Environmental Education

Iditarod National Historic Trail Junior Trailblazer Booklet

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is run along the Iditarod National Historic Trail.  The Bureau of Land Management and other entities that own the land which the trail runs through all work in conjunction with the Iditarod Trail Committee to run the race each year.  It is Alaska’s only winter National Trail and was …

Sled Dogs of Denali

One of the big parts of our Social Studies curriculum in third grade is the study of our National Parks as a subtopic of our study of Fifty States.   Alaska is the home to 15 national parks, preserves, monuments and historic parks.  The Park Service in Alaska also oversees 49 National Historic Landmarks and 16 …

Finding What Works in the Classroom 2.24.11

Temperature in Wasilla, late morning, 20°F, little wind Teachers want to know what works in the classroom to facilitate student learning and to achieve growth in their learning. The research-based document,What Works in Classroom Instruction by Robert Marzano, Barbara Gaddy, and Ceri Dean (http://www.leigh.cuhsd.org/teachers/pdf/Marzano_Strategies.pdf),  is a good resource which explains the research behind classroom strategies and …

Something to Do While You Follow Me!

When I arrive in Alaska around February 22, I’ll post often to keep you in the loop about what I am doing and what is going on with the race. And, when the race starts March 6, I’ll post daily about the race and teachable moments. The NUMBER ONE question I’m asked is: “Don’t you …

Iditarod is Coming! Fill Your Sled Now!

(Keep on reading to find some ideas of activities for your students to do.) Mushers carry the following mandatory items in their sleds during the race. I bet you can make this list relevant to what students need to be prepared for their job of school.  Proper cold weather sleeping bag weighing a minimum of …

Lessons From Herb Brambley

(Under construction.  Links to be added soon.) Lesson 1: Introduction to the Iditarod Sled Dog Race; Grades 2-8; Geography, Social Studies, and Science; This lesson introduces how climate relates to lifestyle and culture. Lesson 2: The Alaskan Husky; Grades 4-8; Technology, Science; This lesson uses computer skills such as cutting, pasting, and saving a Word document as a vehicle …