Mama, Do You Love Me? An Introduction to Inuit Culture for Primary Grade Students
Date: January 10, 2011
Submitted by: Cynthia Shoemaker, Teacher Consultant, Arizona Geographic Alliance (Tucson,
AZ)
Aligned to WA State Standards: Bria Trujillo, WWU
Date: 2004 STUDY CANADA Summer Institute
Description:
This lesson provides a simple introduction to the Inuit culture of Canada. By reading this picture
book, students will discover the unique lifestyles of these Native Americans including the
wildlife which are an important part of their lives.
Grade Level(s):
Grades K-3, ESL
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Social Studies/Geography
Duration:
Two to three 45-minute lessons
Goal:
Familiarize students with a Native American culture whose members reside in an environment
which may be radically different from their own.
Objectives:
1. Students will be able to describe Inuit life as depicted in the story.
2. Students will be able to identify animals of the Arctic.
3. Students will be able to create a stick puppet depicting traditional Inuit clothing.
Standards:
National Geography Standards:
4 The physical and human characteristics of places
15 How physical systems affect human systems
Big Idea
 Gain knowledge about the Native American culture, whose members reside in an
environment which may be very different from one’s own.
Classroom Based Assessment
Cultural Contribution (CBA) for 3rd grade: Knowing about different culture groups will help
students make connections with their community, their country and their world. They will
develop a position on how cultural groups have contributed to society by comparing the
contributions of two cultural groups to the development of local, tribal, Washington State, United
States, and/or world history.
Social Studies Standards
NCSS Standard 1- Culture; Social studies programs should include experiences that provide
for the study of culture and cultural diversity, so that the learner can:
a. explore and describe similarities and differences in the ways groups, societies and
culture address similar human needs and concerns.
e. gives examples and describe the importance of cultural unity and diversity within and
across groups.
Washington State Standards
Washington State Social Studies EALR 3: geography the student uses a spatial perspective to
make reasoned decisions by applying the concepts of location, region, and movement and
demonstrating knowledge of how geographic features and human cultures impact
environment.
Component: 3.1 Understands the physical characteristics, cultural characteristics, and
location of places, regions, and spatial patterns on the earth’s surface.
Grade Level Expectation 3.1.1: Understands and uses maps and globes to identify
major bodies of water and continental land masses.
 Will be shown where the arctic is located on a map and then have students
identify animals of the Arctic
Washington State Reading EALR 2: Student understands meaning of what is read
Component 2.1: Demonstrate evidence of reading comprehension
Grade Level Expectation 2.1.2: Understand how to create mental imagery.
 Student will listen to the story and then reflect as a class.
 Once story is read through a second time, students will share what they have
learned about the Inuit life and culture, while I record on poster paper.
Washington State Reading EALR 2: Student understands the meaning of what is read.
Component 2.1: Demonstrate evidence of reading comprehension
Grade Level Expectation 2.1.5 Apply comprehension strategies before, during and after
reading: predict and infer form grade level informational/expository text and/or
literary/narrative text.
 Before story is read students will infer/speculate what the story is going to be
about.
Washington State Art EALR 1: The student uses the artistic processes of creating,
performing/presenting, and responding to demonstrate thinking skills in dance, music, theatre,
and visual arts.
Component 1.3 understands and applies visual arts genres and styles of various artists,
cultures, and times.
Grade Level Expectation: 1.3.1 Remembers, applies, and creates artworks using visual
arts styles and genres of various artists, cultures, places, and times.
 Students will draw about what they learned/remember about Inuit people in the
story.
 Students will create puppets based on what was read and with that create proper
Inuit clothing for their puppets.
Washington State Art EALR 4: student makes connections within and across the arts (dance,
music, theatre and visual art) to other disciplines life, culture and work.
Component 4.4 understands how the arts influence and reflect culture, civilization, place
and time.
Grade Level Expectation 4.4.1: Remembers specific attributes of a work of visual art
that reflect its cultural and historical context.
 Student will create a puppet that shows they know what Inuit clothing looks like
in that culture from the illustrations and discussion from the book to create their
own Inuit puppet.
