Reading and Writing

Literacy Lessons for the book – Iditarod The First Ten Years AN ANTHOLOGY compiled by THE OLD IDITAROD GANG

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 …

Practicing Reading Skills with Iditarod Photos

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 …

Granite & Susan Butcher – Hero & Heroine

When speaking of Granite one has to mention Susan, when speaking of Susan one has to include Granite. Without Susan, Granite might have become a house pet. Without Granite, Susan might have been just an ordinary musher. Together they accomplished remarkable feats. That’s why they have both been named to the Just Guts Heroes, Heroines …

Writing To Your Musher

Hi Boys and Girls,   Many of you are busy writing the musher you followed in the race. I know you are really excited about that and many of you are hoping for a return letter and maybe even some goodies. Since the request for musher addresses has increased during the past week, I thought …

Celebrating Great Books! Have You Met Helen Frost?

Hello Boys and Girls, I was pawing around the house for a good book to read and I remembered…. About a year or so ago, I introduced you to an author friend of ours, Helen Frost.  She wrote a delightful story called Diamond Willow. The book is very unique because it is written in a …

Picking a Musher

Hi Boys and Girls, Wow, it’s almost race time.  Are you getting ready to follow the race?  Do you have a  favorite musher?  If you’re following the race in your classroom, you may be able to pick a musher to follow.  Some classes follow a couple of teams and in some classes each student picks …

The Cruelest Miles – Book Report

It’s all a part of the history of the great state of Alaska and the Iditarod itself – the Serum Run of 1925, Balto, Togo, Dr. Welch, Nurse Morgan, Governor Bone and 20 brave mushers who carried the anti-toxin from Nenana to Nome. The Cruelest Miles, written by cousins, Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury, is …

Meet an Author: Helen Frost

Diamond Willow is the story of a twelve year old girl, Willow, who wants her parents to understand that she is growing up.  She loves to mush dogs.  Willow convinces her parents to let her drive the dog team to her grandparent’s house— all by herself.  The adventures that follow and the lessons learned are …

Writing to Mushers

Hi Boys and Girls, Now that the race is over- what’s next??? Many of you are busy writing the musher you followed in the race. I know you are really excited about that and many of you are hoping for a return letter and maybe even some goodies. Since the request for musher addresses has …