Primary sources are not just for Social Studies class! Here’s one that you could use as a math warmup that ties in to the ghost town of Iditarod which will play such an important role in this year’s Iditarod Race.
Using the Source With Students:
- Display the object for your students and have them share what they See, Think, and Wonder about the artifact.
- If possible, compare to a modern day bank deposit slip. Identify some similarities and differences.
- The date is missing from this slip, but it came from a collection of slips dated to 1918.
- Use this site to look at historic gold prices. Can they approximate today’s value of the gold deposited?
- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average household earned $1,518 a year in 1918 (source). Does that change their opinion of this deposit slip? Who do they think deposited this money? Was it an individual or a business?
- As an extension, students could do a writing piece with this primary source as inspiration. What is the story behind this deposit?
Associated Resources:
- Photo of the bank as a tent business in Iditarod (1910): Click Here
- Photo of the bank as a wooden structure (1913-1939): Click Here
- Looking for some more ways to integrate Iditarod into your math curriculum? Be sure to check out our math page: Click Here
