Passport to Antarctica

Far from being one of those curriculum-based programs that noodle around with extended and often witless dramatic or comic skits (leaving reviewers with a few scrawled "highlights" and the lingering question, "where's the (educational) beef?"), Passport to Antarctica's introductory tape, The Last Continent, is chockfull of historical, geographical and meteorological information about the only continent purely dedicated to international scientific research (3,000 researchers from 44 nations descend on the 98%-ice continent each summer). Divided into three segments, the first volume shares key facts about Antarctica, followed by a look at the various kinds of ice, and a peek at research stations where contemporary theory suggests that millions of years ago Antarctica might have been a tropical rainforest. Bolstered by excellent maps and graphics, this snappy, fascinating introduction to the "last" continent is highly recommended. The other titles in the series are: Fire and Ice, Life in Extreme Environments, Penguin Power: At Home on the Ice, Seals and the Scientists Who Study Them, Heroes and Heroines: Explorers Past and Present, Laboratory on the Ice and Antarctica and Global Weather and Climate. The extensive supplementary materials (not referred to in the programming) include teacher's guides, maps, worksheets, and more. Aud: J, H. (R. Pitman)