Alaska/Iditarod

Language

Write letters to Mushers,

Write Good Luck cards, posters

Page 20

Sled Dog Stories

To build prior knowledge for other activities.

Page 8

IditaRead

This is a reading contest, students race to Nome. (Individualized reading goals.)

Page15

Zuma

Zuma is the "official" kids mascot of Iditarod. We use the internet to read daily reports, email race/dog questions. We also earn money and email her a pizza.

Page10

D.O.L

These are daily oral language problems that relate to the Iditarod and Alaska

Page 9

1 Day on the Trail, writing assignment. Students are asked to imagine what it would be like on one day of the race.

Page 25

Balto Movie/Book

Students are asked to compare and contrast the movie and the book.

Page 16

Math

Track Daily Progress

using the internet, students will observe the daily progress of a selected musher. (checkpoints reached)

Page 11

Total Distance Traveled

Students will record and graph a running total of the number of miles travel by their musher.

Page 12

Monitor total number of mushers in race. This number changes often and provides daily addition/subtraction practice.

Page 23

Elapsed time

Students will compare the elapsed time between two mushers.

Page 31

Science

Friction

Students will pull their sleds across different materials and "measure" the amount of friction

Page 30

Dog Care

Students will name some of the needs of sled dogs and compare those needs to other animals.

Page 24

Solid, Liquid, Gas

Students will demonstrate an understanding of solids, liquids, and gases.

(extreme cold)

Page 32

Social Studies

Maps Alaska

Students will identify, land, oceans, lakes and rivers. trail map

(basic features)

People, Places, and Environments

Page 17

Environment, how we (mushers) use natural resources to meet basic needs.

(stranded musher)

People, Places, and Environments

Page 26

History of the Race,

reason for it, serum run of 1925, timeline of major events.

Time, Continuity, and Change

Page 18

Musher problem, solving writing task. Students are given a real world problem and are asked to solve it with limited resources

Individual Development and Identity

Page 28

A Musher’s character, trustworthiness, respect, citizenship, responsibility, caring. Relate to school’s character program.

Individual Development and Identity

Page 22

Race Rules,

Students will review the rules w/a parent and write three sentences about how the rules promote dog care & who enforces these rules. (Iditarod Trail Committee, ITC)

Individuals, Groups, and Institutions

Page 19

Visit from local Musher

Catie Gerke from MUSH visits our room.

(2 questions, thank you cards)

Individual Development and Identity

Page 22

Art/Music/Other

Good Luck posters are made and photographed for our class web page.

Page 21

Song

"The Iditarod Trail" by Hobo Jim

Read, Practice, Sing

Page 13

Build a dog sled, make a sled from craft sticks and paper.

Page 29

Luncheon

We obtain a list of foods consumed by the mushers on the trail and have an Musher’s Lunch

Page 33

All writing activates should include pictures made with various materials.

(paints, markers, etc.)

Local Races, Students are invited to attend these events. I will be attending both events. At the Double JJ race students and families are encourage to stay use the sledding tube run for a few hours with their classmates and families.

1.) January 17th and 18th Double JJ Resort - Rothbury, MI
Race Chairman: Linda Lange

2.) February 21st and 22nd Paul Hunt Memorial Race - Baldwin, MI
Race Chairman: Randy Gerke & Linda Lange

Iditarod Unit

Summary:

For the past three years I have used the Iditarod Trail Race as one of my biggest themes of the year. Every year my students and I learn a little more about what it takes to compete in this thousand-mile adventure. The race begins in downtown Anchorage, Alaska at 10:00 a.m. on the first Saturday in March every year. This year the race starts on March 1. I usually start my Iditarod unit a few weeks before the start of the race and end it when the race ends about two weeks later. My IditaRead reading race will last for about four weeks. During the race, our classroom is very busy. I use the Balto Story/Movie as my "kick-off" activity. I always invite a local musher to bring his/her dog team and a dog sled to our classroom. Our class checks the official Iditarod web site to get the latest updates about the race. We always pick two mushers to follow for the race. We pick one musher from Michigan and one from Alaska, one is a rookie and one is a veteran. Last year both of our mushers withdrew, so we had to make some quick changes. You never know what will happen in the race or in the classroom during this unit.

