Antarctica is one of the most hostile environments on the face of the planet. Temperatures can drop to minus 80 degrees centigrade and winds regularly reach well over 100 kilometres per hour. In the winter the Sun never makes it above the horizon and even in the summer there is no vegetation.

Despite this ferocity, Antarctica is a fragile environment. It is here that scientists are seeing some of the first and largest signs of climate change. It is also here that scientists can drill ice cores which allow them to delve deep into the planet’s past. Using this information we can try to understand how changes we make to the atmosphere today are going to affect our climate in the future.

But this vital work would not be possible at all without modern science and engineering. Human beings could not survive long term in the harsh Antarctic conditions with out modern materials, communications and transport.

To raise awareness of this crucial work and the dangers that face this beautiful continent and the species that inhabit it. The University of Portsmouth, working in partnership with Dame Ellen MacArthur and the Royal Navy’s ice patrol ship HMS Endurance are pleased to have developed The Big Freeze : Science From Antarctica as a practical science resource for Key Stage 2 teachers. We hope you enjoy using it!