Fourth Grade
Worksheets
Shishmaref: A Tale of Global Warming
Shishmaref is an island village. It is part of Alaska. It is about 125 miles from Nome, Alaska. About 600 people, mostly Inupiaq, live there. Visitors to Shishmaref usually fly on a plane from Nome to get there.
Generations of Inupiaq have lived in Shishmaref. They've lived with the help of the water. They've depended on the water. Many still live and hunt traditionally. They hunt bearded seal, whales, and caribou. They gather berries. They pick wild greens. They would like to stay together and continue to do so.
What's the problem? This tiny island near the Arctic Circle is being swallowed by the sea around it. The Inupiaq have tried many ways to protect themselves. They've built barricades and moved farther inland. Is it working? Unfortunately, it is not.
