October 5
“Coordinates and Canines”
The 5th — Paws to Learn:
October Lesson Plan
Do you know how to read an ordered pair?
Do you know which direction to move on a coordinate plane?
Do you know what happens when you combine math, coordinates, and a canine?
This month’s lesson, “Coordinates and Canines,” puts a mathematical twist on the Iditarod. Students will practice identifying and graphing ordered pairs as they plot points on a coordinate plane. There’s a surprise waiting at the end of the trail—their carefully plotted coordinates will reveal the face of a husky.
Students will first learn and review important coordinate-plane vocabulary, including the x-axis, y-axis, origin, and ordered pairs. They will practice the “shaking of the head for yes or no” strategy before putting their skills to work. As they plot each ordered pair, students will watch their graph transform into a canine character right before their eyes.
(Photo credit: Iditarod EDU)
In this month’s lesson plan, I have packed your teaching sledbag with the tools students need to become confident coordinate navigators. You’ll find a coordinate-plane vocabulary organizer, graph paper, practice opportunities, and the Coordinates and Canines activity ready to help students follow the trail one point at a time.
Although this lesson is Math-focused, there are many different paths that can lead to other content areas. Use the Iditarod connection to bring in geography, mapping, Alaska, sled dogs, and even conversations about how mushers and their teams navigate the trail. This activity can also be easily adjusted for different learners. Students who are new to coordinate graphing can focus on identifying and plotting individual points, while more experienced mathematicians can take on additional challenges with coordinates and graphing.
In “Coordinates and Canines,” students will discover that when they follow the coordinates carefully, they can create something pretty pawsome. Grab your graphing gear, harness up your math skills, and follow the coordinates to see who is waiting at the end of the trail.
When you try this activity with your students, please share your photos, ideas, and adaptations with me at emailtheteacher@iditarod.com.. I’d love to see the different canine creations that emerge from classrooms along the trail. Happy graphing—and may your coordinates lead you in the right direction.
