Playmobil Antarctic Explorations.

 The children got 'Polar explorers for kids' for Christmas, and I had decided we'd start using it when it snowed.

 

  In 1772-1775 Captain James Cook got within 100 miles of Antarctica.

On his second voyage, Cook became the first explorer to cross the Antarctic circle. In 1775 Cook headed home disappointed that he had not found Antarctica, and in his report wondered if it really existed.

By 1880 ships travelled to the seas around the Antarctic to capture and kill the thousands of seals that Cook had described. The first man to set foot on the Antarctic was a seal hunter.

1820 Bellinghausen, Smith, Bransfield and Palmer all see different parts of Antarctica on separate expeditions.

1839 James Clark Ross voyages to find magnetic south.

 Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen race to the South Pole 1910-1912

Every country wanted to lay claim to as much of Antarctica's land as possible.

We retold the story of the race between Scott and Amundsen using Playmobil, with great success!

James Cook was the first person to cross the Antarctic circle.

I then set up two teams of playmobil figures, one team representing Scott's British team, the other  Amundsen's Norwegian team.
We compared each team, before we read the story of each man's expedition.

 This is Scott's team.

Although Scott knew nothing of Amundsen's plans to the South Pole, Scott had to rush his preparations, because other countries were also preparing to explorations to the South pole.

• Didn't have time to train his men how to ski.
• Failed to select the best dogs.
• Selected both ponies and dogs.
• took motorised sledges (which had never been tested in extreme conditions).
• Large team of 65 men.

 

 This is Amundsen's team

He kept his plan to be the first to the South pole a secret and raised funds for his journey, by telling people he was off to the North pole.