stations and a few penguin rookeries. March of the Penguins made emperor penguins, the largest from the 17 species in Antarctica, famous and the explorer knows of the location of their colony.
