Have you ever dreamed of being an explorer? If you could explore anywhere on Earth, or even in the cosmos, where would you go? What would you hope to see, learn or discover?
Is Antarctica on your list?
Yes, Antarctica — the highest, driest, coldest and windiest continent on Earth.
If the answer is yes, now is your chance to join an expedition there without getting too cold!
In “Journey to the Melting Continent,” two New York Times journalists are documenting their trip to Antarctica:
For much of January and February, Raymond Zhong, a New York Times climate reporter, and Chang W. Lee, a Times photographer, are traveling with a scientific expedition to study Antarctica’s fastest-melting glacier.
They are aboard the Araon, a South Korean icebreaker, with nearly 40 scientists from around the world. The destination is the Thwaites, an immense and remote glacier whose uncertain fate could affect global sea-level rise for generations to come.
Students, first watch the short video below introducing Raymond, Chang and the purpose of the expedition:
Next, scroll through Raymond and Chang’s daily expedition updates — which include photos, videos, maps and written dispatches — and read at least one.
Then, tell us:
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Have you ever wanted to be an explorer? Why or why not? Are you intrigued by tales of historical exploration or by the lives of figures like Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, Zheng He, Ernest Shackleton, Jacques Cousteau, Sylvia Earle or Neil Armstrong?
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If you could go anywhere, where would you want to explore and why? What would you hope to learn, see, discover or accomplish? What challenges, obstacles or dangers might you face?
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What’s your reaction to Raymond and Chang’s expedition to Antarctica? What about their trip do you find most fascinating, surprising or memorable? Do their dispatches make Antarctica or the idea of scientific exploration more appealing to you?
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What questions do you have about Antarctica or about Raymond and Chang’s difficult and occasionally harrowing journey there? If you’d like to ask them directly, you can send in a short video with your question here. It could be published in The Times!
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
Jeremy Engle is an editor of The Learning Network who worked in teaching for more than 20 years before joining The Times.
The post Would You Ever Want to Explore Antarctica? appeared first on New York Times.
