ATS3986 · Sitting on penguins: The history of Antarctica

Overview

Antarctica is a truly unique environment. The world’s coldest, driest, and windiest continent is covered almost entirely by ice, lacks permanent human settlements, and is isolated from the rest of the world by the stormy Southern Ocean. Yet human activities elsewhere have had vast impacts on this environment, from the industrial slaughter of animals to the thinning of the ozone layer to the climate crisis of the 21st century. In turn, Antarctica and the Southern Ocean have influenced world history in many ways – shaping weather and climate, fuelling the expansion of empires, and serving as the catalyst for creative solutions to the challenges of global environmental governance. In this unit, you will explore the environmental and human history of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Topics you will explore include how Antarctica has been imagined in myth and fiction; changes in the Antarctic environment over time; the role of non-human actors such as whales and icebergs in world history; the introduction of invasive species to the Southern Ocean islands; geopolitical struggles over control of Antarctica and its resources; and the remarkable importance of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean to global efforts to address climate change.

Areas of study: History

Offerings

The Handbook publishes no offerings for this unit.

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. understand and explain the significance of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean in world history;
2. analyse and debate key issues in Antarctic and Southern Ocean history;
3. analyse and interpret a range of written and visual sources to evaluate environmental changes over time;
4. communicate a critical understanding of Antarctic and Southern Ocean history though written and non-written forms;
5. undertake independent scholarly research and construct evidence-based arguments;
6. reflect critically on the role of Antarctic history in understanding and responding to the global challenge of climate change.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.