Building an Igloo ~ Mrs. Casper's Grade 3&4 class

written by the students of Room 116

Last week, our class built an igloo with Mr. Welch.  We built the igloo because we were learning about Canada.    The igloo is on the basketball court on our playground behind our school.  Mr. Welch lived in Nunavut for 7 years.  He brought a saw and a machete with him to cut the blocks.  Some people were able to help use these tools and carry them.  He was wearing a seal skin jacket and caribou skin boots.  This kept him very warm!

 

When we went outside, we saw him cutting the blocks.  He let some of us cut the blocks, too.  The snow was packed hard and was hard to cut with the tools.  Mr. Welch would poke the snow to see if it was hard enough to make a good block.  He tilted the blocks in so that they would stick to the other blocks.  He had to use small and big blocks to create a curved side and roof.  When he put the blocks on, he had to trim the sides.  Mr. Welch said the blocks were about 25 to 30 pounds.  They were heavy!  One piece of a block broke because it was so heavy.  Once we were done a layer, we had to put snow in the cracks. 

 

Mr. Welch told us that people would use bones or teeth to shape blocks if they didn't have metal.  The igloo took many days to build!  He said that when it was finished, the roof could hold us and even Mr. Welch!  It is a very strong house!  He told us that people would make a bed out of snow.  They would cover it with a fur blanket to make it cozy.

Mr. Welch came and in a spoke about the North. We thought the walrus tusks were neat.  He also brought in seal skin rope.  He showed us cool pictures.  He had a jacket that was made out of seal fur. 

Thank you for making an igloo with us and teaching us about the north!