One has an infectious smile, the other wears a kilt.  Both received a lot of attention at this year’s Iditarod.  Newton Marshall, from Jamaica, and Wattie McDonald, of Scotland, are two rookies for the 2010 race–and, boy do they have a great deal of pride for their homelands.  On the morning of the ceremonial start it may have been only 20 degrees, but neither musher would’ve been anywhere but on the snowy street in Anchorage.

Newton Marshall, a most unlikely musher, gained media attention all year.  Last year he became the first Jamaican musher to complete the Yukon Quest.  Many said it couldn’t be done, but he proved them wrong.  This year he’s been training with none other than Lance Mackey, 3-time Iditarod champion.  Because there are still naysayers, Newton is determined to finish the Iditarod race and set the record straight once and for all.

This persistence and drive is not new to Newton.  Born in St. Ann, Jamaica, Newton didn’t have much schooling.  He had to work to help support his family.  He’d always dreamed of running horses at Chukka Cove Farm.  Newton started working there as a gardener eventually moving up to horse guide.  Chukka Farms offered reading and writing lessons to its employees, so Newton overcame his illiteracy.  When Chukka Farm started to offer dog sledding as an activity, Newton was asked to take on that task.  One thing lead to another and Newton found his way to Alaska competing in dog sled races.  He even gained the attention of major sponsor Jimmy Buffet of Margaritaville fame.  The inspirational story of the Jamaican Dogsled Team can be seen in a documentary movie called Sun Dogs. (Click here to watch a trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1384907033 )

Even people who’d never heard of Newton before this March couldn’t help but notice the Jamaican flag, (watch short video clip here: http://www.mydeo.com/videorequest.asp?XID=4359&CID=291226 ), the “Rootin for Newton” buttons and t-shirts, and the vivacious young black man with a huge grin on his face.  Certainly not a normal sight in downtown Anchorage or Willow.  Those who were lucky could even hear him sing reggae to his dogs while waiting for the race to start.

Wattie McDonald may not have gained media attention as early as Newton, but he made up for that on start day.  The reason being–Wattie didn’t come from Scotland alone.  His entourage contained several kilt-wearing bagpipe-playing Scots, and they didn’t seem to mind the cold either.  But, the Scottish fanfare didn’t stop there.  A huge Scottish flag waved from behind his sled and his dogs wore plaid coats as they trotted down 4^th Avenue.  In comparison, John Stewart, a second rookie from Scotland, merely wore the country’s flag like a cape for the ceremonial start.  I almost expected bagpipe music to start playing from the speakers.

Wattie, a Siberian Husky breeder back home, also gained the attention of a major sponsor, Northern Outfitters, and a production company who is filming his challenge.  On his website (http://www.wattiesgreatrace.com/) he describes himself as a man who is “slightly past his prime and given to wearing a kilt whenever possible who wants to cross 1,000 miles of the Alaskan wilderness with just a dog team and a sense of adventure.”  He trained with Dean Osmar last winter and completed his qualifying races to make that dream a reality.

From reggae to kilts, this year’s Iditarod took on an international flair that it hadn’t seen before.  It was fun for the spectators and added to the wonder of the Last Great Race.  While  Iditarod fans hail from all over the world, I’m sure this year the website will see more hits from Jamaica and Scotland than ever before.  So, join me in “Rootin’ for Newton” and cheering on Wattie as they cross the finish line in Nome.

And, who knows from where the next international musher will come?  I know of one musher in training from New Zealand, and dog mushing is becoming more popular in South Africa.  I guess we’ll have to wait until the Musher’s Picnic in June to find out.

For More Information:

*Jamaican Dogsled Team Website:  http://www.jamaicadogsled.com/

*Newton Marshall Profile (video):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKMsI1lm9nk

*Newton Talks to the AP (video):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF_DiDpuY_w&feature=fvw

*Meet the Rookie:  Wattie McDonald:  http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2010/01/21/meet-the-rookie-wattie-mcdonald/

*Wattie at the Ceremonial Start:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_0GMEQLV3k

*Wattie’s Restart:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs8c1U80oRI&feature=youtube_gdata

Also, check out the Iditarod Insider for video clips of both mushers (some videos require subscription):  http://insider.iditarod.com/

Lesson Plan Ideas:

*Research Jamaica and Scotland.  Compare and contrast the two countries.  Draw conclusions about which country would be the easiest to come from as an Iditarod musher.

