Can you imagine what it must feel like to reach the finish line of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race? Imagine coming up the hill that transitions between the Bering Coast and the city of Nome. Imagine running down Front Street, your eyes resting on the Burled Arch, knowing you and your team had accomplished what so few have….

But was it always like this? 

No.

In fact, for the first few years the only finish line was a line drawn in the snow with red Kool-Aid!

In this lesson, the students learn about the the original finish line and how one musher thought it wasn’t enough! Reading about his feelings and aspirations, the students are given an engineering challenge to build a finish line that matches his goals. Finally, the read the story of how the famed Burled Arch came to be.

Finish Line Design Challenge