Using the Iditarod Trail Race as a theme is very exciting. My students love following the progress of "our" mushers on the Internet. We are fortunate that the Iditarod Trail Committee has done a great many things to support the use of this unit in the classroom.

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Some of the activities in this unit are supported by the Official Iditarod Trail Race web page located at http://www.iditarod.com.

Social Studies Thematic Standards are underlined and linked at the bottom of each Social Studies activity. Social Studies Standards can be found at the National Council for the Social Studies at http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/teachers/vol1/home.shtml

This unit is an extension of my Alaska theme, which is taught in conjunction with my Iditarod Unit. For the purposes of this paper I have separated some of these activities. Some of the activities in this unit may rely on skills taught in the Alaska unit. My Alaska theme covers some of the following ideas; mapping skills, measurement, distance, environmental features of Alaska, how humans change the environment to meet our basic needs, Native Alaskan people (families, homes, customs, daily life) Alaska’s wildlife, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, natural resources, scarce/limited resources, gold mining and other topics.

Resources

Must have;

1. Daily Access to http://www.Iditarod.com is required.

Recommended

Books

1. Iditarod Fact Book, by Sue Mattson

2. Stone Fox, by John Reynolds

3. Silver, by Gloria Whelan

4. Iditarod Classics, by Lew Freedman

5. Woodsong, by Gary Paulsen (child’s versions)

6. Sled Dogs of Denali National Park by Karen Fortier

Web Resources

Time Line

This unit should start a few weeks before the start of the Iditarod Trail Race and can continue as long as need. The race begins on March 1 and the slowest racer last year finished the race in 15 days.

Week One	Week Two	Week Three race start	Week Four	Week Five	Week Six
Sled Dog Stories D.O.L. Zuma
		Track Daily Progress Total Distance Traveled Song IditaRead (until all students finish)
Balto/Movie Book	History of the Race	Musher Visit	Dog Care	Environment	Friction
Maps Alaska	Race Rules	Monitor total number of mushers	1 Day on the trail	Mushers Character	Elapsed Time
	Write Letters to Mushers			Musher Problem	Solid, Liquid, Gas
	Good Luck posters			Simple Machines	Luncheon

Possible Instructional Model

This model was developed by the Forest Grove Public Schools in Forest Grove Oregon. Not all lessons need all steps, some lessons may omit or combine steps. While my district does not mandate a certain instructional model, I have used this model for several years and assume that it would be acceptable to my district. For the purposes of this paper I will provide the basic steps and the user may add addition steps as needed. Users should adapt the activities to meet their districts specific leaning objectives. I have not listed my counties curriculum objectives.

1. Objectives, What will I learn and why it will help me be a winner at learning?

Prerequisites, What do I need to know to learn the new objectives?
Cue Setting, What I will learn and how I will learn it.
Best Shot, My teacher will teacher me what to do. My teacher will teach me something new
Guided Practice, My teacher guides me through the learning.
Independent Practice, I can do it on my own.
Formative Assessment, My teacher will check how I am doing. Am I learning the objective?
Correctives, I need more time and help with the objective.
Extensions, I use what I have learned in a new way
Closure, I will demonstrate what I have learned.
Summative Assessment, I will prove that I have learned the objective by passing the test. Now I have mastery.

Sled Dog Stories

Objectives To build prior knowledge for future Iditarod activities.

Prerequisites none

Cue Setting Basic understanding of dogs, sled dogs, sled dog racing and the Iditarod.

Best Shot List elements of story on chalkboard, (5w’s, main idea of each story) I always bring my dog to class for the first few stories.

Guided Practice read to students

Independent Practice Choose stories from my sled dog collection and read independently.

