Things you need to know:

• I teach Kindergarten on a military base in Germany.
• I have 25 children in class.  They range from non-readers to about level 6 in DRA.
• My class is run as a company where each child has a job and gets a daily wage.  They get paid every Friday for the jobs they do and can earn bonuses for doing all their assignments (centers).  The amount they receive depends on whether or not they choose to “clock in/out” of activities by checking them off in their daily log book.  They could earn as little as $5.00 or as much as $12.00 a day in Stevens’ Company money.

About the Iditarod Unit:

We started learning about the Iditarod in January when I was preparing to go to see my first dogsled races.  I brought in the musher clothing I have collected over the years as well as patches, stuffed animals from the Arctic, and lots of books.  When I returned from the weekend races, I shared photos that I took of the various dog teams and mushers.  I also shared pictures that friends sent of races and dog sledding in Iceland and various places in the states.  Then the classroom kennel arrived.

A very generous friend of mine (Bonz Lundburg) sent me stuffed huskies for the classroom kennel…enough for each child in my class to adopt a puppy!  This week they got to meet the puppies in the kennel.  It was an exciting day with everyone picking 3 different dogs that they thought would suit them (just in case the one they really wanted had already been adopted before they got a turn).   Friday after lunch, my kinders went to the kennel again.  This time there was a “vet” (a volunteer mom) and lots of puppy sound effects (thanks to mom’s ipod).   At the kennel, they chose their new pet, named it, decided if it was a boy or girl, and gave it a birth date.  The “vet” recorded all the information and gave the owners an appointment for a check-up next week.  For the next month the children will learn about caring for their puppy while it lives in the school kennel. They will have to feed, water, exercise, and teach it as part of their daily routine.  When they go for their check-up, the vet will give them shots, check the puppy for injuries, if needed perform surgery and present the owner with a bill for the week.  Kenneling, food, and vet bills will be paid out of their weekly earnings.

Language Arts:

1. The children will write in their journals about how they chose and named their puppy.  They will also be asked to write about their puppy training and adventures.  All writing will be done using inventive spelling.

1. I have prepared several games using notebook software for use on individual computers as well as on the SmartBoard.  The games help the children learn facts and vocabulary.

Social Skills:

1. During relaxation time they will learn to interact appropriately with their pets.  Any puppy abuse (throwing, swinging around by the tail or leg, etc.) will mean the puppy goes back to the kennel and is cared for by the vet for that day.  If this happens, the daily kennel fee is doubled.

1. We will build 4 teams with 1 musher and 6 “dogs”.  They will work together in work centers and playground training for the month.  At the end of the month they will participate in a stage race around the playground as a dogsled team.  The “dogs” will be wearing toddler harnesses and will pull their musher in a wagon.  Teams will have both boys and girls.  The teams will decide who will be the musher, lead dogs, wheel dogs, and swing dogs.

Math:

1. Each day the children will roll dice to see how many ounces of dog food their puppy will eat.  That will help them figure out the cost of the food for that day.  Each ounce of regular food will cost $1.00 and the super food will cost $2.00 per ounce.  Kenneling fees are $1.00 per day.  They will record kenneling and food fees in their math journal which they will take to the Vet Clinic on Friday.
2. On Friday, they will help figure out their kenneling costs, food bills, and vet fees for the week.  Their totals will count towards the adoption fees for their dogs.  On March 12, 2010, they will be awarded an adoption certificate and take their puppies home.
3. We have a list of the checkpoints for 2010 and the distance between them.  We will use linker cubes to build segments of the trail and then transfer the information to graph paper.  1 cube=1 mile=1 square of graph paper.
4. Each child will have a musher to follow during the race.  They will work with the teacher to record where their musher is and how many dogs they have on their team.  Usually several children will choose the same musher so small groups work on this task together.  If a musher scratches, the children simply choose another one.  Many of the children will follow the musher at home with their parents as well as at school.

