As we wrap up the trimester this week, first graders are learning about a final Native American tribe, the Inuit of the arctic. We have learned some people call these Native Americans “Eskimos.” However, they prefer the name Inuit. Members of this tribe wore special clothing including parkas, mittens, and boots called kamiks to keep warm and stay dry. Unable to grow crops in the arctic, the Inuit subsided on seal, walrus, whale, fish, polar bear, and caribou. They lived in houses called igloos or igluviaks. Because the Inuit spent much of their time inside, they often told stories, sang songs, carved soapstone, and played string games.
Today, students engaged in a STEM project, in which they constructed their own igluviaks. Check out the brief video we watched to learn how the Inuit built their igloos (How to Build an Igloo – A Boy Among Polar Bears). As with previous STEM projects, students worked in groups fulfilling roles as either the materials manager, recorder, or speaker. Using trays, marshmallows, icing, styrofoam cups, craft sticks, and toothpicks, students designed and built their structures. Structures were required to be built on the tray, be dome shaped, and have an opening for entering and exiting.
After construction, students measured the height and width of the igluviak, estimated the total number of marshmallows used, and determined the actual number of marshmallows used. Students also participated in a personal reflection on their role in the STEM project.