Formative Assessment Students responses in Iditarod related activities, students should begin to display understanding of basic principles, (dog care, safety, basic race rules).

Correctives additional reading practice

Extensions Encourage students to look for books at the library, bookstore, and home.

Closure direct to public library

Summative Assessment Students responses in Iditarod related activities.

Materials: large collection of sled dog related reading materials

Daily Oral Language (sentence correction pages)

Objectives Proper use of grammar. (caps, punctuation, spelling)

Prerequisites none

Cue Setting Students will use proper capitalization and ending punctuation. Students will correct two sentences every day and these sentences will be corrected in class.

Best Shot Show students proper capitalization and ending punctuation rules.

Guided Practice Student will correct two sentences every day and these sentences will be corrected in class.

Independent Practice Students should use these skills in their daily writings.

Formative Assessment Papers may occasionally be collected instead of corrected in class.

Correctives Review grammar and punctuation rules, additional practice.

Extensions Students may create their own sentences for students to correct. (teacher monitoring required)

Closure n/a ongoing objective

Summative Assessment Papers may occasionally be collected instead of corrected in class.

Materials: daily oral language sentences

Zuma

Objectives Students will learn basic internet use and record information about the Iditarod.

Prerequisites none

Cue Setting Students will learn basic internet use and data collection. This will be done during our twice-weekly computer lab time and in our classroom.

Best Shot Show students how to get to Zuma’s homepage and record race information.

Guided Practice Model and assist students during computer lab time.

Independent Practice Students may use laptops after morning jobs are finished to collect race information

Formative Assessment Students will be required to find and record one piece of race relate information from Zuma’s homepage. (in-lab)

Correctives Individual practice in the computer lab or in the classroom.

Extensions Students may look for race related information on the Official Iditarod Trail Race homepage.

Closure Students should show a friend of family member how to record race facts from Zuma’s homepage

Summative Assessment Students will be required to find and record three pieces of race relate information from Zuma’s homepage. (lab or classroom, two days to finish)

Materials: internet access, Iditarod Race Booklets, (race booklets are simply a small journal to record facts, decorate cover).

Track Daily Progress

Objectives To monitor and record the daily progress of two mushers as they compete in the Iditarod.

Prerequisites Ability to read names of both mushers and a basic understanding of web browsers.

Cue Setting How to record location of a musher on trail through daily use of the internet.

Best Shot Students will record the location of their musher on a trail map and musher tracking form, copied from Iditarod.com. The teacher will show the students what page this information is located on and how to record that information on a trail map.

Guided Practice During computer lab time the teacher will "walk" the class through an example. Students will need one copy of the trail map and a musher tracking form.

Independent Practice During class time students will record this information from the monitor in the room showing this information. After the first few days students will be expected to find and record this information on their own.

Formative Assessment Computer Lab. Find and record the location of our musher and record their location on the trail map.

Correctives Students may work with a partner if needed.

Extensions This activity can be done at home or with other mushers of interest.

Closure Students will record the locations of their musher on a daily basis until the they have reached the finish line in Nome.

Summative Assessment Find the location of a musher of the teachers choice that we have not previously discussed.

Materials: Internet access, copy of trail map and musher tracking form.

Total Distance Traveled

Objectives Students will demonstrate the ability to add two and three digit numbers with and with out regrouping.

Prerequisites basic addition, place value

Cue Setting The teacher will show student how to read one the trail information page on Iditarod.com and keep a running total of the number of miles their musher has completed.

Best Shot The teacher will help the student record the information required to keep a running total of the number of miles completed. This information can be recorded as on the class bulletin board.

Guided Practice The teacher will assist the students to complete this question. Training in regrouping/place value may be required.

Independent Practice Students will be asked to find this information with out assistance. The teacher will then tell the class the correct answer. (correct in class)

Formative Assessment in class check

Correctives Addition practice during math lessons.

Extensions Try at home/computer lab with a different musher/trail.

Closure In class checks with out assistance.

Summative Assessment In class checks with out assistance.

