Kamik an Inuit Puppy Story tells the story of a frustrated boy who receives advice from his grandfather about the importance of building a friendship with his puppy, Kamik. Jake is having a difficult time with the way his new puppy is behaving, but becomes optimistic after listening to stories from his grandfather on the relationship he had with his dogs. Through listening to his grandfather’s stories Jake builds his relationship with and develops respect for his grandfather and Kamik.
Why use this book:
- Students may have experiences a time when they found themselves frustrated with a new experience and listening to others who have gone through similar experiences is one way to help
Ask your students:
- Where in Canada does this story take place?
- When you think of culture, what kind of things come to mind? How are cultural items, language, and traditions represented in the story? How would the story be different without them?
- Why did Jake’s grandfather use sled dog teams? In what situations did the dog team help Jake’s grandfather? The sled dogs helped with transportation, getting food, and survival.
- How did Jake’s grandfather care for the dogs?
Activities:
- Family Traditions – Traditions are a group’s beliefs and behaviours that are passed down from one generation to another. In the story, the characters describe some of their cultural traditions. Ask students to name some examples found in the book. Examples may include naming of the dogs or use of sled dogs. Next, allow students to share some examples of their own family or cultural traditions. Encourage them to think about how they celebrate holidays to spark some ideas. Once ideas have been shared, ask students to write a short narrative about a tradition that they partake in. Encourage students to use descriptive words in their narrative. Ask students to reread their own work or exchange stories with a partner to check for spelling and grammar errors.
- Extension: Give students the opportunity to share their narratives with the class! Allow their classmates to ask questions about each other’s traditions.
Kamik and Inuit Puppy Story is part of the AnimalTales program. Above, is a small selection of the discussion questions and activities that can be found in the Grade Two Teacher’s Guide. For additional discussion questions and activities request the FREE book-lending program for your class.
Additional Resources Related to Book:
- A Comparative Look at Inuit Lifestyle – A document from Learn Alberta that examines the Inuit lifestyle in Nunavut.
