4th Grade Inuit Lesson Plan (Social Studies)

Topic: Inuit people's relationship to land and sea

Objectives&Outcomes

• students will be able to understand the relationship between Inuit people and land and sea in the arctic

Materials

• pictures of Inuit people hunting and fishing
• maps of the arctic showing land and sea
• replica Inuit tools for hunting and fishing (if available)

Warm-up

• ask students if they have ever heard of the Inuit people
• ask them to share any knowledge they have about the Inuit people

Direct Instruction

• introduce the Inuit people and their culture
• share pictures and videos of the Inuit people and their environment
• explain that the Inuit people rely on the land and sea for food, clothing, and shelter
• explain that the Inuit people live in igloos and hunt animals such as seals and whales
• discuss how the Inuit people use animal skin and fur for clothing and use tools made of bone and stone to make tools and art
• emphasize the importance of the land and sea to the Inuit people
• discuss the relationship between the Inuit people and their land and sea

Guided Practice

• divide the class into small groups
• give each group a sheet of paper and colored pencils
• ask each group to draw a picture of an Inuit person, their igloo, and a seal or whale
• have the groups share their drawings with the class and discuss how each drawing reflects the Inuit people's relationship to the land and sea

Independent Practice

• ask students to choose one of the following topics and write a short paragraph about it:
• how the Inuit people obtain food and water
• how the Inuit people protect themselves from the cold
• how the Inuit people celebrate and honor their relationship with the land and sea
• encourage students to use specific details to support their writing

Closure

• ask students to share their paragraphs with the class
• have a class discussion about the importance of honoring and respecting the land and sea
• ask students to reflect on their experience of learning about the Inuit people and how it relates to their own relationship with the land and sea

Assessment:

• Notes taken during the lesson observation and participation in the small group and independent practice
• paragraph written during independent practice