Live Broadcast from the Ice

«Imagine it’s 2:00 a.m. and the sun is already rising. It’s so quiet that all you can hear is the cracking of the ice—until a penguin starts braying like a donkey.» Climate activist Luisa Neubauer and scientists from the research vessel Malizia Explorer brought these experiences directly into the seventh-grade classroom at the Rudolf Steiner School in Dietzenbach.

Luisa Neubauer began by describing the Antarctic summer. After vivid descriptions of the extreme brightness and the fascinating wildlife—from humpback whales to the «gentoo penguins», which exchange pebbles as mating gifts—the tone quickly turned serious. For the silence in Antarctica is deceptive. More and more often, you can hear the «calving»: Huge chunks of ice break off the ice shelf and plunge into the sea. This is a clear sign of warming in a region that normally reaches temperatures as low as minus 89 degrees Celsius.

Pauline, a seventh-grade student, noted afterward: «Because of climate change, more and more snow is melting, and more and more water is flowing into the ocean. This lowers the salinity of the ocean, which in turn has serious consequences for some animals and plants.» Christian, her classmate, added: «It’s not so bad for gentoo penguins, because they live on the rocks. But for other penguin species, it’s bad because they live on the ice and are losing their habitat.»

Antarctica as the planet's «air conditioner»

Antarctica is not just a distant mass of ice, but our planet’s «air conditioner». The students learned that the white surfaces act like a mirror. They reflect up to 90 percent of the sun’s radiation back into space, thereby cooling the planet.

But ice also serves other vital functions. When water freezes, heavy, salty water sinks to the bottom. This drives global ocean currents, which also help keep the weather in Europe stable. Furthermore, Antarctica is our largest water reservoir. About 90 percent of the world’s ice is stored here. If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet alone were to melt, sea levels would rise by three to five meters—and if all of Antarctica were to melt, the rise would be over 50 meters. The experts’ message was clear: If the ice melts, a vicious cycle is set in motion. Dark seawater is exposed, absorbs the sun’s heat, and causes the remaining ice to melt even faster. Ellinor, also a seventh-grader, remarked at the end of the global lesson: «I learned a lot about Antarctica during this video call that I didn’t know before. I thought it was great that we did something like this.»

From conversation to action

Participation in the Global Classroom was integrated into the seventh-grade class’s weekly project day, which is guided by the theme «Learning Responsibility». The goal of this project day is to raise young people’s awareness about social and environmental issues while also showing them that they can make a difference. At a stage in life when young people’s perspectives are increasingly broadening, the educational goal is not only to convey responsibility as an abstract concept but also to make it a tangible, hands-on experience.

The project day is divided into two complementary areas: hands-on, practical arts and crafts classes and independent project work, each consisting of four consecutive class periods. In the independent project work, students explore global challenges such as climate protection, peace, animal welfare, or the fight against racism—topics that matter to them. They discuss, question, and develop ideas on how they can make a difference using their own skills.

Based on this, the young people develop their own projects, either individually or in teams. With creativity and mutual support, many projects come to life. For example, some students have offered regular arts-and-crafts sessions for younger children at the school, while others have set up a dog-sitting and walking service in the neighborhood. Still others produced a video about littering in the area, and another group created a social media reel against racism featuring comic characters they designed themselves and posted it on Instagram.

Discovering yourself—as a dynamic personality

In hands-on, practical crafts class, the students carry out a class project. They design and build movable benches for the school grounds. «Throughout this project, the students take on responsibility at various levels: for the materials, by carefully selecting, working with, and protecting the wood; for measurements and precision, because only precise work leads to stability and safety; and, above all, for one another, since the project can only succeed through cooperation, communication, and mutual support», explains woodshop teacher David Jünger.

The bottom line is this: The students have grown. They have gained practical experience, taken on responsibility, and discovered just how much they can accomplish together—and on their own.