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Literacy Lights
Dogsledding in Alaska
by Kimberly Lanza, Rutgers University
As you know, relating schoolwork to current events is a great way to
motivate students. March is the month to get into the spirit of sled-dog
racing. The excitement of the famous Iditarod race begins on March 1,
but you can start preparing for it now. The race participants, known as
mushers, are making their final preparations for the grueling 1,112-mile
race held in Alaska. Just completing the race is an accomplishment! You
and your students will learn a lot, be inspired, and have fun doing some
of the following activities together.
1. Invite parents for an Iditarod Kick-Off Party. Think cold! Serve a
frozen snack and let the children wear their coats to set the mood. Have
each student choose the name of a musher out of a hat to follow during
the race. Will the musher and his team cross the finish line in eight
days? Or fourteen? Get daily race updates at www.iditarod.com. You may
want to encourage the students and their parents to explore other Web
sites devoted to the Iditarod.
2. The Iditarod is run in memory of the time the sled dog Balto
completed the relay to bring lifesaving medicine to children in Alaska.
Before the race begins on March 1, introduce the class to a few of the
many nonfiction books about Balto. Encourage students to write their own
animal adventure stories or expand on Balto's adventure. Have a movie
day. Watch Balto and then compare it to the books you read. Later, have
the class write and perform "The Real Story of Balto." Invite parents to
the premiere.
3. Inspire students to write poetry with Kiana's Iditarod (Last
Wilderness Adventure) by Shelley Gill (Paws IV Pub., 1992). Written in
rhyme by one of the first women to race in the Iditarod, it is a gem.
Have students perform their poetry individually or in groups.
4. This month in your classroom reading center, try to include books
about Alaska, sled-dog racing, and/or the Iditarod. For younger
students, you may want to include a wonderful story about an Inuit
mother's unconditional love for her daughter called Mama, Do You Love
Me? by Barbara M Joosse (Chronicle Books, 1998). Encourage each student
to write his or her own version of this story to take home. Older
children may enjoy Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner (HarperTrophy,
1988). It follows the character of Willy as he competes in a sled-dog
race to win money to help keep his grandfather's farm. Have students
keep track of the obstacles Willy faces and how he overcomes them. You
may want to show the movie Iron Will, which is based on the same story.
5. As the Iditarod continues, have students look through the newspaper
to find articles about the race. Have students write and perform "news
flashes" about their mushers and teams. Create a bulletin board map to
keep track of race progress. Let each student move his or her musher
each day. Use the standings from the Iditarod Web site to create
math-related word problems.
6. Celebrate perseverence. The Red Lantern is awarded to the last musher
to cross the finish line. Create your own perseverence award to
acknowledge book characters and students who never give up.
Dr. Morrow's Page
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