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Prometheus Books in 2008. in Books Prometheus

called The Turtle and the Universe was published by by published was Universe the and Turtle The called

BY STEPHEN WHITT STEPHEN BY for children’s science magazines, and his first book, book, first his and magazines, science children’s for

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COSI’s floor faculty. He has written over 40 articles articles 40 over written has He faculty. floor COSI’s A HOUSE OF AND AND SNOW OF HOUSE A

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exhibit signs and show scripts, and co-directing co-directing and scripts, show and signs exhibit

Foundation performing shows and demonstrations, writing writing demonstrations, and shows performing

Supported by the National Science National the by Supported Stephen Whitt has been with COSI since 1993, 1993, since COSI with been has Whitt Stephen

Teaching and Learning COSI Learning and Teaching Copyright October 2009 – The Ohio State University State Ohio The – 2009 October Copyright

Director of Experience Programs Programs Experience of Director

(October 2009) 2009) (October

Stephen Whitt Stephen Issue 16: Peoples of the Arctic Arctic the of Peoples 16: Issue

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A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE

bone, stone, or metal. Next, the builder This heat starts to melt the inside of the igloo. That might seem like a bad thing. places the first ring of blocks on a firm, In fact, as the inside walls of the igloo start to melt, they come into contact level patch of icy ground. When the first with the snow and ice closer to the outside of the igloo. This colder snow and ring is complete, the builder starts on ice cause the to refreeze. In this way the walls of the igloo start to change the second ring. from snow, which can be weak, to ice, which is much stronger. A well-built igloo is strong. A grown man can stand on top of the igloo without causing it to collapse. An builder stacks the snow blocks into a ring. Photo courtesy of Canadian Geological Survey via Frank and Frances Carpenter Collection (Library of So how does one build an igloo? Start with blocks of well-packed snow. The Congress). Inuit builder cuts these blocks using a sharp knife. The knife might be made of

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via Alaska’s Digital Archives. Digital Alaska’s via

courtesy of Charles F. Cann, Cann, F. Charles of courtesy

from snow and ice. Photo Photo ice. and snow from

An igloo is a built built shelter a is igloo An

of life, and a place to live, could soon disappear forever. disappear soon could live, to place a and life, of

these trips; they may stop houses from snow and ice. A way way A ice. and snow from houses building stop may they trips; these

their hunting trips to the ice are too risky. They may stop making making stop may They risky. too are ice the to trips hunting their

are growing rare. Soon the hunters may decide that that decide may hunters the Soon rare. growing are generations

Not only that, but the animals that the Inuit have hunted for many many for hunted have Inuit the that animals the but that, only Not

the ice is too thin and the snow is too rare to build igloo shelters. shelters. igloo build to rare too is snow the and thin too is ice the

as temperatures in the Arctic go up, some hunters discover that that discover hunters some up, go Arctic the in temperatures as

The Inuit have hunted and built igloos for thousands of years. Today, Today, years. of thousands for igloos built and hunted have Inuit The

A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE AND SNOW OF HOUSE A A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE AND SNOW OF HOUSE A

A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE

Now the real magic happens. The Inuit builder knows how to tilt the There are several reasons that an works surprisingly well. First of second row inward, just a little, so that fewer blocks are needed for all, the ice blocks out the chilling wind. Second, ice is good at trapping heat. the second row than for the first. Think about a circular race track. If We say that ice is a good insulator. A small igloo with a candle inside, or you race on the inside of the track, you run a shorter distance than even just the body warmth of the inhabitants, can stay surprisingly warm. if you race on the outside of the track. In the same way, as the walls Have you ever wondered why a blanket can keep you warm? After all, a grow upward, and as the “circle” of the igloo gets smaller, fewer blanket doesn’t make its own heat. By wrapping yourself in a blanket, you blocks are needed. are capturing the heat made by your own body. That heat can keep you warm even if the air outside the blanket is very cold.

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via Frank and Frances Carpenter Collection (Library of Congress). Congress). of (Library Collection Carpenter Frances and Frank via

Fewer blocks are needed for each row of the igloo. Photo courtesy of Canadian Geological Survey Survey Geological Canadian of courtesy Photo igloo. the of row each for needed are blocks Fewer

Igloos trap heat, allowing the people inside to stay warm.. stay to inside people the allowing heat, trap Igloos

outside.

stay much warmer than the the than warmer much stay

the inside of the igloo can can igloo the of inside the

even a small burning lamp, lamp, burning small a even

or the heat produced by by produced heat the or

way. By trapping body heat, heat, body trapping By way.

An igloo works in the same same the in works igloo An

A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE AND SNOW OF HOUSE A A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE AND SNOW OF HOUSE A

A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE

GLOSSARY You’re a traveler, a hunter on the cold Arctic ice. You’ve been searching GENERATIONS: time it takes for groups of people to grow up and have children, for seals for many hours, and now you must rest. counted as 30-35 years The ground around you is frozen. There are no trees anywhere. The wind IGLOO: a shelter built out of snow and ice is bitterly cold. Your survival depends on shelter. What will you do? INHABITANTS: people living in a place If you are an Inuit hunter, you might build an igloo. An igloo is a shelter INSULATOR: a material that traps heat built from snow and ice. INUIT: people that have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years

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Digital Archives. Digital

D. Goetze, via Alaska’s Alaska’s via Goetze, D.

Photo courtesy of O. O. of courtesy Photo

on the icy floor serve as beds. The builder and perhaps one or two other other two or one perhaps and builder The beds. as serve floor icy the on

the summer months. months. summer the

across the opening keep out the cold wind. Inside the igloo, animal furs furs animal igloo, the Inside wind. cold the out keep opening the across -like houses during during houses tent-like

The Inuit people lived in in lived people Inuit The

The opening to the igloo is large enough to crawl through. Animal furs furs Animal through. crawl to enough large is igloo the to opening The

to let out smoke from a fire. a from smoke out let to

final block on the very top of the igloo. He might cut a hole in this block block this in hole a cut might He igloo. the of top very the on block final

builder keeps the blocks from falling in. Finally, the builder places the the places builder the Finally, in. falling from blocks the keeps builder

shape. By carefully fitting the blocks together, the skilled Inuit Inuit skilled the together, blocks the fitting carefully By shape. dome

As the wall grows, the blocks begin to arch together, forming the igloo’s igloo’s the forming together, arch to begin blocks the grows, wall the As

A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE AND SNOW OF HOUSE A A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE AND SNOW OF HOUSE A

A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE A HOUSE OF SNOW AND ICE

hunters have enough Not all the people of the Arctic built igloos, but the Inuit people of space to stand up and Northern Canada became known as skillful igloo builders. Igloos were build a fire. They might never permanent houses for the Inuit. Instead, a large igloo might tell stories, or plan their house one or more families in the cold winter months. Tent-like next day on the ice. houses sheltered those same families in the summer. Once the hunters have Today the Inuit live mostly in wooden houses. But Inuit hunters, rested, they will leave traveling far from their , still build igloo shelters. Igloos raise an their igloo behind and A skilled Inuit can keep the wall of his igloo from falling in interesting question. Why a house of ice? by carefully piecing the blocks together. Photo courtesy of continue their hunt. Istockphoto.com.

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