The Earth’s polar regions once seemed a remote realm, accessible only through the compelling tales of intrepid explorer-scientists. Accounts of these polar explorers have long fascinated our imagination. Today, Earth’s polar regions are perhaps more accessible now than in the time of Ernest Shackleton and the other early explorers, but they continue to have a vivid impact on the human imagination. More than ever before, we are becoming aware that the future of Earth is intimately connected to events in the Arctic and Antarctic. Our students need to understand and appreciate these remarkable places.