Science // Polar Regions

The Race to the South Pole

Know the story of the race to the South Pole in detail — Norwegian Roald Amundsen and British Robert Falcon Scott both set out in 1911, Amundsen arrived first on 14 December using dog sleds and careful planning, Scott arrived 34 days later using man-hauled sledges and tragically died with his team on the return journey; also know about Ernest Shackleton's 1914 Endurance expedition where the ship was trapped and crushed by ice, and Shackleton's extraordinary boat journey to South Georgia to rescue his crew

Ages
7 to 9
Type
Concept
Builds on
2 topics
Leads to
2 topics

Quick check

Can the learner tell you the detailed story of Amundsen and Scott's race to the South Pole — who won and why, what went wrong for Scott, and the incredible survival story of Shackleton's Endurance?

Ask this to see whether the topic is secure.

Topic // Mastery

What mastery looks like

What a learner can do once this topic is secure.
  • Describe the Scott vs Amundsen race: Amundsen arrived 14 December 1911 using dog sleds; Scott arrived 34 days later and died on the return
  • Explain at least two reasons Amundsen succeeded: better planning, dog sleds, polar experience, and lighter supplies
  • Narrate the key events of the Endurance expedition: ship crushed, camps on ice, boat journey to South Georgia, all crew rescued

Topic // Map

Where this fits

What to learn first and what this topic opens up, with the reason for each link. Required links come first.
  • RequiredMust come first
  • HelpfulHelps, but not essential

Before this

2 topics
  • Brave Polar ExplorersRequired

    Polar Regions // Ages 5 to 7

    Detailed exploration stories build on simple explorer introductions

  • Comparing Arctic & AntarcticHelpful

    Polar Regions // Ages 7 to 9

    Understanding Arctic vs Antarctic geography enriches the exploration narrative

You are here

The Race to the South Pole

Ages 7 to 9 // Concept

Leads to

2 topics

Topic // Research-informed

Teaching notes

From the Marble Skill Taxonomy. These notes have not been validated in classrooms, so treat them as a starting point for your own judgement.

The approach

History/ELA topic for ages 7–9: the 1911 race to the South Pole (Amundsen vs Scott) and Shackleton's 1914 Endurance expedition. The learning goal moves beyond 'who won' to WHY — comparing decisions (dog sleds vs man-hauling, supply depots, number of men, single vs mixed goals) and their life-and-death consequences, meeting the explorers as real people making hard choices, and reframing 'success' through Shackleton, who never reached his goal yet brought every man home. Scott's death should be handled with age-appropriate honesty and gravity.

Common misconceptions

  • Amundsen won simply by luck — his dogs, skiing, depots and focused planning were decisive choices
  • Scott failed because he was weak — fine margins, method choices and brutal conditions, not cowardice, doomed his return
  • Shackleton reached the Pole — he never did; his fame is for saving every man after disaster
  • Man-hauling sledges was just as good as using dogs — it exhausted Scott's team and cost precious time and strength
  • These are legends/stories — they are documented real expeditions with diaries and photographs

Useful representations

  • Parallel route map of Amundsen and Scott with dates and depots marked
  • Decision-comparison table (transport, food, men, goals) beside the outcome
  • Endurance photo-timeline: trapped → crushed → camp on ice → boat voyage to South Georgia
  • Explorer portrait cards with each person's methods, character, and fate

Teaching practices

  • Move from 'who won' to 'why' — compare the decisions (dogs vs man-hauling, depots, number of men, single vs mixed goals) that drove the outcomes
  • Use primary voices (diary extracts, photographs) so children meet the explorers as real people making hard choices
  • Frame Shackleton to separate 'reaching a goal' from 'leading well' — a powerful lesson in what success can mean
  • Handle Scott's death honestly but sensitively, focusing on courage and the fine margins of survival
  • Draw out cause and effect: small planning differences compounded into life-and-death results

Activities to try

  1. 1

    In the explorer's own voice: asking 'why'

    Why it works: The outcomes of the expeditions were shaped by choices and character, not just luck; leading well (Shackleton bringing every man of the Endurance crew home) can be a form of greatness distinct from reaching a goal.

    1. Take on the role of a questioner interviewing each explorer, in turn, about the choices they made.
    2. Ask Amundsen why he brought dogs and laid so many supply depots, and listen for his reasoning about margins, speed and safety.
    3. Ask a member of Scott's party what man-hauling a sledge for hundreds of miles did to the team's strength and time.
    4. Ask Shackleton how he decided to leave most of his men on Elephant Island and sail a small lifeboat roughly 800 miles across stormy sea to South Georgia.
    5. Push back with a challenge such as 'Why not turn around?' and consider the in-character reply.
  2. 2

    Plan your own expedition: decisions with consequences

    Why it works: Small planning differences can compound into life-and-death results; well-placed depots, suitable transport and a focused goal create a real margin of safety.

    1. Choose transport (dog sleds vs ponies/man-hauling), where to place supply depots, and how many people to take.
    2. State your single clear goal or a mixed goal (race plus science) and predict how that choice affects the journey.
    3. Run or narrate the journey step by step and observe how each choice affects speed, energy reserves and safety margin.
    4. Compare your outcome to Amundsen's and Scott's real decisions and explain the match or mismatch.
  3. 3

    Parallel maps, timelines and primary voices

    Why it works: These were documented real expeditions, recorded in diaries and photographs; laying choices and outcomes side by side reveals the causal links, and the three explorers must not be muddled.

    1. Trace a parallel route map of Amundsen and Scott with dates and depots marked, comparing their paths and timing.
    2. Build a decision-comparison table (transport, food, number of men, goals) placed beside each expedition's outcome.
    3. Follow an Endurance photo-timeline: ship trapped → crushed → camp on the ice → lifeboats to Elephant Island → open-boat voyage to South Georgia → crew rescued.
    4. Read short diary extracts and study photographs so the explorers appear as real people, then discuss what each voice reveals.
    5. Sort explorer facts correctly: Amundsen (first, dogs, survived); Scott (second, man-hauling, died returning); Shackleton (1914, Endurance crushed, crew saved).

Science // Polar Regions

More in Polar Regions

All 25 topics