Lesson 1: How did Antarctic explorers
make sure they had enough energy? Key Stage 2: History, Mathematics

Calculating how to get enough energy to survive Antarctic conditions

Keeping your energy up so you can keep exploring.

Polar exploration can be exhausting, and eating the right kind of food is essential for surviving an expedition.

Early polar explorers had to eat unappetising but high energy food to help them keep going. This was called Pemmican which is a mixture of ground beef and lard. It was the main food source for the 1910–1913 Terra Nova Expedition. It was the main foodstuff for the sledging team. It was usually heated with water in a stew and eaten with biscuits crumbled into it. One box would provide a day's food supply for one man.

Captain Scott didn't realize that they were not always eating quite enough to give them all the calories they needed to keep going, which just made progress harder.

Explorers often really looked forward to their 'Hoosh' but it was all too soon eaten and then the explorers knew they were in for a long cold night ahead.

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Purpose of study:

History - Know and understand how people's lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world

Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed

Mathematics - can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions

They should also apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects.

National Curriculum Aims / Attainment Targets	Activity focus
Computing: Are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology. Select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information.	Investigating the types of food eaten by Scott's explorers. Using a spread sheet to calculate ration consumption of the explorers.
Maths: Can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions. They should also apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects.
History: Know and understand how people's lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world. Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed	Investigating the types of food eaten by Scott's explorers. Using a spread sheet to calculate ration consumption of the explorers.

National Curriculum Aims / Attainment Targets

Activity focus

Computing:

Are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.
Select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information.

Investigating the types of food eaten by Scott's explorers.
Using a spread sheet to calculate ration consumption of the explorers.

Maths:

Can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
They should also apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects.

History:

Know and understand how people's lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.
Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed