The Eskimo people live across the polar regions of the world, and in North America are found in Alaska and Canada. The two main Eskimo peoples are the Yupik and Inuit. Preschoolers will enjoy learning about the way Eskimos live and the environment they inhabit, as well as some of the special things that can be traced to this Arctic culture.
Reading
Read "Mama Do You Love Me?" which tells about a daughter trying to determine if there is a limit to her mother's love. Talk about the Arctic animals and uniquely Eskimo-related things mentioned in the book: whales, salmon, mukluks, polar bear, musk ox, etc. Ask the children which animals or things they've heard of and which ones they haven't. Show the children pictures and information on the animals or things they're not familiar with and discuss. Talk about how the illustrator used color and images to make the story uniquely Alaskan. Point these out to the children and talk about the Northern Lights and the short days of winter. If you have time, read "The Big Dark," which tells the story of a young Eskimo boy's adventures in the dark and his awe when the sun finally rises. Finish by having the children draw their own picture of one of their favorite animals in the story with crayons or paints on paper.
The Dog Sled
Share with students the story of Alaska's Iditarod sled dog race and its historic beginnings in 1925 when it was first run to save children and adults who had become sick with diphtheria in remote Nome. Show children the trail on a map and tell them that it's now a National Historic Trail running 1,150 miles long. Show them pictures from the race and talk to them about the Alaskan sled dog. Let the children ask questions about the race, the dogs, and the participants. Tell them about how Eskimos still use sled dogs for transportation today in remote areas of the state. Have them build a model dog sled. Using a hot glue gun, help students glue together, side-by-side, five Popsicle sticks for the base. Atop the base, glue two cross members made from one stick snapped in two. Leave the sled lying with the cross sections facing up (this is the bottom of the sled). Now attach two more sticks, on end, to either side of the base (these are the runners). Afterwards, flip the sled over so it sits on its runners. Now cut five more sticks in half (these will be the back of the sled). Glue them standing perpendicular to the base (or upright) at the back of the sled. Once these are done, add two sidebars by gluing a stick on each side that runs from the middle of the back to the front side of the sled on either side. Your sled is almost complete. Now, using a pipe cleaner, twist it in a "C" shape to form the area where the musher will stand behind the sled and glue to the top left and right sticks that form the sidebars. Finish by gluing another "C" shape of pipe cleaner on the top front of the sled. This is where the line for the sled dogs will be tied. Use toy dogs, dolls, or whatever you like to finish the project.
Shelter
In this activity, students will build an igloo using cardboard, sugar cubes and glue. Cut out a circle in the cardboard that is five inches in diameter. Using a pen, mark a rectangle that will be the entrance and start laying cubes from one side of the entrance all the way around until you get to the other side. Get the cubes all aligned just right before you glue them down. There will be some gaps. Each layer of sugar cubes will get trickier to glue as they rise to come together and form the igloo cone. Ensure the second layer of sugar cubes is aligned so that each cube straddles the joint between the first layer below it and is brought in from the edge to begin formation of the cone. Once the second layer is arranged go ahead and glue it. Continue each layer, again, pulled in from the edge of the layer below, until all the cubes are glued down and you've completed the igloo dome.
Northern Lights
Show the children paintings and photographs of the Northern Lights. Ask them if they've ever seen the Northern Lights. Show them where, on a globe, these ribbons of multicolored lights can be seen; and tell them the ones that can be seen in Antarctica are the Southern Lights. Why they occur will be a little too complex for preschoolers, but you can tell them that they are usually observed at night. If you want, you can tell them that the name Aurora Borealis comes from the name of the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas. Next, give the children a set of pastels and some white paper to draw on. Tell them to create their own Northern Lights. When done, display them for all the class to see.
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