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This past Monday was a chilly one in Chicago! The temperature at the opening of school was -7*, and many schools in the Chicagoland area were closed. However, the weather made for a perfect setting for my Iditarod math lesson.
This is a fun lesson that can be adapted for any grade. In the lesson students have been selected to travel across Alaska in the “Amazing Iditarod Race” as math mushers. In order to move from checkpoint to checkpoint the math mushers must complete math problems, along with a given task that is supposed to warm them up as they travel along the chilly trail. Tasks include jumping jacks, running in place, and a victory dance once they reach Nome. This lesson is a lot of fun, as it gets the kids moving while doing math.
I have created two separate documents for teachers to
use. The first one is for 4th or 5th grade teachers who are teaching long division. This is the topic my students were working on, and I have attached the PDF we used below. The second document is a Word Document which is a template of the handout. Teachers can then fill in the math topic they are working on, so it can be adapted to any grade and topic.
The Amazing Iditarod Race: Long Division
The Amazing Iditarod Race Template: Word Document
The Amazing Iditarod Race 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’ve added a few new dates and times! I will also be continuing the Iditarod Classroom Club. 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.