Materials: A teacher created form to keep track of miles traveled.

Song Iditarod Trail

Objectives Students learn the words to the song.^©

Prerequisites n/a

Cue Setting Discuss how music can add excitement to our lives.

Best Shot Play song and pass out lyric sheets.

Guided Practice Play song/ follow a long with lyrics.

Independent Practice Song could be used at a listening center.

Formative Assessment

Correctives

Extensions Create your own song sled dog song using the melody from another song.

Closure

Summative Assessment

Materials: song and lyric sheets

The Iditarod Trail^© by Hobo Jim

Well, way up in Alaska, the state that stands alone

There’s a dog race run from Anchorage here to Nome

And it’s a grueling race with a lightning pace where the chilly winds do wail

Meet the northern lights across the snow and the ice,

It’s called the Iditarod Trail

Hey, Give me team and a good lead dog and a sled that’s built so fine

Let me race those miles to Nome, one-thousand-forty-nine

Then when I get back to my home, hey I can tell my tale

I did, I did, I did The Iditarod Trail

Well the race it won’t be easy for the masters of the trail

And some of them will make it and some of them will fail

Just to run that race takes a tough and hearty breed

and a lot of work done by the dogs that run across the snow with a whistlin’ speed

Give me team and a good lead dog and a sled that’s built so fine

Let me race those miles to Nome, one-thousand-forty-nine

When I get back to my home, hey I can tell my tale

I did, I did, I did The Iditarod Trail

Well, I just pulled out of Safety on the trail and alone

Doin’ fine picking up time runnin’ on into Nome

There’s no sled tracks in front of me and no one on my tail

I did, I did, I did The Iditarod Trail

Hey, Give me team and a good lead dog and a sled that’s built so fine

Let me race those miles to Nome, one-thousand-forty-nine

When I get back to my home, hey I can tell my tale

I did, I did, I did The Iditarod Trail

This is the parent letter that I send home to explain the rules of this contest

The IditaRead

Rules

The IditaRead is a reading contest that parallels the Iditarod. Students will be reading Accelerated Reader books and taking tests as usual. Only now they will be challenged to race to checkpoints just like our mushers in Alaska. When they reach their weekly goal they will be advanced along the racecourse. We will be using the same checkpoints as the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. There are twenty-five checkpoints on this course with Nome, Alaska being the twenty-fifth and final checkpoint. Students who reach their weekly reading goal will be allowed to move their sled a head five checkpoints. If they do not reach their goal they will move ahead based on what percent of their goal they accomplished. I will print A.R reports each Friday and post results the following Monday. Only Accelerated Reader books count towards your student’s weekly goal. Students with very low reading goals may be given new goals at the end of the second week.

100% of their reading goal and above = 5 checkpoints

90% to 99% = 4 checkpoints

80% to 89% = 3 checkpoints

70% to 79% = 2 checkpoints

60% to 69% = 1 checkpoints

50% to 59% = 0 checkpoints

49% and below = disqualified

Since, I have students who are at all reading levels I will be basing each students reading goal on the number of words read in a week. Test scores are also important. If your student reads a 100 word book and scores 70% on the test, they will only get credit for 70 page. "Only healthy dogs can run."

Your student’s weekly goal for this contest is ___________ words per week. This number is based on their average number of words read over the past six weeks plus ten percent. Every Monday morning your student will move their sled based on how many pages they have read the previous week.

It will be extremely important for your student to read Accelerated Reader books at home every night. There are a few students in our room who read well over twelve thousand words a week and they can only do this by reading at home.

-------------------

Prizes will be given out at various checkpoints throughout the race.

Bookmarks will be given at Ruby and White Mountain

"Gold" will be given out at the halfway point in Grayling 1.

Lunch in the warm classroom, Unalakleet

First one to Nome wins an Iditarod T-shirt and key chain.

First, second and third place mushers win a free lunch with me at the Depot in Grant.

