Homeostasis

3. Preparation

Required Resources

• Audio: Antarctica challenge (2m 24s)
• Slides 21-29
• Student Worksheet 2
• Audio: Survival kit (1m 51s)
• Video: HMS Endurance in Antarctica

Delivery

• Explain that by trekking to the South Pole, Polly Hatchard exposed her body to extreme elements and pushed her homeostatic mechanisms to their limits. Not only did homeostasis have a huge role to play in enabling her body to adapt to the environment but Polly also had to take many precautions and a great deal of kit to help her to survive the experience.
• Then play Audio: Antarctica challenge, which talks about the challenges of Antarctica, Shackleton;s journey and the length of their trek. Project Slides 21-25 which display a number of images of the white wilderness. It is most effective if you present the slides during Polly's interview. Slides 26-27 explains about Shackleton's expedition and shows Polly's route that retraced his final footsteps and completed his unfinished journey.
• At this stage you could also play Video: HMS Endurance in Antarctica, to help students appreciate the extreme external conditions that Polly had to deal with.
• Considering the conditions of the Antarctic and the length of the expedition, ask students to complete Student Worksheet 2 and prepare a list of equipment that they would take on the expedition.
• Play Audio: Survival kit, and project Slides 28-29 to reveal what equipment and training was required. Ask students to check their list against Polly's and see how many items they got right.

Differentiation

Lower Ability:

Put students in mixed ability pairs to prepare their list of equipment. You could provide prompts such as clothing, sleeping, eating etc.

Higher Ability:

Some may be able to explain why the equipment is required and which homeostatic mechanism it supports.