Resources for Research or Lesson Plan Development.

Dog Care

Dog Care, from the Trail to the Lab by Sally Simon..The Alaskan sled dog is widely known as being the most athletic dog in the world.  These marathon runners are revered for their strength and endurance.  However, just like human athletes, they’re not problem free.  Some of their issues arise from characteristics inherent to their breed; others arise from their athletic training similar to humans.  Learn more….

Elite Athletes Receive Top Notch Care by Herb Brambley… Mushers are evaluating the health of their dogs on a daily basis by asking themselves questions like, are the dogs maintaining their weight? Do they need to have booties on to protect their feet? Do the dogs appear enthusiastic about running or are the listless?  These and other questions are just part of the continuous evaluation by a musher of his or her team.

It’s About the Dogs..  The Iditarod Dogs…  by Niki Allen  Ask any musher what the Iditarod is all about and they will likely say, “It’s about the dogs.” These very special athletes are what draw us to the race. From the very beautiful, but slightly slower, Siberian huskies, to the faster mixed breeds called Alaskan huskies, Iditarod sled dogs are top-of-the-line world class athletes that have capabilities far beyond any human ability.

Global Warming

Global Warming by Dawn Owens…. Global warming, or climate change, is a subject that shows no sign of cooling down. Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth‘s near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. The earth is already showing many signs of worldwide climate change.  The average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit around the world since 1880, much of this in recent decades.  The rate of warming is increasing.

Global Warming by Joy Davis… The last frontier of Alaska is undergoing changes that may affect the lives of its inhabitants.  Is this progress?  Before we can discuss global warming, two terms need to be clarified.  Weather is defined as the current state of the atmosphere. What do you see when you look out of the window?  Is it sunny, raining, snowing, etc?  This is the weather.  Climate is the prevailing weather conditions over a set period of time, such as a season.  Changes in the climate that once took thousands of years to become apparent are now having noticeable results in decades.  With the advancement of man and technology, the planet has undergone changes in the rhythm of nature. This became most noticeable with the advent of the Industrial Revolution.

Global Warming by Blynne Froke… Global warming is a real issue in Alaska. People may be able to debate it for a few more years in the lower forty-eight, but in Alaska it is endangering the lives of certain species of wildlife in a measurable way already and has even forced the relocation of a town on the Bering Sea and the same demise awaits other populations.

Volcanoes

What if Redoubt Blows Her Top?  by Niki Allen – Mt Redoubt did ‘blow’ during the 2009 Iditarod.  This provides information about this event that was provided prior to the volcano’s eruption and has information about volcanoes in general.  The article provides a few activity or lesson ideas for teachers to use with students. An editorial note has been added telling about the role this event played in the 2010 Iditarod.