Arctic Adventures

Look through the book with the class and take note of the non-fiction traits that are present. Spend some time discussing and recording the purpose of these components. (Table of contents, glossary, maps, pictures, biographies).

Have students research traditional Inuit hunting methods and modern hunting methods, as well as what animals Inuit hunt.

With the class, look up Cape Dorset online to see where it falls on a map of Canada. Notice how close it is to the ocean. Go on Google Earth to show the students the landscape of the Arctic tundra so they can have some background knowledge about where Pudlo grew up.

On page 6, the author mentions the word “kamotiq.” As a class, use the glossary to determine its meaning. Repeat this process with other words throughout the story.

Note to Teacher: Familiarize yourself with the glossary words before reading. On page 9, the author mentions the dogs taking Pudlo and Kapik to the edge of the “main floe.” What does that mean? Notice the spelling of “floe.” How is it pronounced? Look at the different spellings of the word.

Look up images of ice floes on the internet. Ensure that the students understand where Pudlo and Kapik have built their iglu.

On page 6, the author mentions that the sun stayed out longer, the weather was fine and the ice was breaking up. These are clues to tell you what time of year it is. Can you determine the time of year?

As a class, read this quote on page 9: “cracking of the ice as it broke off the main floe.” Have students predict what might happen next. Will Pudlo get up to see what is going on? What would you do?
What caused the loud “BOOM” on page 11?
Can Kapik and Pudlo control where the ice drifts?
What will happen to Kapik now that he is separated from Pudlo?
Pudlo makes it back to the mainland, but without the dogs and sled, he cannot return to camp to get help. He does not have a cell phone. What should he do? How can he help Kapik?
Why would Pudlo wish that Kapik had left the dogs behind?

Have students define the word “binoculars” and look for images of binoculars. If possible, bring in some binoculars to let the students try using them outside.

After reading page 11, draw a diagram to show the students what has happened to Pudlo and Kapik. Show how the ice floes move and how Pudlo and Kapik jumped from one ice floe to another.

On page 12, “Pudlo thought about how in the springtime ice that went out with the tide often drifted back when the tide rolled in.” What does this quote mean? What is happening with the tides?

What do you think the author’s message is in this short story?

Have students retell the story in their own words.

Have students research Pudlo Pudlat the artist and look up other pieces of art that he created.
After reading the brief biography on Pudlo, what do you think is the significance of his artwork? On page 15, look at the picture of the painting that Pudlo created. What is Pudlo depicting?

Look through the pictures with students and have them predict what might happen in the story.

On page 16 the author mentions “kamotiq.” As a class, use the glossary to determine its meaning. This word was used in the first story; ask the students if anyone remembers what it means.

On page 17, the author mentions “warm season.” What season is the author referring to? What gifts might come with the warm season?

The author notes that the sea gives many kinds of food. Research what foods Inuit traditionally eat. How is the sea essential in Inuit’s survival?

On page 18, the author describes seeing something swimming in the water. Ask the students to predict what they think she sees. If students are struggling to come up with accurate predictions, remind them of the clue in the title.

How do Inuit hunters thank the goddess for allowing them to hunt various sea creatures? Do you think this makes a difference? Why or why not? Research other ways that Indigenous Peoples give thanks for their hunting successes.

What will happen to Inuit if Talelayu is angry? How can the people find out how to please Talelayu? What will happen to the people if Talelayu doesn’t release the animals?

Has anyone ever heard of the word “shaman” before? Any ideas on what it means? Consult the glossary to see the definition.

How were the hunter and the children feeling after they saw Talelayu? Does Talelayu typically show herself?

What would you do if this experience happened to you? How would you feel about it? (Nervous, scared, excited?)

Students can write their new ending or create an illustrated version of it as well (art / writing connection)

Have students research and read various Inuit legends. Students can write their own legends to explain a phenomenon in our world.

Why do you think Talelayu showed herself? Did she have a message? What might the message be?

What do you think the author wants you to learn from this story?

Have students read Kenojuak Ashevak’s biography and research other art pieces that Kenojuak created. The students can even research more about her life.
Based on the hardships of Kenojuak’s life and how she persevered, what kind of person do you think she was?
If you could talk to Kenojuak, what would you like to talk to her about or ask her? Have students write her a letter.

Have students create their own tundra / sea landscape picture like the one on pages 16-17. Students could use pastels, chalk, paints or other media.

Students can look through the pictures and predict what might happen in the story. Encourage students to take notice of the expressions on the faces in the pictures.

Have students research what life is and was like in the Arctic. They can learn about the harsh weather, the climate, the land, the animals and how people survived living there. This research will give the students some background knowledge that they can use while listening to and thinking about the story.

