Science and Inupiaq

Today was a great day - I already started feeling sad about leaving.  I really like the students here.  They are great kids, extremely respectful and more importantly, curious about stuff.  All of the signs in the school are written in English, Inupiaq and Braille.  Try saying Illitchuqsriniagvik three times fast (or even one time slowly).

Mr. Nagy and I ran a science lab today to study the albedo effect and the greenhouse effect. We had to go to the home ec room to get enough sunlight for the lab.  

Here is one of the students carefully keeping the thermometers out of the sun until the start of data collection:Middle school students hard at work:I visited Miss J's room (1st and 2nd grade) for a bit.  A couple of girls read me a story about the sun falling from the sky and landing in the sand on the beach.  No one knew how to get the sun back into the sky until a couple of raccoons came along and sang a special song that sent the sun shining back where it belongs.  Once the story was over, I was accosted with questions:  Do you have a son?  a daughter?  Why not?  Your nose is really big.  Or, it's a long nose.  Wow, your eyelashes are long!  What's your name? etc.  until Miss J called them to their desks for the math lesson.  They worked furiously for the length of the song "What a wonderful world."  Definitely something I'll remember forever:  (video coming soon)

I finally saw the Inupiaq class in action.  

Viola teaches the entire class in Inupiaq.  I was so impressed with the students.  niaqunfuruq:

Some of the older students are working on sewing and beading projects.  Here is a beaver hat, aatqatik, slippers and a beaded flower.