Iditarod is an incredible teaching tool that teachers incorporate into all content areas of teaching.
A teacher knows that creating bulletin boards that teach and display areas that spark the imagination and interest of students is essential to setting the stage for learning. The environment a teacher creates can make or break the lessons taught within the walls of the classroom.
Books, maps, posters, and other items can be put on display to create an interest in the subjects being taught. As you go about creating the perfect Iditarod classroom environment, remember in order to achieve maximum academic success in your Iditarod enriched atmosphere in your classroom, create your displays based on what research says about teaching and learning and be sure your displays are aligned with the standards that you teach.
* Remember: Meaningful, purposeful displays will help your students meet the goals and objectives of the curriculum.
Iditarod should not be the ‘clutter’ in your classroom, but the purposeful blueprint for your students to be engaged in learning their curriculum and standards.
Focus on ways to decrease clutter and frame the educational messages for the students.
Teachers know that the atmosphere they create for their students, is very important and can make a difference in the academic, cultural, and social success of the students.
Students who enjoy being in their classroom and are comfortable in their surroundings, are more apt to show academic success.
An ‘environment’ that is cluttered isn’t necessarily an enriched environment. Students need structure and order in their world. A good teacher knows this and strives to bring balance to this issue when creating and maintaining the environment of the classroom. Each decision a teacher makes, from the arrangement of the desks, to the posters on the wall, to the color scheme of the bulletin boards, to the bins and baskets used to house classroom materials, play a role in the ability for students to show appropriate classroom behavior, to maintain a focus, develop interests, and achieve academic success. (See resources below)
An enriched learning environment provides an organized assortment of materials to capture the interest and imagination of students who must be exposed to a multiple intelligence approach to learning.
Students need to see, hear, touch, sense, and even smell in order to grasp important content concepts. Students need sketches, maps, diagrams, models, — real things, to gain long term learning. Students need pencil and paper and they need to use technology tools. Students need to be able to see things in black and white and also in color. Students need to be exposed to books and written materials, on line articles, and first- hand resources. All of this — in an organized manner, of course!
Iditarod is a teaching tool that provides students with the exposure to a real event that can be studied in real time, which brings to the student knowledge and information that they can relate to and internalize. Students are able to make emotional connections and connect what they learn to something in their own local environment. Iditarod in the classroom is ‘good for the brain’ learning and helps students gain perspectives, problems solve, and achieve.
Once a teacher begins using the race as a teaching tool, the opportunities of what one can do with students seems to multiply. Best advice is to keep a focus on the goals at hand and let those teaching goals ‘drive’ the look of the classroom and the activities for students.
Teachers new to the use of the race as a teaching tool should keep in mind that starting small and keeping it simple, is important.
Our website and educational department are here to assist you.
Books and Written Materials:
Our website provides you with a categorized list of books available for students. (Click here)
Locate books for a particular grade level, a topic your students are interested in, or books that will align with your curriculum. This section of the website is updated as new books are released. If you are using a book that is not on this list, please recommend a book to us.
Zuma’s Paw Prints is a section of our website that is for readers of all ages. Zuma and the K9 journalists provide articles and stories about Alaska, mushing, dogs, and Iditarod. Each journalist writes for a different reading level or has different kinds of articles to report on. Read each article from each K9, or read the articles appropriate to your student’s grade level. Readers can also meet other ‘famous’ dogs who are sharing stories or articles on the website. * Keep a ‘greener classroom’ by having students read these articles while viewing them on the computer instead of printing each article or posting the articles on bulletin boards.
Zuma’s Paw Prints also has a “Meet the Author” section with letters from authors and information about books.
*Teaching tip: If you are not finding the complete article, click on the title of the article to bring a full view of the article.
Bulletin Board Ideas:
Design your bulletin boards so that they teach skills and content standards, show academic success, provide enrichment to the topics studied, or capture the imagination of the mind’s of your students. Click here for ideas.
Teacher Tips and Tools and Other Resources:
Our goal is to provide you with ideas to enhance your instruction. Click here to view the Teacher’s Tools section of the site and note the other menu items to find what you are looking for to enhance classroom instruction. You’ll find charts, templates, contests, information on speakers for your classroom, and many more important details.
Our on line store has items that you can purchase, too. Click here to visit the store.
Are you looking for a map for your classroom? Click here or send an email to provide us information of the exact kind of map you need.
This section of the website is updated frequently. We also welcome ideas from teachers around the world, so email us your suggestions and additions.
For Teachers section of the website:
The entire For Teachers section of the site is dedicated to bringing news and teaching ideas directly to you. Check this section of the site weekly for new information. Use the menu to find specific ideas or lessons that help your students meet the challenges of their curriculum. Note we have listed lesson ideas by content area. These lessons are good for the brain, aligned to standards, and provide students with activities that engage them in learning. Use our search box to help you find additional information.
Don’t forget to visit the Target® Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ section of the website for lesson ideas and information.
Make sure you have signed up for the Education Department Newsletter, Iditarod Insight. Click here to subscribe.
Looking for tips on classroom management using Iditarod as a tool? Check out this article by Cathy Walters, 2009 Target® Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™.
Iditarod is a tried and true tool to teach the content and skills you deliver to your students. The environment you create using this tool will enhance your classroom activities and empower your students to academic success.
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Resources used in this article:
Savage, 1999; Stewart & Evans, 1997; Weinstein, 1992, MacAulay, 1990; Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995; Walker & Walker, 1991, The Responsive Classroom, “The Difference is Amazing”, by Gayle Robert, http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/newsletter/13_2nl_3.html
• Note: Following links from this article will lead to resources outside www.iditarod.com .