*Use the race statistics from Iditarod.com for Newton and Wattie and translate the military time (Alaska time zone) into the times in Jamaica and Scotland.

*Wattie McDonald doesn’t have a t-shirt for sale on his website.  Design a t-shirt (or other items) for him to sell to his fans to raise funds for future races.

*Watch the documentary “Sun Dogs,” and write a movie review or make a web of the character traits exhibited in the movie.

*Research dog sled associations around the world.  What countries have them?  Mark them on a map of the world.

*Learn about reggae music.  Write a reggae style song about Newton Marshall.

*Learn about Scottish food.  Create a meal for Wattie to take on the trail so he feels like he’s back home.

I use a cross-curricular approach to teaching the Iditarod.  I begin this unit in January using many of my own photographs and personal knowledge of Alaska (I’ve been there several times and LOVE it) Language arts includes the children reading chapter books such as “Balto”, “Stone Fox’, and “Snow Dogs! Racers of the North” and comparing and contrasting what makes each dog and each musher successful—perseverance, courage, determination, etc We also read “Granite”, “Togo”. “Akiak”, and “Big enough Anna”. Creative writing is used regularly: if I could be a musher… and similar ideas.

We use map and geography skills to track the route of the race and the terrain over which the mushers travel. Each child selects a musher about whom he will learn in January. They go to web sites to see and learn about the musher and the dogs. Letter writing skills are taught to prepare for writing to the mushers prior to the race. During the race each child charts and graphs his mushers progress Math skills are used daily as teams change sizes and miles are crossed; we also do an Iditarod problem of the day—a challenge math activity to develop problem solving skills which I create each year using actual musher information. Photos from Iditarod calendars of past years and Iditarod souvenirs are on display to motivate the children. We design Iditarod posters of our own and have booty races—putting booties on large stuffed dogs in the classroom.

This is a popular unit each year and older students come back often to catch up on Iditarod news. It is the unit I most enjoy teaching.

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We’d like to introduce the finalists to you and invite you to follow the interview and selection activities during the next several weeks by checking back at this website for future articles.

Martha Dobson

A lifelong North Carolinian, I am married with three children, a middle school teacher for eight years, and a person for whom challenges are a chance to do the unusual to experience life. A quiet leader, I understand the value of listening, observing, and then taking action.

I hold a bachelor degree in psychology and a middle grades teaching certificate from Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. Over the years I have taught public school, returning to the classroom eight years ago, volunteered extensively in the community through Girl Scouts and service organizations, and traveled within the United States and abroad. Since 2005, I’ve traveled to Alaska five times for the winter and summer Iditarod teacher conferences and vacation, volunteered at the 2006 and 2009 races, and visited five kennels.

In 2005, teaching brought me to the Iditarod, and the bug bit, hard. I discovered the race’s lure and its challenges, and when I learned about the Teacher on the Trail position, I set application for the position as my goal. As Iditarod mushers are closely acquainted with perseverance, I also have become a close and personal friend of this character trait through the application processes for the 2009 and 2010 races, and now the 2011 race.

Riding in the ceremonial race start as an Idita-Rider was the highlight of 2005 for me, the quiet greenway, and only the shushing of sled runners and the jingle of harness to be heard. It was a small taste of what the race could be.

Iditarod hooks students because of the dogs and the uniqueness of the event and Alaska and, students learn, in a unique way, the skills necessary for success.  Borrowing from Professor Randy Pausch (1960- July 2008), Iditarod is a great “head fake” because students are so interested in the race they don’t realize they’re learning educational skills. I’ve seen Iditarod reach students when little else has, and create success for those with limited success. I love introducing them to the uniqueness of the race and Alaska and seeing them come to appreciate a lifestyle so different from their own.

View one of Martha’s lessons, How Cold is It? Temperature 3 Line Graph

Students will accurately plot temperature lows on a graph using dates and temperatures. Students will connect each location’s temperature to create a line graph, creating a 3-line graph, and write a summary of the data. 5th to 8th Grade, Math

Blynne Froke

It seems like Blynne Froke has been on the go her whole life. She was born in Canada and emigrated to California and every summer involved a car trip back home. When her father was sent to Venezuela for work, Blynne went along to start high school. It took seventeen years and three states to complete her college education, but she didn’t give up.