Reading Readiness:

We will read many of my books about Arctic animals and the Iditarod.  The different reading groups will then be tasked with picking a story and rewriting it in their own words.  The high level readers will write a story on their own, middle level will write a story in small groups, and non-readers will dictate the story to me.

Science:

Using tasks from eIditarod by Walter MacKenzie, we will explore the Arctic and discover how animals stay warm and how difficult it is to build a round structure.  We will build and test a blubber mitt, try to build a sled with popsicle sticks, and attempt to build a marshmallow igloo.

Physical Fitness

As part of our daily recess, we walk around the playground.  We count the minutes the children walk X the number of children in class to get our total miles for the day.  To walk to Anchorage for the start, we need to walk 4695 miles.  To get to Nome for the finishers banquet, we need to walk 5744 miles…and then we have to get home!  It is a fun way to exercise!

Kim Busch, Montana

Kim is a 4th grade teacher.

Kim is applying for this position because, “I believe it is important to aspire to be the best you can be;  Target® Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ is an opportunity to touch lives all over the world.”

Sample Lessons:

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race: The Big Book, Language Arts/Social Studies/Geography:  3rd Grade and Beyond:

Students research the different aspect of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Students write informational paragraphs and/or reports. Final products are published in a class big book.

Click here to view the lesson.

Determining Importance in Nonfiction: Fact – Question- Response, Language Arts/Social Studies:  Grades 4, 5, 6, and Beyond, depending upon on reading level

Student use F-Q-R Think Sheets to record significant facts and ideas, track questions that are generated during the reading, and reflect on their learning with feelings and opinions.

Click here to view lesson plans.

Click here to view the Fact-Question-Response Work Sheet.

Amy Dahmus, North Dakota

Amy teaches 5th grade.

Amy states that she is applying for this position because, “Becoming the Target® Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ has always been a dream and teaching the Iditarod has always been a passion, now I would like to turn this dream into a reality.”

Sample Lessons:

Plate Tectonics & Alaska’s Mountain Ranges, Science:  Grade 4 and Up

Students will first hypothesize how the mountains in Alaska were formed. Students will research the mountains and categorize them by their origin, volcanic eruption or plate tectonics. Students will then create a spreadsheet using EXCEL to compare the mountains origins.

Click here to view the lesson.

Who’s on Your Cereal Box? Visual Arts, Technology, and Language Arts

Students design their own cereal box using a brand name cereal. Students then create categories such as Advice for Young People, What’s on Your I-Pod?, Team Members, Life at a Glance, and Achievements. Students use creative ideas, advertising strategies, technology, and language skills to complete the task.

Click here to view the lesson.

Martha Dobson, North Carolina

Martha is a 6th grade English/Language Arts teacher at a middle school.

Martha states, “I am reapplying for the Target® Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ position because the Iditarod sparks interest and learning as nothing else has done in my classroom and because the challenge the race presents to mushers, dogs, and me is a metaphor for the challenges of life and life opportunities, a stron example of setting goals, determination, and perseverance to run one’s personal race.”

Sample Lessons:

Sled Dog Genetics:  Science, Grade 7

Students have learned about phenotypes, genotypes, dominant and recessive genes, heterozygous and homozygous organisms, and how to construct punnett squares in previous lessons. This lesson provides review and practice in using the previously learned skills with genetic problems based on Alaskan husky characteristics.

Click here to view the lessons.

Iditarod Word Problems, Math, Grade 6 and7

This is a review of math skills for each grade level. The problems contain factual data which shows students how math can be used in the real world. The problems can be used as extra credit opportunities or the problem of the day which provides an independent assignment for students to begin upon arrival in class.

Click here to view the lessons.

Blynne Froke, California

Blynne teaches 9- 12th grade students in a self contained ‘last chance’ school.

Blynne states that she is applying for this position because “The Target® Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ program embodies the three great passions of my life:  teaching, dos, and personal challenge and for that reason, I want to share it with teachers and students everywhere.”

