IDITAROD & ALASKA

Lesson 7:
 

  1. Continue Charting Mushers

    2.  
  2. Read ...If You lived in the Alaska Territory

    3.  
    1. Who were the Natives of the area? What is a Totem Pole?


      2. Visit websites to learn more about the Natives, their cultures, customs and stories. Here is one:

      * The Inuit
      http://babel.uoregon.edu/yamada/guides/inuit.html

      These websites contain many facts about Alaska, its people, geography, history, and nature:

      ALASKA FACTS

      http://sled.alaska.edu/akfaq/akquick.html
      http://sled.alaska.edu/akfaq/akfaqindex.html

      An Alaska timeline:
      http://sled.alaska.edu/akfaq/akchron.html

      Alaska geography:
      http://sled.alaska.edu/akfaq/akgeogr.html

       

  3. Begin making "The Alaska Game":  (this may take a couple of days)
      4.  
    1. Using poster board, either draw the map of the Iditarod Trail or blow up copies of the map, large enough to travel a game piece on from checkpoint to checkpoint. 

      2.  
    2. You will need: 
      1. A game board (poster of the Iditarod Trail) 
      2. Question cards (approx. 100 or more--it's not as intimidating as it sounds; there's LOTS of things to ask!) relating to facts about Alaska, Iditarod, the Aurora Borealis, the Natives,  or anything learned from this unit
      3. Either (2) 6-sided dice or (1) 10 or 12-sided die
      4. markers (1 for each player)

        5.  
      RULES: 

      The object is to get from Anchorage to Nome by correctly answering questions to earn rolls of the dice. Placing your markers at Anchorage, each player chooses a game card. If he (or she) answers correctly, he rolls the die. Questions and rolls continue, taking turns,  until he accumulates enough points to equal the distance in miles to the next checkpoint. He would then advance his marker to that checkpoint. Questions answered incorrectly do not get a roll of the die. The first player to reach Nome is the winner! The last person is the 'Red Lantern Winner'! (Remember, all Mushers realize that just to complete the Iditarod Trail is success in itself--there are no losers if you complete the game!)

         

Lesson 8:

  1. Continue Charting Mushers

    2.  
  2. Continue making game cards as necessary

    3.  
  3. Reading Aloud:

    4.  
      Begin reading Woodsong. It is a pretty intense book, so be prepared for questions. This will continue through out the rest of the unit (and possibly a little beyond).
       
  4. Research History of Alaska:

    5.  
    1. Using books and websites, research how Alaska was accepted as a territory and then a state. Read about the Klondike Gold Rush. What is 'Seward's Folly' and why would it be called that?
       
      * Klondike Gold Rush Resources
      http://www.misd.k12.wa.us/curriculum/gradelevel/webresources/goldrush.html

      * Alaska: Boom Town, ca. 1900 in detail
      http://cmp1.ucr.edu/exhibitions/mapped_photos/alaska.html

      * Women in Alaska's History
      http://library.thinkquest.org/11313/

         

Lesson 9:

  1. Continue Charting Mushers

    2.  
  2. Continue Reading Aloud from Woodsong

    3.  
  3. Assigned Reading:

    4.  
      The Bite of the Gold Bug: A Story of the Alaskan Gold Rush - (Once Upon America)
       
  4. Research 'Black Gold' (oil)
        5.  
    1. Where is the Alaska Pipeline? How valuable has Alaska become, especially since it was originally considered 'not worth the money' Seward paid for it? 
        2.  
      Visit the website:

      * Prince William Sound: Paradise Lost?
      http://library.thinkquest.org/10867/

      * The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
      http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/oil/
       

Lesson 10:

  1. Continue Charting Mushers

    2.  
  2. Continue Reading Aloud from Woodsong

    3.  
  3. Watch the video Wild Alaska as a family.

    4.  
    1. Continue researching the Alaskan Wildlife on these websites:


      2. *Wild-Eyed Alaska, An Educational Exploration into Alaskan Wildlife
      http://www.hhmi.org/alaska/

      * Arctic Animals Printouts
      http://www.enchantedlearning.com/coloring/arcticanimals.shtml 

  4. The "I-Kid-arod"!!

    5.  
    1. If you live where there is snow, this can be great fun! Even if you don't you can create a 'pseudo-I-Kid-arod' with a wagon or something of the sort. We happen to live in pretty snowy territory. 


      2. First we created a path around our property with a snow-blower (forget the shovels; we had 2-3 feet of snow!) We included checkpoints at about 5 locations. (signs on snow shovel handles, stuck in the banks)

      The children took turns being the Musher and then a dog. Out of the 5 stops, all were designated 'check-the paws' stops, 2 were to give water to the dogs (the 8 hour stops) and one was to rest a bit and feed the dogs (the 24 hour stop). Things had to be packed appropriately to fit on the sled. 
      We practiced in the day, but our real race ran at night with a flashlight attached to the sled. This way, Dad could get in on the action (and we needed his pulling power! What was his dog name again? Oh yes, 'Ginger'). Racing at night was much more exciting and made you respect how dreadfully dark it can be and how courageous the Mushers must be to continue racing under those conditions in the middle of wilderness. 
      What made it even more fun, was for Mom (myself) to act as 'Anchorage Daily News' and follow along with the camcorder, interviewing the Mushers as they came into each stop. 

Additional Iditarod & Alaskan Links:

* Iditarod Sled Dog Race Official Website
* Alaska Maps
* UltimateIditarod.com
* Dog Owner's Guide: The Iditarod
* Cabela's Iditarod Race Coverage
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