Summer 2007 found her back in South America with her brother working in Bolivia. For the last thirty years though Blynne has lived in rural northern California where she raised two beautiful daughters with husband, Mike and an ever growing assortment of dogs and cats.

After teaching English at the junior high level for almost 12 years, Blynne decided she was up for a real challenge and as is common in her life an opportunity presented itself.  Community Day School is a contained last chance classroom for students that have been expelled. Now she is teaching everything from P.E. to Physics to British Lit.

It seems like challenge has been a commonly sought after theme in Blynne’s life and these students would not disappoint. Her signature use of patience and passion seemed to work for many, but something more intense was needed to draw in these very needy students and she was on the search again. By chance Blynne read a book about the Iditarod and shared it with her students. They shared her excitement. That was three years ago. What started as a half an hour read aloud turned into a cross-curricular thematic program around what she saw as the most important themes of goal-setting, planning, personal responsibility, problem solving and stewardship. It has found such fertile ground as to graduate twice as many students as before.

Blynne has embraced challenge not only in professional life, but in her personal life as well. What started as a whim, a couch to 5k running club, turned into another great passion. Three years and a hundred pounds later, she has completed two half marathonsand is training for a third.

View one of Blynne’s lessons,  Heroes of the Iditarod, A Living  Wax Museum.

Lesson Summary:  Students learn about an individual hero of the Iditarod and create a “wax museum” display.  This is an excellent culminating activity suitable to Open House Night.  Grades 5 and up, History, Social Science

Sally Simon

Sally Simon is from Westchester County, New York where she is an enrichment/gifted and talented teacher in the Hendrick Hudson School District. Her teaching duties are split between two schools: Furnace Woods Elementary School and Blue Mountain Middle School where she teaches advanced 6th grade math. Sally is also the video club advisor at the middle school which is pioneering a broadcast studio this school year. She feels fortunate to be in a position to create her own standards based curriculum, and has capitalized on using the Iditarod across the curriculum in every area from math and science to writing and social studies. While attending the Winter Conference for Educators in 2009, Sally, a self confessed “techie,” sent the 2009 Iditarod experience back to her students using a daily blog, and audio/video podcasts. She believes “to be a good teacher is to expose students to the world and guide them in their interpretation of it.”

The excitement of following a dog sled race is what first interested Sally in teaching the Iditarod. However, she soon discovered the Iditarod is not only an event, but a lifestyle rich with lessons to be learned: Alaskan culture, the spirit of the people, the history of the race, creative problem solving, character education, and life skills to name a few. This year, Sally is developing curriculum themed on a critical aspect of the Iditarod, TEAMWORK, for both her school and local community organizations.

Sally and her husband Gary have been married for twenty years and have two sons, 12 and 14. They share their home with three dogs, a legion of chipmunks, and a family of deer who call their backyard home. As a family they are active in the community through their schools, church and community theatre. They also share a love of travel and have visited many places in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Europe, and Costa Rica. In her spare time, Sally enjoys reading, fencing, acting in and directing plays, home decorating and playing games with her kids.

As a finalist for 2011 Target ® Teacher on the Trail,™ Sally’s goal is to make the Iditarod a meaningful learning experience for a greater number of people including senior citizens, community organizations, youth groups, and colleague

View one of Sally’s lessons,  It Takes a Team: Iditarod Volunteers

Lesson Summary:  Using the cooperative learning strategy of jigsaw, students learn the roles of various Iditarod volunteers.  Grades 3 – 8, English/Language Arts

****  Read more about the finalists at this link! (by Gypsy the K 9 Journalist)

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.

****************

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.

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/2009/05/21/creating-a-map/ http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2009/05/21/creating-a-map/#comments Thu, 21 May 2009 14:26:28 +0000 Diane http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2009/05/21/creating-a-map/ To the Education Department:

I used the map from the website after getting your permission to do so.  I printed it and had it enlarged.  The cost of enlarging the map was about $10.  If I’d had it done in color, it would have been considerably more.

An idea for the website would be to have a black and white version  of the map available so copying would be more defined.   However, you’ll see from the included photo that the end product was very effective and useful.

I am a new faculty member at University School of Jackson, but have taught the Iditarod for several years with my teaching partner in Albany, Wisconsin.  When I came to this school, I was searching for someone to collaborate with on the Iditarod.  Ms. Allan, an 8th grade teacher, was teaching The Call of the Wild and was willing to collaborate on a project.   With the main character in The Call of the Wild being a dog, what better way to introduce the Iditarod.