Sample Lesson Plans:

Life is a Trail, English/Language Arts, Grades 9 – 12 (could be adapted to other grade levels)

Through daily reading from Iditarod books list, oral group
sharing and written summaries in the Cornell notes style students will begin to identify moments that can be expressed succinctly in metaphor. Students will study and memorize the Jack London poem “Ashes and Dust” and identify the use of metaphor in that poem. Students will then brainstorm lists of potential metaphors for life. Students will then use a chosen metaphor to craft a reflective essay and take it from rough draft through revision and editing in small response groups.

Click here to view lesson plans.

It’s All About the Map, Geography. Visual Arts, Math, Cooperative Groups, Grades 4 – 12 with varied degrees of complexity or attention appropriate.

Students will project the outline of the state of Alaska from a transparency on an overhead projector onto butcher paper on the wall to the desired scale for the board they have been given. Each group has been given a slightly different size to ensure variety in the finished projects. They will locate and replicate physical and political features as per a list they have been given which again may have different themes.

Click here to view lesson plans.

Sally Simon, New York

Sally is an enrichment and Gifted/Talented teacher in an Elementary and a Middle School.

Sally states, “I want people young and old to see the Iditarod as an opportunity to learn abut themselves, community, and ho teamwork is needed to accomplish great things.”

Sample Lesson Plans

Altitudes and Temperatures, Math (Integers), Grade 5 – 8

Students use the altitudes of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail to calculate the differences (positive and negative) in altitude while running the race.  Students use some average temperatures (highs and lows) of the checkpoints during March to calculate the differences in temperature, and draw some conclusions about how the geography of the trail affects temperature.

Click here to view lesson plans.

Wilderness Trading Activity, Social Studies (economics) and English, Language Arts (Speaking and Listening), Grades 2 and up.

Students learn that all humans have 5 needs (food, clothing, shelter, clear air, and water) that must be met before the things they want. After discussing the concept and practice of “trading,” students participate in a trading activity where they trade items they have with those things they need and want in order to survive in the Alaskan wilderness. At the end of the activity, students evaluate what items they have and predict how well they will survive with those items.

Click here to view the lesson plan.

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On our about January 15, 3 finalists will be announced.  The finalists will travel to Alaska prior to the start of the 2010 Iditarod to continue the selection process.

Teacher!  Are you looking for the teaching experience of a life time?  Would you like to visit the Iditarod Checkpoints and teach from the Iditarod Trail?  Are you ready for an awarding challenge?  Applications for the 2012 Teacher are due December 1, 2010.   Learn more about the application process for the Target® 2011 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ program at this link.

Students bring in a stuffed animal (dog) to place in our Idita-Kennel.  We use the dogs for all kinds of lessons throughout the race.  In ELA, after researching ‘Sled Dogs’ we write about different positive personality traits of the Iditarod Dog.  Students use their stuffed dog as a guide when writing their compositions.  We also use the ‘Kennel’ for math lessons.  Using story problems based on the amount of food needed or money amounts used for training and racing, the Kennel helps bring those problems to life.  Students enjoy having their own personal animals at school and take pride in their work when their ‘dog’ is visiting on their desk or staying in the kennel.  The lesson ideas are limitless!

Looking for projects for your middle school (or upper elementary) students and high school students?  Iditarod is a tool that can be aligned to all content areas.  These examples will jump start your current curriculum!

Click here to view the complete lesson matrix and a rubric to assess student’s projects. (PDF document)

In many ways teachers are islands unto themselves. They close the door and have a captive audience. They plan, teach, and assess. Sometimes they work with a colleague to create innovative curriculum, or have a mentor to get through the early years of teaching. But mostly they are alone.

Within those classrooms exciting lessons are taught and students learn skills that last a lifetime. All is well, right? Almost. According to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, one thing is missing. Self-reflection. “Because of their ability to reflect, great teachers know not only what to do, but also why.”

Easier said than done.

Too often teachers don’t have the time to reflect on their practice, or they may not know how. They may feel like they’re in a vacuum.

