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Learning can be FUN!
Throp Squallhoot

Educational Aspects of ICEBERG:
The Story of the Throps
and the Squallhoots

Although the primary objective is to entertain, the story also touches on many topics and subjects that are not only unique to the polar regions, but also reflect life, conditions and events on our planet.
(See: TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION (No.13) below).

Some of the topics of educational value to children are:

Animals | Arctic | Birds | Boats/Ships/Subs | Cold/Cold Places | Countries/Places
Environment/Atmosphere | Eurasia | Exploration | Franklin Expedition | Glaciers
Health/Safety | Ice | Icebergs | Industry/Military | Inuit | Land | Maps | Northern Lights
People/Explorers | Polar Bears | Sky/Seasons | Sled Dogs | Snow | Whales/Fish

The EDUCATIONAL FEATURES of this site fall into the following basic categories:
1.Library | 2.Glossary | 3.Sunrise/Sunset Guide | 4.Links | 5.Dictionary | 6.Arctic Maps | 7.Arctic Weather
8.Languages | 9.Internet | 10.Calculators | 11.Search | 12.Educational Games | 13.Topics for Discussion

1. ARCTIC LIBRARY
Features a comprehensive list of Arctic topics, listed both ALPHABETICALLY and by CATEGORY. Ideal for students. Arctic information is also featured in our DAILY ARCTIC FACTS, with a new fact presented each day (double-click any word on those pages for a "pop-up" definition).
2. STORY GLOSSARY
Both the GLOSSARY and the STORY pages feature "pop-up" information boxes on topics related to the story and the polar regions.
3. GUIDE TO ARCTIC SUNRISE AND SUNSET
Our guide to daily sunrise and sunset times in the Arctic, Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, and the Summer and Winter Solstices.
4. LINKS
Our "links" section provides links to sites featuring information or activities related to the Arctic and the story.
5. DICTIONARY
Double click on any word in the Athropolis ARCTIC LIBRARY or STORY and a new window will open with the definition from Merriam-Webster's Student Electronic Dictionary at Word Central. This is a valuable feature to help kids increase their reading levels - or to assist older children and adults who are learning English as a second language.

6. ARCTIC MAPS
Maps with pop-up information and weather reports for Arctic locations and events: detailed maps, maps of Arctic definitions, the Northwest Passage, explorer's routes, cold areas and even a view of the Arctic from space! If this isn't enough, we've got a whole page of Arctic map LINKS.

7. ARCTIC WEATHER
Get current weather reports from Arctic locations. What's the temperature today in Igloolik, Nunavut, or Barrow, Alaska, or Murmansk, Russia? Try the pop-up locations (click the yellow location buttons) on our ARCTIC MAPS - in particular our BIG MAP OF THE ARCTIC and map of NUNAVUT. For a general report on key Arctic locations, get the COLD REPORT.

8. FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Translate words, phrases, web pages or e-mail with Athropolis TRANSLATION. Learn to say and pronounce HELLO in over 40 LANGUAGES (as well as many other useful phrases) and learn about the world's major languages.

9. INTERNET HELP
Internet help for the whole family - explore the World Wide Web together. Learn HOW HTML CODE WORKS or how to BUILD A WEB PAGE. Lots of information about search engines, downloading, mp3, audio players, instant play, browsers and more about your computer system.
10. CALCULATORS
Learn about metric measurements, measurement conversions, area, mass, time, distances, speed, temperature, currency, percentages, downloading and much more with our section of pop-up calculators and reference tables.
Calculators
11. SEARCH
Want more information on the topics included on this site? Search the Athropolis WEB SITE, the WORLD WIDE WEB, our ARCTIC LIBRARY or our LINKS section - all from right HERE!
(1) Click the button for Web (below) to search the World Wide Web
(2) Click button for WWW.ATHROPOLIS.COM to search this web site
( over 1000 pages of icy cold fun and Arctic information )
 
Web WWW.ATHROPOLIS.COM
12. EDUCATIONAL GAMES
The Athropolis GAMES section includes educational games related to the Arctic.
Try: THE NUNAVUT GAME | KNOW YOUR ARCTIC COUNTRIES | COLD PLACES | ARCHAEOLOGY GAME.

13. TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION                                     Back to Top

It is our objective to provide entertainment that encourages a better level of understanding throughout our fragile and multi-cultural world as this is an important step towards co-operation, tolerance, the breakdown of prejudice, and ultimately - a safer and more peaceful planet.

The drifting iceberg called Athropolis is like a simplified version of Earth - with many of the same situations, conflicts, attitudes, fears, prejudices and problems that we encounter or hear about almost every day. The conflicts of cultures and nations; a deteriorating environment; overcrowding; fear of things we don't understand; the arms race - they are all represented on Athropolis.

FOR EXAMPLE:

  1. The Throps and Squallhoots are imaginary characters, but who has really lived in the Arctic for thousands of years? How did they live? What did they eat? Where did they come from? How do they live now? (Inuit History and Culture)

  2. What is happening to Athropolis and how can this be compared to our planet? (Deteriorating Environment / Climate Change / Global Warming)

  3. How can we compare the increasing space demands on the iceberg with Earth? Rather than the population increasing on a planet that stays the same size - the population on the iceberg (their "planet") stays the same but it is shrinking. Same result: Too many Throps and too many Squallhoots - and not enough ice! (Over-population)

  4. If the flooding forces the Squallhoots from their caves, what could happen? What happens when danger or lack of space forces people from their homes and the lands where they live? (Wars / Aggression / Refugees)

  5. What have the Squallhoots been doing with the things that wash up on Athropolis? How are these things finally used? (Pollution / Re-cycling)

  6. Why is the fur of the Squallhoots falling out? What types of things can happen when the climate changes? (Environment / Global Warming)

  7. What do the inhabitants of Athropolis need to do to save it? When we can't do things on our own, what do we need to do? (Co-operation)

  8. How do the Throps and Squallhoots work together to accomplish something neither group could do on their own? What will happen if either side stops? (International Co-operation and Commitments)
    SONG: Ka Me, Ka Thee
    Songs...
    demonstrating how prejudice
    can produce very distorted
    views of one's neighbours
    That's What Squallhoots Do
    +    If I Were a Throp
    =    Jiggery-Pokery

  9. Why do Throps and Squallhoots distrust one another? Were the nasty things that they had heard about one another true? Why were they enemies? Did they really know why they were enemies? (Rumors / Gossip / Fear / Prejudice / Bigotry)

  10. How do we develop opinions about things? What happens when somebody different shows us another way of doing things? (Cultural Environment and Influences)

  11. How can Throps and Squallhoots live and work together when they are so very different from one another? (Integration / Cultural Differences / International Co-operation)

  12. Why do Throps and Squallhoots think they need to be strong or aggressive? What do they think they are protecting themselves against? (Arms Race / Fear / Conflicts of Superpowers and Nations)

  13. Throps and Squallhoots have developed unusual weapons to protect themselves, but what happens when they try to use those weapons? What do they finally decide? (Arms Control, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) / Biological, Chemical and Viral Weapons)

  14. Do powerful weapons really do anything to protect anybody - or do they just endanger everybody? (Atomic, Nuclear or Hydrogen Bombs / Biological, Chemical and Viral Weapons)

  15. When the children make Drizzle a suit and he visits the Throps, what happens? What happens when Throps and Squallhoots start talking to one another? (Understanding of Different Cultures)

  16. Why do Throps and Squallhoots think that anyone who is different is "ugly" or "funny" looking? (Prejudice / Discrimination / Bigotry)

  17. Why don't the inhabitants of Athropolis want to be found? What might happen if they were found? (Conquest / Colonization / Destruction of Cultures)
ATHROPOLIS LINKS: Inuit, Arctic Animals, Environment, Peace, Pollution and Recycling, Population

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