Antartic Exploration learning for Senior History

Last Monday, June 9th, our Senior History students had an awesome experience learning all about Antarctic exploration. We started off with a fascinating look at Robert Falcon Scott's Discovery Hut. It's pretty amazing to think about the extreme cold, isolation, and basic provisions those early explorers faced! We also heard the intriguing story of Clarence Hare, a young New Zealander who served as a key support member on the Discovery expedition, undertaking sledging journeys and working as an assistant.

Next up, we had a fantastic recap of Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Shackleton's goal was to be the first to cross the entire Antarctic continent, a journey of nearly 2,900 kilometres. This was super helpful, especially since we started studying Shackleton back in Term 1.

The highlight of the day was definitely the virtual reality experience that followed! We got to put on VR headsets and virtually step into Antarctica and the Discovery Hut. The VR environment was interactive, letting us 'feed' Scott's dogs, take virtual hot air balloon rides over the icy landscape, and even move around inside the actual hut.

A huge thank you goes to Mrs de Vos and Adelma from the Antarctic Heritage Trust. They gave us this unique chance to explore these important historical sites. It was a really memorable and valuable learning experience for everyone!

Evie de Graaf