Followup Questions

I Am the Ice Worm
Critical Thinking Questions

1. Why did Sikik give Putu to Oolik’s mother? How did the gift change things in the village? Why do you think there was a change?

2. Why was everyone, including Paniyapluk, angry with Allison and Oolik for telling the truth about Aqsuk?

3. What is a white-out> Describe what a white-out looks like?

4. What does it mean to blue-ticket someone? What else could the villagers have done instead of blue-ticketing Paniyapluk’s father?

5. Why did Allison’s mother leave home? What special day in history took place shortly before her mother left home? Can you guess what the problems were between her parents?

6. What did the Eskimo families have that Allison did not have?

7. Describe how Maniilaq changed Eskimo life. Describe the old taboos and how people felt about them. Describe the predictions Maniilaq made and what they meant.

8. Can you guess why the author made Oolik an outsider in the village? Why was she deaf and unable to speak? Why was she perfect on one side and the other side was so deformed Allison had to look away?

9. In what significant ways has Allison changed at the end of the story? Do you think her relationship with her mother will be different than before?

10. Do you think Allison and her mother will stay in Alaska? If so, why? If not, why not? What characteristics do they have that will make them decide to stay or decide to leave?

11. What does John mean when he tells Allison that education destroyed his roots and language? Can you think of other cultures destroyed this way?

12. Why does Ikayauq want Matu to keep the old ways?

13. How did the English language come to the Arctic Eskimo villages?

14. What is a dry village?

15. List some of the good things brought by the naluagmi. List some of the bad things brought by the naluagmi.

16. Describe the position and role of elders in an Eskimo village.

17. What activities do Eskimo children engage in? What do they do during the long summer days? How do they deal with the dark months?

18. Describe the daily life of an Eskimo woman. Describe the daily life of an Eskimo man.

19. In what ways will life in an Iñupiat village after satellite television?

20. What is the goal of the main character or protagonist? Is the goal reached?

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