Music is enjoyed by so many people across the world.  From rock to pop, and country to classical, music is all around us.  Music can tell a story, convey a feeling, or simply help us relax.

My students and their playlists!

The music in the Insider videos help us catch the feel of the race, while listening to Hobo Jim gets us pumped for the 1,000 mile race across Alaska.  Music can even be found at Matthew Failor’s 17^th Dog kennel.  Failor said that music is a big part of his kennel, and he has speakers all over his dog yard.  Failor and his team enjoy listening to classic rock n’ roll and classic country and his team’s favorite song to jam out to is Space Oddity by David Bowie.

In this lesson your students will create a playlist for the Iditarod.  They will choose music based on its lyrics and/or feeling the music conveys.  They will choose 5 different songs which match up with 5 different checkpoints along the race.  Students will also explain why they chose each song in their playlist.

Example Playlist

I began the lesson by playing 8-10 different songs (see the lesson plan for suggestions) and had my students discuss how the song made them felt (i.e. sad, happy, energized, mellow, etc.).  We then discussed how a song can make us feel and how we can use songs to describe how mushers might be feeling out on the Iditarod trail at specific checkpoints.  I had my class look at the southern route map (the route being used this year) to locate the different checkpoints.  I gave them my example playlist which is below.

Willow: Wake Me Up by Avicii Rohn: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell Iditarod: Beautiful Day by U2 Unalakleet: Fight Song by Rachel Platten Nome: Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

This lesson was a bunch of fun, and my students loved picking songs and dancing around the classroom a bit.  When they were finished my students shared their playlists with their table group, and then we put them up in the hallway.  We also shared them with our music teacher who enjoyed reading why each student picked their songs.

Musher Music Handouts

Musher Music Lesson Plan

Other Iditarod Teacher News:

I am Skyping with classrooms across the country!  I have enjoyed taking my students on virtual field trips over the years, so I’m excited to work with you and your students to bring the Iditarod to life in your classroom.  To find more information and sign up for a time click here.  I will also be continuing the Iditarod Classroom Club with Skype which began last year with 2016 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ Laura Wright.  To join in the fun, click here: Iditarod Classroom Club.

Join us in Chicago for a conference on  January 21!  Speakers include Iditarod finisher Charley Bejna (via Skype), local musher Pat Moon, and 2017 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail (along with a few other Teachers on the Trail).  Click here for more information.

You can also join us in ALASKA!  The 2017 Winter Conference will be held February 28-March 3 in Anchorage, AK with the theme of “Making Sense of Problems and Persevering Through Them”.  Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from strong educators, and from the mushers themselves.  For more information on this conference click here.

Winter Conference field trip to Matthew Failor’s kennel in 2016!