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Animals of the Arctic

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Animals of the Arctic

Grade level            

This lesson plan is designed to be used with students aged
12-15 years.

Objective           

Using the Internet, students will research an animal native to
the Arctic and map its distribution in the four seasons. They will draw their
animal in its environment including as many facts about the species as
possible. As a class, students will create one master map of each season
including the approximate location of each animal.

Time required           

2 class periods (estimated)

Materials           

Activity

1       Review the
location of the Arctic Circle with students. Ask students what they know about
this area of the world. Remind students that Native people of the Canadian
Arctic are Inuit who speak the Inuktitut language.

2       Brainstorm
animals that students think live in the Arctic. List on the board or overhead
projector. What special adaptations do animals living in this environment need
to survive?

3        Have
students work in pairs or independently. Explain that students are going to
choose an animal native to the Canadian Arctic to research.

4        Give
out blank maps. Have students label each one "winter", "spring", "summer",
"fall". Explain that they are to indicate on each map where the animal is
during the particular season.

5        Explain
that, using the indicated website, students will research their animal. Upon
returning to the classroom, they will be responsible for drawing their animal
in its environment, incorporating as many facts about it into their
illustration as possible.

6        Have
students choose an animal or randomly assign them.

      • Oceanic birds: long-tailed
jaeger, northern fulmar

      • Auks: black guillemot,
dovekie

      • Terrestrial
mammals: arctic
fox, caribou, grizzly bear, muskox, polar bear

      • Ducks and sea
ducks: common
eider, king eider, oldsquaw

      • Geese and swans: brant, Canada
goose, snow goose, tundra swan

      • Gulls and terns: arctic tern,
black-legged kittiwake, glaucous gull

      • Loons: pacific loon,
red-throated loon

      • Shorebirds: northern
phalarope

      • Seals and
walrus: bearded
seal, harbour seal, harp seal, hooded seal, ringed seal, walrus     

      • Baleen whales: bowhead whale,
hump-backed whale

      • Toothed whales: beluga whale,
narwhal, north Atlantic bottle nosed whale, sperm whale

7      Using the
indicated website, have students research their animal to be used in their
class season maps.

      Students also
design a symbol for their animal to be used on the class season maps.

Evaluation           

Students draw the illustration
of their animal in its habitat using the information gathered from their
research. Instruct them to include both the English and Inuktitut name at the
top and to include as many facts as possible in their scene.

As students complete their
posters, have them use their symbol to indicate the location of their animal
during each season on the classroom maps. Provide a key where students draw
their symbol and the name of the animal it represents.

Have students present their
animal to the class. Also, have them point out their animal on the class maps.

Why are some animals only
present during particular seasons?

References           

Isuma Publishing - a division of Igloolik Isuma Productions: http://isuma.ca/buy

Kessler, Deirdre, Isuma
Teacher's Resource Guide, Montreal: Isuma Publishing, 2004

Robinson, Gillian, Isuma Inuit Studies Reader, Montreal: Isuma Publishing, 2004