Spring is bursting out all over here, and classes are enjoying hearing about the 2011 Iditarod. Patriot Elementary students saw cold weather gear and asked questions about the race and the dogs. This school held two Idita-Reads, one for kindergarten through second grade and one for grades three through five. I Skyped with the Red Lantern classes, the classes who kept reading, persevering to finish their school’s Idita-Read.

A first grade at Mt Pleasant Elementary School enjoyed following this blog, the videos, and the pictures, especially the one taken from the air. These students compared the temperatures in Alaska to their temperatures and charted the temperatures. They followed the progress of the mushers during the race, too.

I followed up their activities with a classroom visit, bringing my cold weather gear, showing pictures of the race, answering questions, and, their most favorite, showing a dog bootie to pass around and fit their little hands inside.

Mount Pleasant Middle School students followed the race, moving their mushers along a gigantic race map in the school’s display case, reading blog updates, and measuring the temperature on a thermometer made by the school’s art teacher. They compared temperatures, discussed the weather patterns of their state and Alaska, and how the seasons change. This school participated in an Idita-Read with students reading a book per mile and earning prizes like Iditarod shirts and books.