My First Polar Bear Lesson (Nanugiurutiga)

Students will research the Inuit style of filmmaking and list key points involved in the process by reading selections written by the three founding members of Igloolik Isuma Productions, the makers of the films Atanarjuat – The Fast Runner and The Journals of Knud Rasmussen.… Read more

Students will learn about country foods, or the traditional foods of the Inuit, and how these foods are acquired from the land and sea. Students will also compare the cost of maintaining a traditional diet with the cost of maintaining a diet consisting of food from the south. Finally, students will prepare and enjoy a traditional Inuit bread, bannock.

In Part 1 of the lesson, to be completed in the classroom, students will be introduced to the language of Inuktitut and will practice pronouncing and writing selected words using Inuktitut syllabics. Then, using the Internet, small groups of students will create an Inuktitut/ English ABC book, complete with illustrations.… Read more

Students will differentiate between weather and climate. For 1 month, they will collect and graph daily temperature and precipitation data at school and use the Internet to collect the same data for a community in Nunavut. Students will then discuss how the long-term daily weather averages begin to describe each climate.

Content Areas: Social Studies, Science, Technology

Prior to watching Artcirq (Circus School), students will discuss some of the social problems plaguing the youth of Igloolik and other communities in Nunavut, as well as steps being taken to combat these issues.… Read more

Prior to watching Nanugiurutiga (My First Polar Bear), students will review the significance of hunting in the Inuit culture. Students will also complete a KWL Chart about polar bears, filling in teacher provided facts about this Arctic animal. Students will discuss the two threats to the survival of the polar bear: hunting and global warming.… Read more

Prior to watching Qimuksik (Dog Team), students will complete a KWL Chart and will learn general information about Nunavut and the Inuit. Following the film, students will revisit their chart, adding any information they learned during the lesson. Students will then reflect on the film and illustrate a scene that they recall, complete with a brief description.

The educational documentaries in Exploring Inuit Culture Online are authentic representations of Inuit life, filmed through the eyes of the Inuit themselves. Two episodes are historical dramas, recreating life in the Arctic 60 years ago, and three episodes depict contemporary life in Nunavut.

Nunavut Facts at a Glance.

Detailed maps of Canada and Nunavut in attached document.

DOWNLOAD the complete document on PDF format under 'Attach Files'.

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Exploring Inuit Culture ONLINE authorizes the use of this channel collection for educational purposes.

Exploring Inuit Culture Curriculum is a multi-media unit of instruction designed to teach students grades 4-6 about the Inuit, the native people of the Canadian Arctic, and Nunavut, the newest territory in Canada established in 1999.… Read more