Surviving on the Siberian Tundra
Overview
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By comparing aspects of their own lifestyles, students will explore the Nenets culture and figure out how Nenets have adapted to their physical environment.
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Connections to the curriculum: science and geography
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Connections to the National Geography Standards:
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Standard 15: “How physical systems affect human systems”
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Time: approximately an hour (depends on age of students and extent of discussion)
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Materials required are
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- copies of the March 1998 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC article “Nenets: Surviving on the Siberian Tundra”;
- copies of photographs from the National Geographic Web site;
- chart paper with topics listed (see example), markers.
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Purpose:
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Determine the ways Nenets have adapted to their physical environment.
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Objectives:
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Students will
- describe ways they have adapted to their physical environment;
- describe ways the Nenets have adapted to their physical environment;
- discuss similarities between the way of life of the Nenets and the way of life of other groups the students are familiar with.
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SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
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- Read the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC article on the Nenets, and share key points with your class. Locate the area where the Nenets live on a world map and explain to them that Siberia is an area in Russia. Explain any vocabulary that is unfamiliar to the class (tundra, nomads, vegetation, chum, etc.)
- Discuss the meaning of “environment” and explain that people often adapt to their environment in a variety of ways. As an example, ask students how they have adapted to the weather on this particular day.
- Show the chart and explain that you have listed ways people adapt to their environment. As a class, fill in the sections under “Example of How We Adapt in Our Area.”
| Ways People Adapt to Their Environment |
Examples of How We Adapt in Our Area |
Examples of How the Nenets Adapt |
| choices of clothing |
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| shelter (housing) |
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| agricultural practices |
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| recreational activities |
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| food |
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| transportation |
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| work |
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| school |
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| heating |
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| utensils, tools, or other useful items |
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- Have the students work in groups to examine photographs from the Nenets article in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and this Web site. Based on what they see in the photographs, have them list ways the Nenets adapt to their environment. (For younger students, have them list everything they see in their photographs.)
- Have each group report by showing the photographs they examined and explaining the list that they made. Write information on the chart as each group gives their report. (For younger students, categorize and add their observations to the chart.) Complete the chart by adding other information from the text of the article.
- Have students compare the two columns on the chart to see if there are any similarities. Then have them suggest other groups that have adapted in ways that are similar to the Nenets (i.e., the homes of the Native Americans who lived on the plains or the clothing of the Eskimos).
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This is an example of what a completed chart might look like. Example of “How We Adapt in Our Area” would vary according to the location.
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| Ways People Adapt to Their Environment |
Examples of How We Adapt in Our Area |
Examples of How the Nenets Adapt |
| choices of clothing |
varies with the season; winter—coats, gloves, hats, warm clothing; summer—shorts, t-shirts, cool clothing |
clothing of reindeer sewn by women; boots, leggings, hats, coats, grass for insulating boots; reindeer fur |
| shelter (housing) |
permanent structures of brick or wood; usually one family to a house; some apartments |
chums (tepee-like tents); extended family in chum; temporary location; live and move in groups |
| agricultural practices |
farming; ranching |
herding; fishing |
| recreational activities |
indoor activities in cold or rainy weather—reading, TV, computers, movies; outdoor activities in warmer weather—bike riding, sports, inline skating |
singing; sewing; sharing stories; games; team racing |
| food |
mostly buy from grocery stores or restaurants; prepared/packaged food; fresh fruits/vegetables available all year |
fresh reindeer meat; raw and frozen fish; frozen food; drinks—tea, reindeer blood |
| transportation |
car—able to travel 50-60 miles (80-90 kilometers) in an hour; plane—longer distances |
reindeer with sleds—6 miles (10 kilometers) in one day; travel in caravans; helicopters |
| work |
men/women have similar jobs at home and in the workplace; usually people work in the day |
women do domestic work—put up tents, cook, sew, clean; men herd, make sleds / tent poles, and do work connected with tundra; move herd at night |
| school |
boys and girls attend neighborhood schools |
boarding school for nine months |
| heating |
central heat in nearly all homes |
iron stove; cut wood for fire
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| utensils, tools, or other useful items |
purchased in neighborhood stores |
handmade tools; no nails; thread made from reindeer; pulp from trees for toilet paper/ diapers |
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Jeanie Sisson of Red Oak Elementary School in Moore, Oklahoma, contributed classroom ideas for this Geoguide.
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