“From the Stone Age to the Iditarod Trail”
The 5th — Paws to Learn:
November Lesson Plan
What did people need to survive thousands of years ago?
What does a modern Iditarod musher need to survive on the trail?
What has changed—and what has stayed the same?
This month’s lesson, “From the Stone Age to the Iditarod Trail,” takes students on an adventure through two very different time periods. Students will travel back to the Paleolithic Age and then fast-forward to the modern Iditarod, discovering how people have adapted to challenging environments and met their basic needs throughout history. Although the tools change over time, resourcefulness and responsibility remain important.
In this month’s lesson plan, I have packed your teaching sled bag with activities to help students become survival investigators. Students will participate in a “Could YOU Survive?” challenge, complete a Scenario comparison, and create a Survival Kit. For this challenge, students will select five essential items for each time period and create explanation cards describing the needs each item meets and how it reflects the tools and resources available at that time.
Even though this lesson has a strong Social Studies connection, there are many different paths that can lead to other content areas. Connect with Language Arts through two different fiction novels. Math can enter the picture through measurement, distance, and problem-solving. There are also opportunities to explore climate, technology, and the importance of teamwork.
In “From the Stone Age to the Iditarod Trail,” students will discover that even though thousands of years separate these two worlds, some basic needs have never changed. From natural resources and simple tools to modern equipment and a team of hardworking sled dogs, people continue to find ways to adapt, cooperate, and overcome challenges.
When you try this activity with your students, please share your photos, ideas, and adaptations with me at emailtheteacher@iditarod.com. I would love to see how your classrooms bring this survival adventure to life.
