Wonderful resource for sea ice information. It does not 'rise to the top' in Google! Resources and accessibility for K-12 educators continually improves, so it deserves a revisit if it's been awhile since you looked. This would be a good site to start student research (upper middle & high school).

From the above site, select "outreach" and read the blog of this group of multi disciplinary undergrads, grad students, K-12 teachers, and university faculty's Dec 07/Jan 08 trip to Antarctica. The blog could make a good mini-text or primer about Antarctica research. Since the conclusion of the expedition, the site has expanded to include photos, bios, and much more (through the Navigation links)

A remarkable site that has wonderful video podcasts from 'real' polar scientists talking in 'real' language to 'real' people. If the live tour comes near you, it is worth seeing - at the very least read the bios of the people involved. It's another insight to polar studies.

Antarctic Drilling program looks at geology and paleontology of the Antarctic region via sediment cores. Project Iceberg is the gateway for educators and directs you to a variety of resources. Flexhibit was designed as an activity for 4-H and similar after-school programs, but many of the ideas are transportable to your classroom. It would be great for a science club to develop as a community outreach event!

Polar research from the participants' view. Many journal and blogs from teacher researchers and scientists. Even if you are not able to go physically on a trek, travel virtually through the archives, or participate in a webcast from the poles. Dig around this site - there is more than can fit in a small blurb!

This is a Polar Science Special Collection from PBS' Teachers Domain. If you haven't been there lately, be sure to check out the upgrades to this PBS site. It is free to join, has excellent resources (tied to specific state standards in most cases), and most materials are fair use and/or copyright free.

An extraordinary collection targeted directly at the K-5 set (but much is of worth and adaptable to older students).

This a polar science collection aimed at the middle grades. The Middle School Portal is a pathway (and more) of the National Science Digital Library; literacy maps and benchmarks are tied to the materials via a quick scroll and mouse click.

Direct to NASA's IPY resources; Although this section of NASA's site appears to no longer be updated, there are many valuable links are resources here.

IPY agencies

There are a lot of teacher resources at NOAA. The quickest way to IPY specific materials is to enter "IPY" in the search space.

IPY agencies

This is a place for educators of polar science to share and discuss ideas, resources, strategies, concerns & successes that will engage students and advance scientific literacy about the polar regions of our planet. In the comment section is the list to which I have assigned the site.