Balto movie/book comparison

Objectives Students will learn to look for similarities and differences. They will be studying the true story of the 1925 Nenana to Nome serum run. The Bravest Dog Ever The True Story of Balto is a story written by Natalie Standiford and Balto is an animated film from Universal pictures. These two items will be compared and contrasted in an effort to better understand the true story. The serum run of 1925 is the foundation for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Prerequisites terms, similarities, differences, fiction and non-fiction

Cue Setting Students will understand the difference between similarities and differences. Site examples of fiction and non-fiction stories, movies, and television programs.

Best Shot The teacher should define the terms and provide examples of each.

Guided Practice Students must find three examples of each prior to watching the film. These can be on any topic.

Independent Practice (The teacher will read the story and show the film.) Students will find two examples of similarities and differences between the book and film.

Formative Assessment Review responses in independent practice

Correctives Read other accounts of the 1925 serum rum.

Extensions Relate to fiction and non-fiction.

Closure Students read their responses to the class.

Summative Assessment evaluate responses

Materials: The Bravest Dog Ever The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford and Balto, an animated film from Universal pictures.

Alaska Map

Objectives Students will understand that maps have several similar features. Land, rivers, lakes, mountains, cities and boundaries are common features found on most maps.

Prerequisites none

Cue Setting Students will understand that maps have several similar features. Land, rivers, lakes, mountains and boundaries are features found on most maps. This will be taught through the creation of a basic map.

Best Shot Have students trace a map that is enlarged and copied on a transparency. This transparency is placed on the overhead and "shot" onto white posted board for the students to trace. Students should trace shape of landform, 2 main rivers, 3-5 lakes and 2 mountain ranges, stat capital, Anchorage, Nenana, and Nome.

Guided Practice model

Independent Practice Add features to map with a group of students.

Formative Assessment Evaluation of map.

Correctives reteach

Extensions Students can make a map of their neighborhood.

Closure Class presentation of final product.

Summative Assessment Evaluation of final product.

Materials: Alaska map on a transparency and white poster board.

History of the Race

Objectives Students will learn the basic methods of recording/understanding/comparing historical facts.

Prerequisites none

Cue Setting Students will review and strive to understand the basic reasons for the 1925 serum run Nenana to Nome. This will be done by reviewing The Iditarod Fact Book by Sue Mattson and Iditarod.com/Serum Run

Best Shot The teacher will use the book to model how to record critical facts. These facts should be recorded for comparison when students attempt to record critical facts from the website.

Guided Practice Teacher and student will extract critical facts from the web site together after teacher models how to do this using the book.

Independent Practice Students will extract critical details from the website.

Formative Assessment Teacher monitors progress during computer part of assignment/

Correctives Partner assistance.

Extensions Students can look for other critical facts on other parts of the web page and in other books.

Closure Group comparison of notes collected by individuals. This information can be turned into a poster board "Movie Poster" of "Book Jacket" that explains and highlights the important true facts of this story.

Summative Assessment Students will be required to write a short one page summary of the 1925 serum run. (Or similar project, perhaps students could tell the story to a family member who can state that the story was complete.)

Materials: web page and book, material for summative assessment

Race Rules

Objectives Students will gain an understanding of how other agencies can enforce and rules. The comparison between government and nongovernmental agencies should be addressed.

Prerequisites basic understanding of communities/government/rules and regulations

Cue Setting Students will learn the ways agencies promote dog care and health during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. This will be done by reviewing the race rules with their parents.

Best Shot Rules will be read by parents to students. The parent will highlight examples of good dog care.

Guided Practice w/parent

Independent Practice read independently

Formative Assessment Parent will question student as they read rules together.

Correctives parent input

Extensions Cite other examples in local community. (licenses, dog tags)

Closure Read rules that promote dog care to then class. (or) Draw a picture that illustrates concepts.

Summative Assessment Parent will ask the child to write to examples of how the race rules promote good dog care.

Materials: copy of rules

Write a letter to a musher

Objectives To understand the basic format of a letter that requests information.