Although I’m a national board certified teacher, (and went through pages upon pages of self-reflection to achieve that title), I still find self-reflection on a regular basis problematic. I’ve come to believe that, “Reflection is a skill that is best fostered with colleagues.”

So to that end, I introduce you to my latest math-oriented Iditarod assignment, along with examples of student work. Using some key questions, I share with you my reflection of the assignment. Finally, I invite you help me improve the assignment by giving me critical feedback.

Hopefully, we will learn more about self-reflection in the process, and collaboratively revised a worthwhile Iditarod assignment as well!

The Assignment: Create a route for a New York State dog sled race. On a map, show the route including the starting and ending point (Lake Placid), and at least three checkpoints. The race must be between 100-200 miles in length and cover varied terrain. Also include (on the map or in a chart) the distance between the checkpoints and the altitudes of each. Using weather information, decide upon a date for the race. Finally, name the race.

Background Information: Students were introduced to the Iditarod Trail via a map and the Iditarod website, including the “Insider” fly bys. They were given a map of upstate New York printed from Google maps, and shown how to use Google maps. The assignment was given to eleven students in a gifted and talented 5th grade class that meets once a week. They worked individually, and had one week to complete the project.

The Results: Exhibit One—facts sloppily written in red on the assigned map with little to no organization. Exhibit Two—hand drawn map with all the required elements. Exhibit Three—Extended Googlemap with chart attached. Exhibit Four—large poster using Googlemaps with embedded charts printed professionally on photo paper.

(Click the pictures to see a larger image.  Be patient, it takes a few moments to load!)

Here are the self-reflection questions I pondered:

What worked in this lesson? How do I know?

1)      The interest level was high both because of the Iditarod topic, and that it was a “creative” type of activity.  I know because of comments while showing the Iditarod trail and questions after reading the assignment.  Comments like, “This is cool,”  “I already know where I am having my trail go,” “Can I have my trail go off the map if I can find a bigger one?”

2)      The students were very interested in the technology of the Iditarod “Insider” and the Google maps.  I know because of their comments, and because several students went beyond what I showed them to include “thumb tacking” the checkpoints on Google maps and using the site to calculate the mileage using the “walking” feature.

3)      I know the mathematical requirements were appropriate because none of the students had difficulty with the required mileage or altitude work.

What would I do the same or differently if I could re-teach this lesson? Why?

1)      Now that I have given the assignment and have student work to show, I would show exemplar work for students to follow as a guideline.

2)      Because of the varying degree of quality, I would develop a rubric to assess the project.

3)      I might consider allowing students to work alone or with a partner.  Some students like to work alone, but others may have found the geography or computer part overwhelming even though they could do the math.  An “artistic” or “techie” partner may have helped.

4)      I may also give more than one week to accomplish the task &/or do a more in-depth lesson about the Iditarod Trail, including about how far it is between checkpoints.  The students really didn’t have a sense of how far the musher should go between stops.

What may have caused the wide range of quality in this assignment?

1)  Students didn’t know what an acceptable project should look like

2)  There wasn’t enough time; or students procrastinated

3)  Students did not have access to the Internet at home or the technology skills needed for the task.

Overall, I’m glad I gave the assignment, but I believe it can be even better with insight from my Iditarod teaching colleagues.

So, now is your opportunity to join my collaborative reflection team and tell me what you think!  And, if you try this lesson with your students, please let me know how it goes!  I’ve started a page in the “Educator” Section of the “Discussion Forum” titled “Create a Trail Assignment” so that any interested teacher can leave and view comments.  You can also use the email feature there to contact me directly.

For more information about self-reflection and teaching see Educational Leadership, the journal of ASCD, February 2009, “Fostering Reflection,” by Lana Danielson. (http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb09/vol66/num05/Fostering_Reflection.aspx)

]]> http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2009/12/16/iditarod-involves-teamwork-teaching-does-too/feed/ 0 http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2009/10/12/curriculum-challenge-lessons/ http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2009/10/12/curriculum-challenge-lessons/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:43:24 +0000 Diane http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/?p=1175 Congratulations to the 2009 Curriculum Challenge Winners!