Alignment to Standard 5
WA Standard V-Student-based Evidence of Learning:
5.1 Knowledge of Subject Matter and Curriculum Goals
A. Content driven. All students develop understanding and problem-solving expertise in
the content area(s) using reading, written and oral communication, and technology.


Make connections to other ideas and personal experience.
Create visual representations, such as concept maps or flow charts or pictures to
represent a concept or problem.
5.2 Knowledge of Teaching
A. Informed by standards-based assessment. All students benefit from learning that is
systematically analyzed using multiple formative, summative, and self-assessment strategies.
 Communicate the learning targets and their progress towards them.
 Identify support and resources to help them achieve the learning targets.
5.3 Knowledge of Learners and Their Development in Social Contexts
A. Learner Centered. All students engage in a variety of culturally responsive
developmentally appropriate strategies.


Contribute to the development and maintenance of a learning community
Be aware of and respectful toward the feelings, beliefs, values, and ideas of
others in the community.
Materials:
• Mama, Do You Love Me? Barbara M. Joosse, illustrated by Barbara Lavallee. Copyright 1991.
Chronical Books. ISBN 0-87701-759-X. $14.95 Also published in Spanish. Available at
most bookstores and public libraries.
• Backgrounder on the Inuit (included below)
• Puppet patterns traced on tag board or cardboard. One for each student. (template included
below)
• Chart pad, markers, student writing materials.
• Map or globe depicting Canada.
• Wooden sticks (tongue depressors, skewers w/points removed)
• Assorted arts and crafts materials for clothing decoration, including fur or fake fur, and
feathers.
Procedures:
Lesson One:
1. Introduce the book by showing the cover to the students and ask them to speculate about what
the story is about and where it takes place.
2. Explain to the class that the story takes places in Arctic and help students locate it on the map.
3. Read the story twice. The first time allow the students to listen and reflect. Once the story is
read, discuss the pictures in detail. Ask participants to name the animals and different parts of
Inuit clothing (parka, mukluks, etc).
4. Ask students to share what they have learned about Inuit life and culture. Record their
responses on the chart pad.
Lesson Two:
1. Pass out writing materials and ask the students to write and/or illustrate what they have
learned about Inuit culture. Younger children or ESL students may draw a picture and dictate
their story.
2. Ask students to share their stories.
Lesson Three:
Note: Make a sample puppet in advance.
1. Explain to students that they are going to make an Inuit puppet in traditional dress.
2. Pass out puppets and distribute art materials. Younger children may need assistance with
cutting out the shape.
3. When students have completed their puppet, fasten a wooden stick on the back as a handle.
Assessment:
1. Students should be able to name the different clothing parts.
2. Students should be able to retell the story in their own words using their puppets.
3. Student drawings should accurately depict something they learned while listening to the story.
Student Rubric:
1. Identifying clothing using Inuit terminology 10 points
2. Drawing content accurately explains at least one
aspect of Inuit life and or culture. 45 points
3. Student demonstrates accurate recall of the story. 45 points
Total points: 100 points
Additional Resources:
• Countries of the World, Canada. Michael Dahl. Capstone Press, 1998. ISBN 1-56065-565-8.
• Frozen Land, Vanishing Cultures. Jan Reynolds. Harcourt Brace and Company, 1993. ISBN
0-15-238788-9.
• The Inuksuk Book. Mary Wallace. Owl Books, 1999. ISBN 1-895688-91-4.
• The Kids Book of the Far North. Ann Love and Jane Drake. Kids Can Press, 2000. ISBN 155074-563-8.
• www.gov.nu.ca Government of Nunavut
• www.nunvut.com
• http://www.wwu.edu/depts.castudies/k12studycanada/files/Inkitut.pdf(k-12 STUDY CANADA
teaching module: Inuktitut, A History of the Inuit Language.
• http://www.wwu.edu/depts.castudies/k12studycanada/files/Nanyvut.pdf STUDY CANADA
teaching module: The North, the Inuit, and Nunavut.
• http://www.arcticinuitart.com Judith Varney Burch. Arctic Inuit Art Collection-BiographyCulture.
