As the coldest part of winter hits, Charla Brewster’s third-graders are appropriately studying the Eskimos, or "Inuit". “For a special project, we build igloos out of sugar cubes and icing,” said Brewster. To the Inuit, all houses are called igloos or igluviaks. Students learned that igloos are not only built of ice blocks and snow, but they can also be made of other materials like wood or stone. The Eskimos built igloos from ice when they were out hunting and a long way from home. They used handsaws to cut the ice and pack snow in between the cracks.
In an igloo, or "igluviak", the entrance is slanted down and like a tunnel so the cold won’t come in and the heat won’t go out. Even when it is –25 degrees F outside, the temperature inside can be 70 degrees. The round shape keeps the Arctic wind from blowing it down. Sometimes there is a small hole in the top of the igloo for smoke to escape. There can be several parts in an igloo. One section might have a stove for cooking or drying clothes. The beds are made of shelves of ice covered with animal skins. Another section near the entrance is cold enough to store the seals and fish they have hunted, much like refrigerators.
Students also learned about Eskimo life and the key factors in their everyday activities. The word “Eskimo” means “raw meat eaters.” Eskimos eat many kinds of meat raw, including fish, seal, walrus, reindeer and rabbit. The skins from the seals are used to make protective clothing for the Eskimos. When fishing or traveling, they use two kinds of boats: a kayak is for one person and an umiak is like a kayak but is big enough for the whole family.
