Irvinestown pupils make a cool live video call to Antarctica

Year 5 pupils in Irvinestown Primary School had an ‘ice’ time when they took part in a live video call to Antarctica recently.

The pupils spoke with some of the crew of the RRS Sir David Attenborough, which is currently based there, giving them in informative first-hand insight into life in the harsh but beautiful Antarctic landscape.

As part of their current topic, Extreme Weather, the pupils have been learning about the extremities of Antarctica’s weather, landscape and wildlife, as well as the famous expeditions of the historic Antarctic explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton.

In the live video call, the pupils were shown the Antarctic landscape, including the surrounding ocean, and large ice shelves, as well as asking the crew questions.

They discussed the wildlife in the Antarctic, saw photos of the experiences crew had had with penguins, discussed the workings of the ship, and were also given a tour around the bridge, the area used to sail and navigate the ship.

The crew also shared their experiences of travelling the route from the United Kingdom to Antarctica, in comparison to that of Sir Ernest Shackleton, as well as the countries they passed by and made port at, and their roles and routines whilst on board.

It was a truly memorable experience for the pupils, who certainly enjoyed their cool video call to the region.