Using On Thin Ice: Nigel Latta in Antarctica in the classroom
Nigel Latta loved adventure – this is what first drew him into science. Nigel spent three weeks in Antarctica and although there was plenty of adventure, he was there to learn about the work of New Zealand scientists.
On Thin Ice: Nigel Latta in Antarctica is a two-part documentary series that features accessible, insightful stories and conversations with scientists across a range of fields.
Nigel at Scott Base, Antarctica
Nigel and Antarctica New Zealand Human Resources Manager Julie Patterson at Scott Base. Scott Base is New Zealand’s permanent research support station in Antarctica.
Key science concepts
Some of the science concepts that Nigel explores include:
ecosystems and the impacts of human activity on the micro and macro-organisms
adaptations for life in extreme environments
greenhouse gases, global warming and climate change
social history is part of science history
scientific knowledge is produced by the systematic collection and interpretation of observational data.
Using the documentary in the classroom
On Thin Ice: Nigel Latta in Antarctica episode 1 and episode 2 are available via the Antarctica New Zealand Image Library.
We have chosen five themes from the series and paired them with short video excerpts and Hub resources. Each of the Hub resources has related content and activity ideas as well as useful links. Use them to expand the themes.
Antarctic field kitchen
Visitors to Scott Base also receive field training. Nigel Latta travelled to Scott Base to film a documentary. Nigel and the team are eating dinner a field kitchen on the Ross Sea Ice Shelf. The kitchen is protected by an ice block windbreak. There are polar tents and waste disposal barrels in the background.
Life at Scott Base
Scott Base is New Zealand’s Antarctic research station. It operates as a small town during the summer research season and then hunkers down during the winter.
Life at Scott Base (video timecode 3:28–6:23)
Antarctic field skills (video timecode 8:54–14:30)
Waste processing (video timecode 21:00–24:38)
Scott Base menus and overwintering (video timecode 38:50–44:00)
Inside Antarctica's historic huts
Scientists inside one of Antarctica's historic huts. The wooden huts have survived for over 100 years in Antarctica’s extreme environment, but they are still being damaged by UV light, wind, salt, and the growth of microorganisms such as moulds and soft-rot fungi.
Preservation of historic huts and artefacts
Antarctica is a land of discoveries – even if it’s only been less than two centuries since humans set foot on it! Because it is so ‘new’, we’ve been able to conserve some of its original human features – early huts and artifacts.
Scott’s Terra Nova base (video timecode 37:15–42:30)
Scott’s Discovery base (video timecode 9:10–13:10)
Scott Base’s original Hut A (video timecode 13:10–15:20)
Nigel and Adélie penguins
Nigel visits an Adélie penguin colony at Cape Bird. He learns about their habits and adaptations with scientist Dr Amy Whitehead.
Antarctic ecosystems
Antarctica is a land of extremes, yet it has thriving marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
Adélie penguins (video timecode 16:00–25:19)
Dry Valleys terrestrial ecosystems (video timecode 25:30–31:00)
Adélie penguins (video timecode 16:30–21:10)
Weddell seals (video timecode 2:25–9:00)
Dry Valleys terrestrial ecosystems (video timecode 24:45–30:40)
Antarctica and climate change
Antarctica is an ideal location to study local-to-global scale climate change.
Dry Valleys and climate change monitoring (video timecode 29:14–30:00)
Dry Valleys, weather stations and climate change monitoring (video timecode 24:45–37:20)
Launching a drone
Nigel Latta watches as scientists launch a drone in Antarctica’s Dry Valleys. The drone collects video data.
Data collection in Antarctica
Gathering data by conducting field experiments in Antarctica is expensive, dangerous and extremely important!
Dry Valleys data validation (video timecode 31:00–35:00)
Adélie penguins data collection (video timecode 15:30–20:00)
Dry Valleys soil testing (video timecode 30:40–33:10)
Weather stations data collection (video timecode 34:00–38:51)
Related content and activity ideas
Check out the resources created/inspired by others who’ve travelled to Antarctica to explore the work of New Zealand scientists:
Antarctica and Aotearoa: connected by science – with educators Carol Brieseman and Dianne Christenson
A land of ice and ambition – with journalist Claire Colcannon
