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My Wounded Island

Elementary

Description

My Wounded Island is the story of a little girl, Imarvaluk, who is scared of the sea. Imarvaluk, whose name means "the song of the waves" in her language Inupiat, lives on the small islands north of the Bering Sea near the Arctic Circle. The sea is bewitched by an evil creature that is making the sea a monster who is slowly eating away at her island.  The book explores the themes of climate change and relocation as well as describing the daily lives of the Inuit people who inhabit the island of Sarichef.

General Assessment

Recommendation of how and where to use it

My Wounded Island raises awareness on how climate change is impacting people and not just the environment. The resource could be used in the classroom as an introduction to the subject of climate change and the real consequences it has for communities around the world.

Ideas for activities could include:

  • Having the students write a follow up to Imarvaluk's story depicting her future on the island. 
  • Making a comparison between the daily and seasonal life of the main character with the daily and seasonal life of the students.
  • Having the students draw their interpretation of the creature and creating an ad campaign for the school to build awareness of climate change.

Relevant Curriculum Units

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        • Earth Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened through investigating natural systems and their interactions.
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      • Social Studies
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        • Global Indigenous Peoples: Learning about indigenous peoples nurtures multicultural awareness and respect for diversity.
        • Global Indigenous Peoples:Indigenous societies throughout the world value the well-being of the self, the land, spirits, and ancestors
    • Grade 4
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 4: All living things sense and respond to their environment

Themes Addressed

Air, Atmosphere & Climate (1)

  • Climate Change

Indigenous Knowledge (1)

  • TEK -- Traditional Ecological Knowledge