What Is the Arctic?

🕐 5 min 10 sec 👦 Ages 6–8 🌍 English
Join Owlo and Koko as they explore the Arctic, learning about its icy wonders and the magic of frozen oceans!
Understand what the Arctic is Learn about sea ice and its formation Discover the North Pole's unique climate
📖 Story Script
                    Koko:
                    Owlo, Owlo! Look what I found in the library this morning. It's a giant book all about frozen places!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Oh my, that is a big one! Where did you find it, Koko?
                
                    Koko:
                    It was on the very top shelf. I had to climb the ladder to reach it. There's a picture on the cover of a huge white land covered in snow and ice.
                
                    Owlo:
                    That place on the cover looks like it could be the Arctic. Have you ever heard that word before?
                
                    Koko:
                    I think so. Is the Arctic like... the coldest place ever?
                
                    Owlo:
                    The Arctic is one of the coldest places on Earth, yes. It is the region right at the very top of our planet, around the North Pole.
                
                    Koko:
                    The North Pole! That's where the snow never stops, right?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Almost! The Arctic is covered in a massive layer of frozen ocean called sea ice. It is so cold there that the ocean itself freezes solid.
                
                    Koko:
                    Wait, the ocean can freeze? I thought oceans were just... always water.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Normally yes, but the Arctic is so extremely cold that even the salty ocean water turns to ice. Temperatures there can drop far, far below zero.
                
                    Koko:
                    That sounds really really cold. Like, colder than our school freezer cold?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Much, much colder than any freezer you have ever touched. Imagine the coldest winter day you know, then multiply that feeling by ten.
                
                    Koko:
                    Okay, I do not think I want to visit without a very big coat.
                
                    Owlo:
                    A very big coat indeed! Now, let us go to the science lab. I have a globe there that can help us see exactly where the Arctic is.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Here we go. See this globe, Koko? Put your finger right at the very top.
                
                    Koko:
                    Right here at the tippy top? It's all blue up here.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Exactly. That blue area represents the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic is not a continent like Africa or Australia. It is mostly a frozen ocean surrounded by land.
                
                    Koko:
                    So it's like a giant frozen swimming pool at the top of the world?
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is a wonderfully creative way to think about it! And just like a swimming pool, the amount of ice changes with the seasons.
                
                    Koko:
                    Oh! So it gets a little less frozen in summer?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Yes! In Arctic summer, some of the ice melts and the sun actually shines for almost twenty-four hours a day. It barely sets at all.
                
                    Koko:
                    The sun stays up ALL night? That is so strange. I would never be able to sleep!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Many animals who live there are perfectly adapted to it though. Polar bears, Arctic foxes, walruses, and seals all call the Arctic home.
                
                    Koko:
                    Arctic foxes! Are they related to me?
                
                    Owlo:
                    They are foxes, so perhaps very distant cousins. Arctic foxes have thick white fur that keeps them warm and helps them hide in the snow.
                
                    Koko:
                    White fur sounds really cool. I wonder if I would look good in white.
                
                    Owlo:
                    I think your orange fur suits you perfectly, Koko. Now, there is something very important happening in the Arctic that scientists are watching very carefully.
                
                    Koko:
                    What is it? Is something wrong?
                
                    Owlo:
                    The Arctic is warming faster than almost anywhere else on Earth. The ice is melting more each year, and that affects animals, weather, and oceans everywhere.
                
                    Koko:
                    Even here? Far away from the Arctic?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Even here. The Arctic works like a giant cooler for our whole planet. When it warms up, it changes weather patterns all around the world.
                
                    Koko:
                    So we should care about the Arctic even if we never go there?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Absolutely. Protecting the Arctic means protecting our whole planet. That is why scientists work so hard to study and understand it.
                
                    Koko:
                    I want to be an Arctic scientist one day. Or maybe an Arctic fox. I haven't decided yet.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Both excellent choices. Now, before we put that big book back, can you tell me what you learned today about the Arctic?
                
                    Koko:
                    Okay! So, the Arctic is at the very top of the world, right around the North Pole. It's mostly a frozen ocean, not a continent. It is incredibly cold, and even the ocean freezes there. Animals like polar bears and Arctic foxes live there and are built for the cold. In summer, the sun barely sets, which is very weird. And the most important thing is that the Arctic is warming up, and that affects the whole planet, not just the animals up there. So we should all care about it, even from far away. Also, I might be distantly related to an Arctic fox, which I think is very cool.
                
                    Owlo:
                    That was a perfect summary, Koko. And I agree, the Arctic fox connection is very cool indeed. Next time, maybe we can explore what scientists are doing to help protect the Arctic.
                
                    Koko:
                    Yes! And maybe we can find out what Arctic foxes eat. Just for research purposes, of course.