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Curriculum Resources for the Alaskan Environment
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Subject Areas: survival
skills, cultural heritage math, physics, physical
education
Timeline: two weeks to one
quarter
Grade Levels:
7-12
Purpose: to promote
survival of subsistence skills; to increase
school/community contact; to design useful tools
for the community
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Nancy Stringham
Buck and E. Meade
Subsistence
Tool
Construction
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 Activities
- Decide on a mudshark trap, dog sled, ice chip,
or other subsistence tool.
- Arrange assistance from local resource people,
and plan the project with their help:
learn about traditional construction methods
select and acquire materials; build the tool;
use the tool.
- Have students keep notes. Draw diagrams and write
instructions for students in the next class.
Resources
- skilled community residents
- dog mushers' association
- tool specimens
- scrap metal, wood, ivory
- metal and wood working tools
- information about metal tempering
- Cooperative Extension Service
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Variations
- Hold class outside the school, in
the instructor's home, or in another
building.
- Publish the instructions as a
booklet or poster.
- Organize a contest around the
finished tool.
- Redesign a tool:
examine (collect, draw, photo.
graph, describe) old tools found in the
village
design various blade shapes and
styles
test effectiveness: drop tool from
a set height into sand, dirt, or snow; measure
depth/volume of impact
vary blade shape: length to width
ratio; straight, concave, or convex. Test for
effectiveness (as above)
try working with steel, stainless
steel, bronze, brass, ivory, etc.
examine designs from different eras
or geographic areas
develop a market for a successful
product. A good commercial ice chisel is generally not
available today.
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