Prerequisites basic writing skills

Cue Setting The student will write a letter that contains two questions and one comment whishing the musher "good luck." The student will review examples of previous letters and then be asked to write a letter to a musher.

Best Shot The teacher will show several examples of letters of a similar style. Then the teacher will model this process s on the overhead.

Guided Practice The students may use a teacher created outline/guide for this portion of the activity.

Independent Practice The student will write a letter with minimal assistance.

Formative Assessment The teacher will check to see if the students letter meets the requirements set fort in the cue set.

Correctives Students could practice writing to a friend.

Extensions write to a grand parent

Closure final review of letter

Summative Assessment Letter will be reviewed by the teacher then mailed to the musher’s musher’s address.

Materials: musher’s addresses and examples of letters

Good Luck Posters

Objectives To make a poster that illustrates a dog team in action and displays a "Good Luck" message for a musher.

Prerequisites n/a

Cue Setting The teacher will show students how to plan a poster by sketching it first on scrap paper the transferring the sketch to a poster. (group project)

Best Shot show students how to sketch and transfer sketch

Guided Practice assist as needed

Independent Practice

Formative Assessment

Correctives

Extensions individual projects

Closure

Summative Assessment The poster should be realistic and contain a good luck message. Photograph poster and email image to chosen musher.

Materials: poster paper, drawing/painting supplies

Musher Visit

Objectives To create excitement for the theme and to assist with sled dog related questions.

Prerequisites Students will have two questions written for the musher before they arrive.

Cue Setting Students will gain insight and answers to their questions and write a thank you letter.

Best Shot visit

Guided Practice n/a

Independent Practice n/a

Formative Assessment Students must have obtained answers to their question and have those answers in written form. Students must also write a thank you letter.

Correctives n/a

Extensions View a local race or animal shelter.

Closure

Summative Assessment

Materials:

List of possible mushers from M.U.S.H and local mushers Rick Mennard Al Hardman

Monitor total number of mushers in the race

Objectives Understand basic subtraction story problems.

Prerequisites single digit addition and subtraction, basic facts

Cue Setting Students will learn how to keep a running total of the actual number of mushers in the race at any given time an able to tell by what amount that number has changed since the last time it was checked.

Best Shot The teacher will show several examples. "If there were 65 mushers on Tuesday and today is Wednesday and there are now 63 mushers, how many less mushers are there today versus yesterday? (subtraction story problem)

Guided Practice with students using single digit numbers

Independent Practice with double-digit numbers, w/o actual race information

Formative Assessment Students will attempt to solve the problem of how many mushers scratched/ added to the musher list. This will always be a subtraction problem once the race has started

Correctives addition practice/peer teaching

Extensions Make fictitious story problems for the class to solve.

Closure solve similar problems

Summative Assessment The students will correctly state the number of mushers on the course at any given time.

Materials: daily race updates

Dog Care

Objectives Students will recognize basic needs of dogs (animals).

Prerequisites They should know what a dog is.

Cue Setting Student will gain an understanding of dog care from listening to several stories related to dogs and a visit from a local musher

Best Shot The teacher will instruct the students about the importance of food, water, shelter and proper veterinarian care for dogs.

Guided Practice Practice by reviewing a selection of dog-related books and materials of the teacher’s choice. In class discussion.

Independent Practice Students will write two ways to care for dogs.

Formative Assessment

Correctives

Extensions Write about how the individual student cares for their own dog.

Closure

Summative Assessment Review of written report. (IP)

Materials: dog care books, musher visit, videos etc.

One Day on the Trail

Objectives To improve creative writing skills

Prerequisites basic writing skills

Cue Setting Students will learn to be better creative writers by watching their teacher model writing and writing one story themselves.

Best Shot The teacher will model the writing of one short story. The teacher may whish to make a story web first. This story should illustrate the daily life of a musher on the trail.

Guided Practice Teacher works with students to create a web or outline of the story.

Independent Practice Students use web to create a story.

Formative Assessment Meet with students while they are writing.