The first part of the story discusses how Oonark made much of her and her family’s clothing. Take some time to discuss with the class how most clothing is made today. Discuss the differences between mass production now verses how clothes were made one item at time in the past.

On page 26, the author writes about how to make clothing traditionally. She uses appropriate linking words to create her paragraph. Display this paragraph on the SMART Board. With the class, talk about and make a list of the linking words used in the paragraph, as well as some other words that the students may come up with. (Examples: first, then, after, finally). Students can then test out their writing skills by writing a procedure paragraph describing how to do something of their choice using the appropriate linking words.

Have students connect to the first page of the story by thinking of any clothing that someone made for them. Perhaps a baby hat, blanket, sweater, mittens, etc. How long does it take to make something for a person? How does it make them feel that someone spent that amount of time creating something special for them? How might the person making the clothing feel? Do you think Oonark feels the same when her family members wear the clothes that she makes?

Why would the animal fur be different in the autumn compared to other seasons? What are all the seasons? How does the weather change from one season to the next? How might animals be affected by these changes, and how might they adapt to the changing weather?

As unfamiliar words are introduced, the class can use the glossary to read the definitions. Also, use the internet and books to show students pictures or diagrams of the items. Unfamiliar words that present themselves are “ulu,” “amauti,” “parkas,” “kamiit,” “qallunaat” and “kamotiq.”

On page 28, stop reading after the line, “A hunter is only as good as the clothes his wife makes.” Discuss what this quote means. How do the practices of making clothing and of hunting work together?

How does the death of Oonark’s husband affect Oonark and her children? Discuss the roles and gifts of different family members to reflect on how the loss of one person deeply affects the entire family.

On page 30, the author writes, “The animals and fish had been scarce for too long now.” What does the word “scarce” mean? What are the implications of animals and fish being scarce for Inuit? What should Oonark and her children do?

Do you agree with the decision that Oonark made to get off the kamotiq with her daughter and let the others leave her there? Explain your position.

On page 32, Oonark hears a “buzzing sound in the distance.” What could this sound be?

Why do you think Oonark shared this story? What did she want to teach us, the readers?

It is interesting how the definitions of beauty change throughout history and cultures. How does your society regard tattoos? Are you surprised that Inuit women used to tattoo themselves, and that this tradition is being revived?

Have students retell the story in their own words, ensuring the events are in the correct order.

Let the students experiment with learning how to sew. They will soon discover how difficult and time consuming it is.

If there is interest, teach the class how to knit. They could knit baby hats for the local hospitals, scarves for people in need etc.

What clues does the title give us for what this story may be about? Have students predict what may happen in this story.

Before beginning the story, have students research polar bears. You can use a KWL (what I Know, what I Want to know and what I Learned) chart to organize the information that the class discovers.

After reading the first page, ask the students: Where do polar bears typically hunt? Why do polar bears sometimes come inland? Add new information to the class KWL chart.

Lazarusie encounters a polar bear on the second page of the story. What do you think he will do? Will he run? Will he shoot the bear? Is it smart to run away from a polar bear? Why or why not?

“Nanuq” — Look in the glossary to find the translation. Add this new knowledge to the class KWL chart.
“Prey” — Ensure the students understand what the word means.

The polar bear starts swinging its head from side to side. What do you think this means? Do you think something is wrong with the polar bear? Do you think it’s a warning sign for Lazarusie? Lazarusie had an encounter before with a polar bear. Any ideas on what might have happened? Have the students make a prediction.

On page 40, Lazarusie explains how the gun owner did not want to break the rules that forbid shooting a polar bear, but the bear was going after the baby. What do you think is the correct thing to do in this situation?

Will Lazarusie kill Nanuq?
Do you like how Lazarusie solved his problem? Did anyone predict this outcome?

How do you think Lazarusie was feeling during the story, especially knowing about his previous encounter with a polar bear? How do you know he was feeling this way?

Have students write an adventure story about meeting a polar bear. What will happen in your adventure story? What will be the problem? How will it get solved?

Have students read Lazarusie Ishulutak’s biography on page 45 to learn a little about his life and artwork.

Since Lazarusie is an Inuit sculptor, have the students carve a sculpture out of soap (to mimic how Lazarusie sculps out of ivory).
If possible, take students out to a wooded area and let the students collect items from the land to create their own art piece.

Have students write a letter to Raquel Rivera, the author who gathered all four stories. Tell her which story you enjoyed most and why? What story did you learn the most from?

Students can write their own story set in the Arctic. What will happen in your story? What will be the problem and how will it get solved?

Have students read Jessie Oonark’s biography and research her other art. In the artwork shown on page 34, why do you think Oonark included an airplane?