Literature Based Unit Study By S

Author: Barbara M. Joosse
Summary: A small Inuit girl asks her Mom about love through examples. Will you love me if I put a salmon in your parka? Do you love me more than the whale loves his spout?

Share much love as you snuggle together to read this classic story of unconditional love between a mother and child.

Social Studies

Human Relationships: Love
Talk about what love is, how it means caring, sharing, helping and being with someone else. Talk about how love looks when you do something forgetful like throw your laundry on the bathroom floor instead of in the hamper? Does love go away then? Do Mom’s love children more if they remember to pick up their toys? Explain to children that love is not something you give to them sometimes but all the time.

Culture: Inuit People (contributed by Wende)
Inuit – Inuit, meaning "people" is another name for Eskimo, meaning "eaters of raw meat". The land of the Eskimo is vast, stretching from eastern Siberia to Greenland, considered the coldest parts of earth. Ever since they moved to this harsh but beautiful area thousands of years ago, the Inuit have learned to cope with the elements. They were a nomadic people, and would travel the Arctic regions following animals. They are thought to have invented the snow houses, igluvigaq, called igloos, and became great hunters of seals and caribou. They learned to use whatever natural resources they could find. They learned to use all parts of the animals they hunted. Skins were used to cover boats called kayaks, and for clothing. The blubber was burned in lamps for light and heat. Bones were used for tools, and the rafters in their snow houses. Other items they found, such as rocks or rare pieces of driftwood, were pieced together to make spears, harpoons, sleds, and bows. An Inuit's wardrobe consisted of layers of caribou skins – a pair of boots and boot linings, two suits of pants and hooded jacket, and a pair of mittens. They knew the benefit of dressing in layers to lock in the body's heat. The first layer was worn with the fur against the skin, and the outer layer was worn with the fur on the outside. The Inuit diet consisted mainly of seal, caribou, and fish, them eating almost every part of the creature killed, including the contents of the stomach. They would preserve food by freezing or drying. While the Eskimos, true to their name, usually ate the meat raw, sometimes they would cook it over the blubber lamps. Inuit have always been fond of songs, dancing, and games. The men were the hunters, and were judged by their skill with a bow, as well as their courage, respect, humility, and willingness to share. The women cooked and sewed, raised the children, and helped with breaking down and moving camp. Inuit children were raised with patience and understanding, and were taught through games and toys the skills they would need as adults. Today, there are few Inuit living the traditional ways. During the mid 1900's, more than half of the Inuit population died of smallpox, measles, and influenza. The traditional way of living changed for the remaining few, as explorers continued coming to the land of the Inuit. The Inuit, for the most part, now live in pre-fabricated
houses, attend schools, and use modern day conveniences.

Go along books –
Iglook's Seal by Bernard Wiseman
The World of the American Indian by National Geographic Society
Very Last First Time by Jan Andrews (FIAR Volume I selection)

Craft Ideas

Heart Card
What you need:
Pink or red construction paper
Markers
A medium size see through jar

What to do:
Help your child think of a time he did something that tested your patience like dump all his puzzle pieces from every box in one pile on the floor.
Cut out a heart and write a sentence about that time on the heart. Something like I loved Amy when she threw all the puzzle pieces on the floor.
Brainstorm more examples of good times like: I love you when you hug me in the morning; and patient testing times like: I love you when you track muddy footprints on the clean kitchen floor, and write them on hearts. Put the hearts in a jar and next time your child is fussing about something pull a heart from the jar, read it and give them a hug. It’s always nice to know Mom loves you all the time.

Snow Collage
What you need:
Glue thinned with a bit of water
Dark blue or black construction paper
White items like: cotton balls, coconut, salt, sugar, white chocolate chips, frosted white cereal, white beans and rice

What you do:
Use glue thinned with a bit of water to paint a picture on dark construction paper. Then use white foods and objects to make your picture come to life.

Question: How come the ocean freezes in the Artic? I thought salt water would not freeze.

What you do:
Fill both clear plastic cups 1 quarter full of water.
Put 6 tablespoons of table salt in one of the cups of water and stir.
Freeze both cups.
Notice how the salt goes to the bottom of the cup of salt water and how the water on top freezes.

Answer: Salt water does freeze if the temperature gets cold enough like in the Arctic. The salt in the water separates from the water and the water freezes while the salt in the ocean water goes to the bottom.

1 1/2 sticks of soft butter
3/4 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of cold water
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
3 tablespoons of cocoa
2 cups of uncooked quick oats
A bowl of confectioners sugar

Cream butter and sugar, add water and vanilla and cocoa. Mix in oats and chill for 3 hours. Shape into balls or circle cookies. Sprinkle or roll in confectioners sugar. Keep refrigerated.

Note: The recipe above is not an authentic Arctic food. The Arctic people eat mostly raw fish and rice. Fresh fruits and vegetables have to bought from the mainland and are very expensive.

Go Along Books

No Matter What by Debi Gliori
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
Papa, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse

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