Very few students understood what the Iditarod was or what it takes to be in the Iditarod.  After an introduction, the students researched about the Iditarod and chose the musher they wanted to follow for the race.

I’ve included two pictures.  One is an enlargement of the Iditarod map.  Students tracked their mushers daily whenever new race positions were posted (usually in the morning, lunch, and afternoon).

The other picture is where I would post the race positions along with images from the trail and news reports.

The hallway was a traffic jam every time a new posting went up.  The 8th graders had a blast following the Iditarod and learning something new – it will become a yearly tradition for University School of Jackson.
Thank you,

Kathryn

Please note:

Educators: Permission is granted to you— allowing you to print the Iditarod map on the website, enlarge it, and use it for your classroom.

The Iditarod Trail Map can be found at the LEARN ABOUT menu tab.  Click The Iditarod Trail.  (Or go to the link by clicking here!) Scroll to the map.  Notice miles from checkpoint to checkpoint are listed on the chart below the maps.  The Northern Route and the Southern Route are both included on this page.  This map is also a good map to print out for students to use as individual trail maps.  Students can use this in their projects or to mark their own progress in “Idita Reads and Idita Races”.

Click here!

Laurie was a Finalist for Target® 2009 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail^TM

To read all about this project, click here!  (PDF DOC)

To view a lesson plan by Cara Brunello and Laurie Nakauchi-Hawn , click here! (PDF DOC)

Diane,

Many late Hellos!!  This letter has been a year and a half in the making….maybe more.  Your email about using the Iditarod experience is coming back to you.  As a shop teacher, I was always looking for a way to include the experience in my life in my classes.  Well so far, I’ve found two ways.

One-  the current teacher from our school…. his/her students get to make a dog bone from a template that I made.  The students then choose which dog name they like from the list we get from the musher’s team that our current teacher is riding with as an Idita Rider at the start of the race.   Students  paint the name on the bone and have it as a keepsake.

Two- I was  looking for a way to include           students 8th grade through 12th in a long term project and came up with the idea of a totem pole.  I said to myself, if I am going to ask the students to try this idea out, maybe I should try to do it first.  You know, to check out where the construction problems may lie in wait and have solutions ready at hand.  My idea was something 12 inches high and 3 inches in diameter with proper base…. something they could have enough space to car on…. something that would be meaningful to them and not just a memento from their school years here, though it could be.

So, of course, me being me, I made a totem pole almost three feet high and over 5 inches in diameter not including the wings.  7 pieces glued together, blocked.. planed the corners down to round the pole out… made 2 eight-sided end pieces screwed in to allow for moving the pole in the direction you need to carve,  draw the items on the pole, carve them out…. then paint everything after taking off the end pieces and adding the final base.  It too a year and a half to complete the project.  As you can see by the pictures, I added the eagle head and the wings after finishing the pole portion mainly because I, at first, liked it the way it was, but then I saw that it needed something to really complete the totem.   The eagle head and wings were just the thing!

I hope that you can see that these examples are a labor of love.  Our time there with you, at the conference, with the Burmeisters, and the whole Iditarod Race and continuing story will always be with us.  Fate willing, some day we will return.

As ever,

Pete M

Pete teaches at a school in MA.  He and his wife, Peggy, attended the 2007  Iditarod Teacher’s Conference in Alaska.  Each year, a teacher from their school attends the conference and is an Idita Rider at the start of the race.

By Laurie Nakauchi-Hawn, Finalist for Target® 2009 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail^TM

First Grade, Friends’ School Boulder

With the Iditarod coming up, my first grade class has been studying the people and animals of the arctic. As a way for students to learn more about arctic animals and the Athabaskans, we made totem poles.

First, to introduce the animals of the arctic, we read Animals of the Tundra by Richard Vaughan. The children were fascinated by the variety of arctic animals. We discussed the adaptations that enable these animals to live in the icy arctic. Once the students were familiar with the animals, I brought in photos of totem poles and we talked about the significance of the totems and     animals represented on them.  We also talked about why Inuits would not make totems like the Northwest Coast Indians.

The children were excited to create their own totems. Using wrapping paper tubes, construction paper, crayons, scissors and glue; each child made a totem pole with the image of an arctic animal.

As a follow-up activity each child will identify the specific adaptations of the animal(s) on the totem.