Technology

IditaRead Digital: The Last Great Reading Race Reaches Over 21,000 Students

On February 7, the Iditarod Education Department launched the new digital version of a favorite Iditarod classroom activity, an Iditaread.  Embracing technology and realizing the need for virtual and digital tools for learning, the education department and our technology partners developed version 1 of the IditaRead Digital. And you, our Iditarod teachers, responded immediately and …

Classroom Connections: Coding the Trail with Ozobots

  This is one of my favorite new lessons that I have added to my Iditarod interdisciplinary unit. Programming and coding are two skills that have become much more prevalent in the world of education, and students’ skills with technology are beginning at earlier stages in their development. Adding coding as a part of our …

Glogster – The Iditarod, Machu Picchu, and Denali

Many teachers always comment that they want to incorporate the Iditarod all year, but they don’t know how.  As a result, the Iditarod makes it into their classroom for a small amount of time.  It is very possible to teach the Iditarod year round while still teaching your other curriculum. My students are currently studying …

Building the Trail: Augmented Reality Topographic Trail Map

One great way to help your students see the challenges that the land of Alaska throws at the mushers is by plotting the trail on a topographic map. This allows students to see the changes in elevation that the teams must make as they travel east to west along the trail. An Augmented Reality Sandbox …

Finding Your Way in the Far North

Grades 2-6, others with modification Kids always wonder how the mushers find their way along the Iditarod Trail during the race. The easy answer of course is by the thousands of trail markers and tripods that are put in place along the trail by trail breakers on snow machines ahead of the racers.  But what …

Iditarod Sportsmanship

In many parts of the country, including Chicago, fall is a season full of sports!  Hockey season is just beginning, college and professional football are well under way, and major league baseball is nearing the 2016 World Series, in which the students of Saint Andrew School are hoping to see their neighborhood team go all …

Making Connections in Nature – Bats, Moose, and Prickly Pear…Oh My!

“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” John Burroughs How could one teacher be so lucky?  This summer I was fortunate enough to come face to face with two special animals in the wild that have been on my “bucket list” of nature connections for, …

Jr. Insider Crew

If you do not have an Iditarod Insider subscription yet, now is the time for you to subscribe. You and your class will have the opportunity to view videos, follow mushers through GPS tracking, watch live broadcasts, and view the live finish in Nome. Having an Insider subscription is not required for this lesson, but it …

“Jamaica, We Have a Dogsled Team!”

The Iditarod has an impressive historic value that it brings to the state of Alaska. Not only does it have historic value, but it also shares rich culture among all the countries that participate in the race each year. Including the United States, there are 8 countries represented in this year’s Iditarod. One country not …

History of the Iditarod – Lesson Plan

I like to have my students learn the history of the Iditarod early on in the year so we can refer to it as we progress.  This past week my students have been completing and sharing tasks about the history of the Iditarod.  In addition to using Katie Mangelsdorf’s book Champion of Alaskan Huskies, students also used …