Correctives additional writing assistance

Extensions daily writing in journals

Closure post stories in hallway or on bulletin board

Summative Assessment share with class

Materials: examples of creative short stories, blank story web forms

Environment

Objectives Develop an awareness of how humans use the environment to meet our basic needs.

Prerequisites understanding of the term needs

Cue Setting Students will be learning about how humans use the natural word to meet our basic needs, this will be accomplished by "changing" the environment on a poster board picture.

Best Shot The teacher will have a large picture of a natural scene in Alaska. I have use pictures from the internet and had them enlarged on the poster printer. Students can use the resources in the picture in way to meet their needs. Example; the trees in the picture can be "cut" out and used as a shelter. The river can be used for drinking water. The berries and animals can be used for food. The original picture should not contain any man made items. (group project)

Guided Practice The teacher help students list basic needs.

Independent Practice With a group the student should complete the task.

Formative Assessment monitor progress

Correctives further discussion

Extensions Try wit a different picture.

Closure Share poster with the class and post in the hallway.

Summative Assessment evaluate poster

Materials:

Mushers Character

Objectives To blend the ideas of the districts Kids for Character program with creative writing skills.

Prerequisites Understanding of the "six pillars" of good character. Trustworthiness, respect, citizenship, fairness, responsibility and caring. They should have heard many stories about mushers on the trail, the book Iditarod Classics by Lew Freedman has many good short stories.

Cue Setting Students will be listing how a musher displays these five characteristics before, during and after the race. Students will have head a various stories and should be able to brain storm a list of actions to match each of the five pillars.

Best Shot The teacher will make a story web using the five pillars. They will write a short example of an action that matches each pillar. The teacher will connect these ideas into a short story that depicts a musher’s life on the trail.

Guided Practice The teacher will assist the students as they complete their webs. Students should ask their peers to read and make comments about their story. (editing)

Independent Practice The teacher will assist the students as they complete their webs.

Formative Assessment teacher student conferencing about story

Correctives The teacher will meet with the student and discuss/edit the student’s story to make sure they are meeting the objective.

Extensions Write about another person who displays the six pillars.

Closure Students will read their story to the classroom. Older students may wish to turn their story into a play.

Summative Assessment Publish stories and add pictures. Stories should be collected and turned into a book to be used by other classes/teachers that teach the six pillars.

Materials: Book; Iditarod Classics by Lew Freedman (or similar) Knowledge of the Six Pillars character program (or similar).

A Musher’s Problem

Objectives To blend creative writing (plays) with problem solving.

Prerequisites Good writing skills and an understanding of plays.

Cue Setting The student (groups) will learn how to write a play that will illustrate a musher solving a problem on the Iditarod Trail.

Best Shot The students/teacher will list a variety of possible problems that a musher might encounter on the Iditarod Trail. The students will choose one of these ideas or create a new one and write a short play that illustrates the musher’s problem solving skills.

Guided Practice The teacher will assist the student as they choose a problem to solve. The teacher will assist the student group to choose characters. Since the musher is alone a great deal of the time the teacher may have to instruct the students to use narrators, reporters, checkpoint workers, veterinarians or local residents to make their play more dynamic.

Independent Practice Students will display their understanding of these skills by being a contributing member of their group.

Formative Assessment The teacher will make occasional checks of each groups progress

Correctives Editing or read additional plays to help illustrate how plays are structured

Extensions Students may make costumes and scenery and perform their "show" for other grade levels or for the school.

Closure Perform the play.

Summative Assessment Perform the play.

Materials: examples of plays

Build a Sled

Objectives To build a dog sled that can be used for friction related science experiments.

Prerequisites ability to read and follow a plan/sketch a model of a dog sled

Cue Setting While looking a previously completed model the students (or groups) will be told that they will be making a dog sled out of craft sticks, paper and glue.

Best Shot The teacher will draw a plan on paper and show the students how to use art materials to build a simple sled.

Guided Practice The teacher will assist students as they draw plans and make their sled.

