Mongolian Herders’ Homes

Quick! Pack your yurt in a camel-drawn cart! Join nomadic shepherds in Mongolia as you roam central Asia’s steppes to find greener pastures for your animals.

• 1.

  For hundreds of years, Mongolian nomads have been on the move in search of pastures for their yaks, goats, sheep, cows, camels, and horses. How does this way of life affect their housing? What materials do they use to construct their yurts? Find out more about these people who live much like than ancestors did. Then make a replica of their portable homes called gers (yurt in Turkish). Here are some suggestions to get you started.

• 2.

  Use Crayola Model Magic® Naturals or blend white Model Magic with color from Crayola Washable Multicultural Markers to create the color of felt used by the nomads. On a cardboard base, place a ring of Crayola Model Magic. Insert craft sticks into the Model Magic to form the rounded skeleton of the ger. Or cover a round recycled plastic container such as a margarine tub with Model Magic.

• 3.

  Doors on gers face south and have intricate carvings. Use craft sticks to carve your door in the modeling compound. With Crayola Scissors, cut fabric to drape over or inside the ger if you wish. Your home must be ready to pack up and be on the move within an hour!

• 4.

  Imagine guests are coming to your yurt. What do you serve them? Airag (mares’ milk) is traditionally offered to visitors. Share what you’ve learned with your classmates as graciously as you would welcome visitors to your ger.

Benefits

• Students research the lives and homes of traditional Mongolian herders who are nomadic.
• Students understand that homes are built depending on climate, available building supplies, and cultural traditions.
• Students create a replica of an authentic Mongolian yurt or ger and present their findings to other students.

Adaptations

• Students with special needs may prefer to rely on photographs of gers to guide their construction. Some may also find working with a partner to be helpful. Drawing, painting, and using blankets to create a ger are other possibilities.
• Add people, animals, and steppes for a more realistic scene.
• Compare the lives of Mongolian nomads to shepherds in other parts of Asia such as Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Identify the area known as the steppes of Asia on a map. What is the terrain and weather like there?
• Learn more about the wool, cashmere, and other items that Mongolian shepherds produce.
• Assessment: Verify the accuracy of the design of the ger and the information presented. Is it communicated clearly and in an interesting manner?