Seven teachers provide lessons for elementary, secondary, and university level teachers to use with students.

Lesson packets are in PDF.

Susan Flahive, Virginia

Math: Ryan’s Dog Expenses Technology/Math, Using Excel Spreadsheets, 7th grade and up. This lesson provides students an opportunity to practice math skills and record keeping.

Dean Barron, California

Dogs Count Mathematics/Statistics, Grades 6 – 12. Undergraduate University Level, Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion.  Students use race data to complete mathematical operations.

Jeannie Wolf, Texas:

Whatever Pulls Your Sled Science, grade 7-8, This lesson can be used as a science project or a science classroom  ‘Friction’ lesson.  Performing an experiment, keeping track of data, and research skills are evident in this lesson.

Amber Baur, California

Iditarod Web Quest All content areas, multidisciplinary, Grade 5 and up.  View a PDF document highlighting Amber’s Web Quest.  Better yet, visit the website and view the Web Quest.

Eric Smith, Minnesota

Podcasting the Last Great Race This lesson was created for use with middle school special education students but is appropriate for grades 4 – 8 as well.  Language Arts/Communications Skills.  Students research and create a podcast.

Julie Howard, North  Carolina

Tales, Traditions, Trails, Bright Eyes and Bushy Tails South Carolina, Grades 3 – 8, Computer/Technology Integration, multidisciplinary.  Research, creative writing, using the GPS Tracker, and other activities to jump start the curriculum.

Lynne Witte, Michigan

Postcards from the Iditarod Trail Reading, Language Arts, Technology, Geography, and History, Grades 2 – 5.  Students research and create postcards that could be sent from checkpoints during the race.

Project Objectives (Students will…)

• Understand the history of the race and purpose, making cause and effect connections
• Identify and apply musher vocabulary throughout learning experiences
• Track a musher throughout the race
• Write a musher biography identifying interesting facts about his/her life
• Construct three different circle graphs displaying percentages of different gender, residency, and experience in the race.
• Choose and analyze how to pack their own sled by using information from online resources
• Label a diagram identifying the parts of a dog sled/team
• Locate checkpoints and other important places in Alaska using cardinal directions and latitude/longitude coordinates.
• Use a compass accurately, locating objects in their direct environment
• Create a line graph to display changes in the weather
• Analyze miles between checkpoints to calculate the mean, median, and mode.
• Write friendly letters to their selected musher.
• Solve various mathematical word problems that deal with issues a musher faces
• Develop reflections throughout this experience and use a Web Log to publish them for feedback and deeper learning/understanding.

Ms. Marble, New York

Click here to visit the teacher’s website!

Building sleds, packing food drops, sewing booties, and researching the weather at checkpoints. If you were at fourth grader in Trent Herbst’s class, these are only a few of the exciting things that you would get to participate in at school every day. Trent, an Iditarod musher and teacher from Idaho believes in using the Iditarod to provide real life, interactive learning techniques for his fourth grade students. He uses the Iditarod to teach lessons in most subject areas. Trent believes that the one question that teachers should ask themselves is: “Do they want their students to be consumers or creators?” He feels that if you want your students to really be able to apply knowledge they must have the opportunity to be creators by doing hands-on activities in the classroom.Trent began his Iditarod journey with the mindset that it would be a “one-shot deal.” This year though, will be his third run. For Trent the Iditarod is a family operation. Everyone is there to help with the process. He is currently running a yearling team for Ed Stielstra. Ed says that he is very particular about who runs his teams and feels that Trent is the perfect person. “Trent’s dog care is superior and he is into the sport for all of the right reasons which are dogs, dogs, and dogs.” Ed also says that he is interested in Trent’s link to education and his affiliation with the Race for Rescue non-profit organization that is helping to raise money for drowning prevention in Uganda. It is estimated that at least 5,000 Ugandans drown every year on its many lakes and rivers. For every fisherman drowned there are an average of seven dependants left behind. For more information on the Race for Rescue organization visit their website at http://www.raceforrescue.com/ . Trent usually gets Ed’s yearling team in September and trains them through the Iditarod.  This year he said that his team came to him in amazing shape because they had been on the glacier training this summer. He says that the hardest thing about running someone else’s team is leaving the dogs after the race.

