Polar Outreach Catalogue

A project based on Antarctic research cruises, organized all information in a web page for educational activities. Active participation was promoted through the design of a set of proposals and products, especially during the cruise, via on-line communication. The collaboration with schools was the most interactive activity of the project before, during and after the expeditions. Initially, part of the project?s activities were proposed and organized together with students and teachers. The educative projects were designed according to the age and number of students involved: from kindergarten to secondary school scholars. All the products included in the web were addressed to a wide spectrum of people and public as simpler or more complicated materials could be used by the different publics. A level of information and explanation addressed to persons between 16-18 years old has been demonstrated to be the best in order to make all products and materials easily understandable to a wide spectrum of people. The combination of efforts from both teachers and researchers, and the great amount of work performed by students have enabled the consolidation of these research proposals for schools, which they may use as tools for science lessons (contents), as well as for learning how to use the scientific method, enhancing teamwork and being in contact with the usually distant world of research, thus further promoting scientific vocations.