Physical Science

STEM: Light up the Checkpoints

Students will create paper circuits to light up checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail. Grade Level – 3rd – 5th Topic: Electrical Circuits / Measurement Students will gain an understanding of electrical circuits by creating an electrical circuit to light up an Iditarod checkpoint. Students will practice their measuring skills. Students will become familiar with the …

Investigating the Surface of the Iditarod Trail: STEM/Science Focus

Investigating the Surface of the Iditarod Trail by Kelly Shusko, Colonial School District, Delaware *This lesson was created for Kindergarten students but is applicable for other grade levels. Standards and Application of lesson: Stem/Science/Social Studies- Geography, Social Emotional Learning The purpose of this lesson is to have students plan and carry out an investigation about …

Whatever Pulls Your Sled

Whatever Pulls Your Sled by Jeanine Wolf Students will test determine if the surface of an object will effect how much force it takes to pull that object.  They will then determine the most efficient way to attach the string to the object to reduce the necessary force and finally they will adjust the take …

Friction, Sleds, and Why It’s Important to Get It Right

Trent Herbst, Iditarod veteran musher and Idaho teacher, shares a unique program with audiences focusing on a very hands-on experience for his 4th graders. The students choose a project to build and it’s ranged from rolling to floating to sliding vehicles. The sliding ones, the sleds they build, get pulled by a couple of Trent’s …

Forces of Flight Applied to My Sled

Lift, weight, thrust and drag are the four physical forces that make flight possible. Which of these physical forces can be applied to a dog sled as it glides along the trail? Teacher on the Trail™, Linda Fenton, posed that exact question to her third grade students while learning about and experimenting with the 4 …