Independent Practice

Formative Assessment

Correctives finish at home

Extensions Build a shoebox diorama to display the sled in its "natural" environment.

Closure Display sleds in the student showcase.

Summative Assessment The student will have a completed sled.

Materials: craft sticks and tooth picks of various sizes, construction paper of various colors, wood strips. A large variety of dog sled pictures.

Note, This is a difficult project, it may be helpful to have a parent helper at each group. Sleds may have to be made over a series of days to allow for proper glue drying. Build one side at a time and place on wax paper to dry, then glue bed to one side, dry, glue bed to other side rail. Make sure there are two good runners.

The teacher should make a sled before trying this project with students.

Students may also use K’nex or Lego’s.

Friction

Objectives To gain a basic understanding of friction.

Prerequisites students should have completed dog sled model

Cue Setting Students will learn about friction and how surfaces affect the friction of the sleds runners.

Best Shot The teacher will discuss the term friction. The students will observe the teacher as they pull their sled with a string and rubber band. The students will observe the rubber band stretch as the sled is pulled across various surfaces. (table, carpet, paper, sand paper, wet counter, soaped counter) Record observations for class discussion and review.

Guided Practice Students will work with their group to discover the various frictional characteristics of each surface. Record observations.

Independent Practice

Formative Assessment Question students about their observations.

Correctives peer assistance

Extensions Friction Quiz

Closure Students should describe the results to their peers.

Summative Assessment Students should write a few sentences that explain the general principals of friction.

Materials: sled, a variety of surfaces, string rubber bands, (rubber band should be tied t sled, string should be tied to rubber band)

Elapsed Time

Objectives To gain a better understanding of time.

Prerequisites Knowledge of how to tell time to the nearest five-minute mark.

Cue Setting Students will learn how to determine how many minute ahead/behind a musher is when compare to another musher. They will be asked to make a daily comparison between the two musher the class has chosen to follow for the Iditarod. Each day the teacher will writ the total amount of time the mushers have been on the trail on the chalkboard. He/She will then guide the student to make a comparison between these two time to determine who has been on the trail the longest and how mush longer that musher has been on the trail.

Best Shot same a cue

Guided Practice daily practice

Independent Practice student make a guess before the teacher "works" the problem.

Formative Assessment Observation of daily efforts.

Correctives practice with simple problems

Extensions relate to NASCAR times

Closure

Summative Assessment evaluation of daily efforts

Materials: daily race results from Iditarod.com

Solid, Liquid, Gas

Objectives The students will gain an understanding of the three stages of matter by boiling snow.

Prerequisites snow on the ground

Cue Setting Students will learn about the three stages of matter by boiling snow. This will be done with teacher assistance in the classroom.

Best Shot Each student will be asked to go outside and collect a sample of snow. This will be placed in a pan and heated until boiling. The student will make a prediction about what will happen before the experiment.

Guided Practice The teacher will question the student to promote critical thinking about the transformation of a solid into a liquid to a gas.

Independent Practice none

Formative Assessment evaluation of prediction and observational notes

Correctives practice at home (adult supervision)

Extensions Place a thermometer in the snow as it is heated.

Closure

Summative Assessment The students written observations will closely match the actual events

Materials: snow, heat source, pain (Pyrex is best, it allows better viewing)

Luncheon

Objectives The students will experience a musher menu and understand why those foods were chosen.

Prerequisites The teacher must contact a musher and find out what they eat on the trail. It is best to email musher several month before the race begins since many head to Anchorage up a month before the race begins.

Cue Setting

Best Shot The teacher will discuss why a musher might eat the type of menu they do. (high calories, easy to prepare )The teacher will discuss food groups and healthy eating habits.

Guided Practice The teacher will provide a sample of all the foods their mushers ate on the trail.

Independent Practice

Formative Assessment

Correctives

Extensions

Closure

Summative Assessment Discussion about the types of foods consumed.

Materials: foods identical (similar) to the foods eaten on the trail

There are some food items that can be prepared by the class.