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Language Arts
I have spent a great deal of time getting to know our 2016 Iditarod mushers this year. My special focus has been to share the stories of the rookie mushers, and their personal journey to the starting line. Like many teachers we have a poetry unit each year, but I wanted to find an Iditarod …
Summary: This month’s video segments have no embedded narration. They showcase people, animals, trail experiences, and the majestic landscape through which the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race runs. Use them for many types of writing and publishing. Beauty of the Checkpoint – March 17, 2020 12:50am Time-lapse of the Hustle & Bustle Leaving …
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race’s early history is recorded in the incredible book, Iditarod – The First Ten Years. This book is a must own for any educator using the race with students. If you don’t own a copy, we highly suggest you make plans to order a copy today. Lesson plans for classroom …
Join an IditaRead™ and race from Anchorage to Nome! An IditaRead is an excellent way to encourage students to read. An IditaRead™ is held in connection with the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race® — the Iditarod Trail and the Iditarod Mushers are used as ‘benchmarks’ of reading progress for students. Most IditaReads are held in …
Photos are a great way to introduce students to reading skills they may be unfamiliar with or need extra practice with prior to using more complicated texts. Moving from photos, to short passages, to longer texts allows students to have a chance to refine their skills and build their confidence. The Iditarod is fortunate to …
Race to Nome on a Reading Challenge! An IditaRead™is a reading project that challenges students to read. IditaReads™ are often held during the Iditarod, but some schools opt to use a longer period of time or hold their IditaRead™ during a different time of the school year. An important aspect of an IditaRead™ is that …
Grades 3-6 What if Cinderella was a musher? Or instead of seven dwarves, Snow White had found seven huskies? In this unit, students will explore some Alaska themed retelling of fairy tales and folk tales as they prepare to write their own Iditarod themed retelling! Mentor texts used include Alaska’s Sleeping Beauty, The Salmon Princess: …
Grades 2-6 Why do sled dogs howl? Why do they love to run? Why do mushers stand behind the sled? All of these questions are great fodder for writing pourquoi stories – stories that explain why something is the way it is. In this unit, students explore northern themed pourquoi tales. Inhabit Media, and Inuit …
Grades 2-4; others with modification Meet Kamik, an Inuit puppy, in this series that is based on life memories of elders from Arviat, Nunavut. In book one, Kamik: An Inuit Puppy Story, Jake finally gets a puppy all his own! But a puppy is far more work than he ever imagined, especially a puppy like …
Grades 3-6 (others with modification) One of the big buzzes that was happening at the first day of sign ups for the 2018 Iditarod is that Matt Hall, the 2017 Yukon Quest winner, has signed up for his rookie Iditarod run. One question that was asked repeatedly? “Could he win the Iditarod as a rookie?” …