Trent’s love of mushing and excitement for teaching infiltrates his daily classroom activities. He teaches math by having students build his race sled. The kids start by using toothpicks to build a model to scale and then work their way up to building the actual race sled by using hockey sticks. Trent is not planning on shipping another sled out this year and will rely on the sled that his students built and have ownership in. He has also used sled building as a history lesson where his students have done research and found out that during WWII, the United States Army had a sled building factory at Iditarod. Other math lessons in Trent’s class include making snow shoes and calculating weights and measurements for food drop bags. Trent connects the Iditarod to science by having students research weather at checkpoints and also uses weather calculations to plan for the type of runner plastic that he will need for his sled. He says that his students also make all of his booties, dog jackets, and blankets for the race.

Trent says that it is a privilege as a teacher to be able to run the Iditarod with the participation of his students, and says that, “They feel great pride in the race because of their involvement.” Best of luck this year not only to Trent, but to his fourth grade students who have also participated in this great journey. We will all be excited to follow this team’s progress to Nome!

My class annually follows the Iditarod. We put up a map and bulletin board in the hallway at our school so that all of the students in our small school can follow along. Each student chooses one musher to follow. We track the mushers each day and log on to the Insider each day for video clips and updates. I integrate the Iditarod curriculum throughout all of my subjectsfor the two-three weeks that the race is on and beyond. I use Iditarod curriculum that I purchased and the educational ideas from this website. We end with a letter-writing project and have a celebration to cap it all off.

I have used Iditarod as a tool in the classroom for ten years.

Last year, as a class we contacted Laura Daugereau, and she agreed to come to our school after the race. She gave a fabulous talk to the children! They were thrilled to have this first hand account of someone who accomplished something so great as to run the Iditarod. We made a quilt to honor her for being the first woman from Washington State to run and complete the Iditarod. I have included two pictures. Hope you enjoy them.

R.R. Wright

Washington

To race fans, the Idita-Rider Auction is the opportunity to experience the ceremony and celebration of the race while seeing the race from the perspective of the dogsled. Interested fans bid at the auction section of the site for a ride during the start of the Iditarod. Idita-riders travel from the starting banner of the race in downtown Anchorage to Campbell Air Strip, a journey past crowds of cheering fans.

To students, the auction is an opportunity to read, write, and practice math skills.

The final day to bid is in January. Your students can follow the bidding at the Iditarod Auction section of the website.

Suggested activities:

Math: Before the conclusion of bidding: Predict the selling price for each musher’s sled. Predict the total amount of money that will be raised through this auction. After the bidding: Create charts and graphs to show the bidding results. Create story problems to practice grade appropriate math skills for your class. (Example, ask students to choose any 5 mushers and add up the final bid to get a total sum raised over those 5 mushers. Find the range, mean, and mode for the final bids or for a specific number of mushers.)

Writing: Journal writing topic: Which musher would you want to ride with and why? Describe the sights and sounds of riding in a musher’s sled as an Idita-Rider. Write an introductory paragraph introducing ‘you’ as the Idita Rider for one of the mushers. Tell who you are, where you are from, why you wanted to be an Idita-Rider, and your goals for the future

Art: Create posters to advertise the Idita- Auction.

Community Connection: Community Awareness, Research, and Service Learning: Compare and contrast a fund raiser in your own community. Develop a service learning project challenging students to fund raise for a project in their school or community.

Classroom Management: Hold your own ‘virtual auction’. After student earn points according to your own classroom rules and procedures, allow students to use the points to purchase ‘rides’ with mushers in a classroom auction.

Visit the Idita-Auction website to learn more about the auction and to follow the bidding. If you are going to be in Alaska for the start of the race, consider bidding on a sled. Click here!