Igloo building activity
M. Yayla, February 2020
The “igloo building activity” is performed as a part of the “Culture and “Land Skills” classes. It provides the Inuit students the basic information to stay connected to their culture and lifestyle that they have kept for thousands of years.
Information on igloos...
Drawing from https://www.quora.com/How-does-an-igloo-work / Ashish Choudhary .
Drawing from https://www.quora.com/How-does-an-igloo-work / Krishna Jyothi Yadav .
“The principle behind an igloo is hidden in the material it's constructed out of. Igloos are normally built from compressed snow, which is sawn into blocks, and then these blocks are stacked around a hole, which is dug out after the blocks have been set. Solid ice is a poor insulator, when compared to compressed snow. The snow has many many more air pockets per cubic foot, and is also lighter. Also, igloos do not have flat bottoms. The inside of the igloo is tiered, or terraced, the uppermost level being where the people sleep, the middle is where the fire is and the work takes place, and the bottom level actually is a "cold sump". The principle is that all the coldest air from inside the igloo runs downward off the terraces and collects in the bottom, thus allowing the upper portions to stay warmer. The entrance for the igloo is usually at the bottom, and includes at least one right angle, which keeps the high winds from blowing straight into the igloo and chilling the residents or blowing out the fire. They also all have a small hole on the top that keeps the smoke from building up inside the igloo. All of these factors take advantage of underlying physics, and the temperature inside an igloo is likely to be 20 degrees or so, while the outside temperature in northern regions can drop down to -50 degree Fahrenheit during the daytime. 20 degrees may not be what some consider to be comfortable, but a 70 degree difference is certainly welcome somewhere so cold. “
“ Igloos are warm because snow insulates. Also, the dome shape offers resistance to collapse by the wind. Inside an igloo, the temperature is usually around 32 degrees Celsius, rarely getting much colder with people inside. Temperatures can easily be raised by using candles or by having more people around. Cooking is easy and safe in an igloo as long as the structure is ventilated with a hole at the top. Doesn't Collapse : When they are done with building an igloo they lit fire inside and as the water melts and freezes again after the fire is out it works as a inline of binder as a single piece of ice. “
The activity was organized by Epoo Kasudluak, the Inuit culture and landskills teacher in Innalik School, with the assistance of other teachers and participation of students.
Pics and videos