• http://www.museum.state.ak.us/home.html Alaska State Museums. Go to Sheldon Jackson
Museum web page.
• http://ca.dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/cultures_and_groups/cultures/inuit A listing of
web links on Canadian Inuit.
• http://collections.ic.gc.ca/arctic/inuit/people.htm Canadian Arctic Profiles.
Backgrounder: The Inuit
The Inuit (once referred to as Eskimos) originally migrated to North America from
central Asia thousands of years ago. Their light brown skin, straight black hair, dark
eyes, and wide faces with high cheek bones are similar to the Mongol peoples’ in Asia.
Crossing the Bering Strait, during a time when it was either a land bridge or a sold mass
of winter ice, these people first settled along the Alaskan coast; eventually spreading
across northern Canada, all the way to Greenland—a distance of 6,000 miles.
No one knows why the Inuit chose to endure the hardships of a cold, barren land, frozen
for nine months. But, survive they did, despite being cut off from other civilizations. With
ingenuity and resourcefulness, they adopted their own unique way of life.
Plant foods in the Arctic climate were nonexistent. For that reason, sea hunting became
their primary source of food. They made weapons from bone and drift wood to hunt
seals, walruses, polar bears, whales and small fish. These animals also provided skins
for Inuit boats, homes, clothing; and oil for heat, light, and cooking. Hunting was
dangerous and uncertain. Sharing food became essential to everyone’s survival.
Inuit social life is focused around the family, usually consisting of a mother and father
and their children. Sometimes grandparents live with them as well. Children are
cherished and hardly ever punished.
In the past, the Inuit were nomadic people. Traveling in small groups, they moved from
place to place. Most lived near the sea because it was warmer than inland. The water
provided most of their food. During the winter, they lived in snow of sod houses. They
traveled in dog sleds called komatiks. In the summer, they lived in animal skin tents and
hunted caribou, for their preferred clothing fur. On the coast, they sailed in kayaks or
larger skin boats called umiaks, used to hunt whales. All Inuit shelters are called igloo.
These people depended on each other for survival and avoided aggression. Instead, a
person who behaved in a socially unacceptable manner would be challenged to a song
of ridicule. Someone who was repeatedly a problem could be banished from the group.
Because the Inuit people spent their life traveling, they had very few personal
possessions. What they had were mainly tools, husky dogs, clothes, good luck charms,
and toys fro their children. The land belonged to everyone, and a house belonged to the
family as long as they lived in it.
In Inuit society, men were hunters, home, boat, and sled builders; snowshoe and
weapons makers. The women cooked, made clothing by hand, and raising the children;
carrying them on their backs until they were three years old.
Men, women, and children dressed alike; in a coat, trousers, boots, and stockings. In
the winter they wore two of everything. Boots were made of seal skins because of their
water repellent properties. Their mittens, made with two thumbs in case one got wet,
were also made of fur. Even the huskies had little fur boots to protect their feet from cold
and ice splinters.
For protection against the blinding glare of the sun light on snow, the Inuit fashioned
goggles out of bone or wood, with tiny slits so they can see.
While sewing was the art practiced by women, many of the men were skilled in carving.
They decorated their tools and weapons with beautiful carvings or made sculptures out
of soap stone and ivory. Today, their descendants continue the tradition by crafting
masks out of wood and bone.
Contemporary Inuit have adopted many of the religious and social customs of the white
people. Converted to Christianity, their beliefs in animals with human characteristics
have become part of their folklore. They live in low cost, modern housing supplied by
the government, watch satellite TV and use telephones. Instead of burning whale oil,
they use petroleum oil extracted from the bottom of the ocean for heat and light. Fur
clothing has been replaced with current fashions. They have access to public schools
and hospitals. Children ski to school or ride sleds in the wintertime. Instead of eating
seal meat for breakfast, they may be served cereal, milk, and juice.
Many of the old traditions, however, have not died. On weekends they may hunt of fish
with their families. Seal blood is still a treat. In the summer months they still go berry
picking or camping beside a river, just as their grandparents did many years ago.