Curriculum for the Classroom

03/02/2010

Snowshoe Wonderland

By Blynne Froke, Finalist for Target® Teacher on the Trail™ 2011, California
Wow, what an afternoon! Being from California, I have not had the experience of snowshoeing before. A new experience and some old lessons came my way this afternoon.…

Filed under 2010 Race Season, News and Information, Target Teacher on the Trail

03/02/2010

Know and Grow

Martha Dobson, Finalist for Target® Iditarod 2011 Teacher on the Trail™, North Carolina
Have you noticed that when you do something new, you try to connect it to what you already know? The new activity or experience activates prior knowledge;…

Filed under 2010 Race Season, News and Information, Target Teacher on the Trail

02/25/2010

Iditarod Poetry: Read then Get Writing!

All around the globe, it is time to write Iditarod poetry.  Send us your poems and we’ll share them with our readers!
Thank you Marcia and Rhonda for sharing your poetry!
Iditarod   by Marcia Claesson
The frosted fingers of cold…

Filed under Curriculum for the Classroom, Language Arts, News and Information, Teacher Tips and Tools

02/25/2010

Iditarod: A Cross Curricular Approach

By Sally, Indiana
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…

Filed under Curriculum for the Classroom, Language Arts, Math, News and Information, Science, Social Studies

02/24/2010

Meet the Finalists for Target® 2011 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™

Finalists have been chosen for the Target® 2011 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™.  The finalists, Blynne Froke, Martha Dobson, and Sally Simon will be in Anchorage during the week before the start of the race to complete selection process activities…

Filed under Contests: Win Prizes, Curriculum for the Classroom, Idita Reads and Races, Language Arts, Math, News and Information, Research and Testimonials, Science, Social Studies, Target Teacher on the Trail

02/06/2010

Around the World: Iditarod: Kindergarten in Germany

Charlee Stevens, Educational Journalist, Germany
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…

Filed under Curriculum for the Classroom, Integrated Curriculum, News and Information, Teacher Tips and Tools

02/02/2010

Iditarod Musher Trading Cards

Are you looking for an activity to help students read, research, and summarize?  Join the hundreds of schools around the world.  Assign students to create Musher Trading Cards.
Design your class Musher Trading Cards in a way that meets the…

Filed under Charts and Templates, Language Arts, News and Information, Teacher Tips and Tools

01/31/2010

Four Paws for Logan

We know that each day around the world, service dogs make a difference in the lives of children with autism and in the lives of countless others with a variety of disabilities.  We have the opportunity to help make the…

Filed under News and Information, People, Places, or Dogs, Service Learning Projects, Teacher Tips and Tools

01/19/2010

Go Idita-Walking and Get Healthy!

What is an Idita-Walk?

Idita Walk in North Carolina
An Idita Walk is a fun  way to improve your health and keep physically fit.  It involves creating a walking program and using the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race® as the…

Filed under Health/Physical Fitness, Idita- Walk, News and Information

01/18/2010

Iditarod Race Rules Activity

By Jane Blaile, Target® Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™
It is important for students to be familiar with the rules of the race.  A copy of the 2010 rules can be found on the website at this link. At the…

Filed under Games and Activities, News and Information, Teacher Tips and Tools

01/13/2010

Meet the Applicants for Target® 2011 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™

Each year, the Iditarod Education Department accepts applications for the ‘next’  Target® Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™.  This year, five teachers applied for this educational teaching experience.  Meet each applicant and view a sample of their lessons.
Kim Busch, Montana…

Filed under Art, Music, FACS, Indust Arts, Character Education, Curriculum for the Classroom, Integrated Curriculum, Language Arts, Math, Math Probem Solving, News and Information, Science, Social Studies, Target Teacher on the Trail, Technology Integration

01/11/2010

Iditarod Tunes: Iditarod Pokey and A Musher’s Song

Contributed by Sharyn Allen, PA
Sharyn is a retired Kindergarten teacher.  She wrote this as a gift for her grandson’s classroom.
Sing it students!
Sled Dog Pokey
You put your right paw in.
You put your right paw out.
You…

Filed under Art, Music, FACS, Indust Arts, Teacher Tips and Tools

01/06/2010

A Human Iditarod in Minnesota

Information and images from Sheryl Cater, Educational Journalist, MN
Third and fourth grade student’s at this Eden Prairie school researched, designed, and built 4 wooden sleds using downhill ski’s as runners.
The classrooms competed against each other using human power.…

Filed under Art, Music, FACS, Indust Arts, I Kid A Rod, News and Information

01/05/2010

Idita Kennel Activity

Idita-Kennel by Nancy Carroll
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…

Filed under Integrated Curriculum, Math, Teacher Tips and Tools

12/31/2009

Idita Read™

Join the Idita Read™ and race from Anchorage to Nome!
Click on this to use the Iditarod forms for your students.  Tip:  Ask students to save the forms to the computer.  Students can then type on the form instead of…

Filed under Idita Reads and Races, IditaRead™, Language Arts

12/29/2009

Language Arts: ABC Books

Creating an ABC book is an excellent way to combine research, writing, and technology skills.
Nicole’s ABC Book (PowerPoint)

Filed under Language Arts, Student Work Samples

12/29/2009

Yupik Art Project

Yupik Art Project for Classrooms!
Educational Journalist, Joy Davis, of Indiana recently engaged her students in an art project involving Yupik heritage.  Her basic skills class sponsors Mike Williams, Jr. who is a Yupik Eskimo.  To learn more about the…

Filed under Art, Music, FACS, Indust Arts, News and Information, Student Work Samples, Teacher Tips and Tools

12/27/2009

I KID A ROD Season Begins!

By Joy Davis, Educational Journalist, IN
Educational Journalist Joy Davis of Indiana and her classroom paraprofessional, Amanda Dolan, continued spreading the word of the Iditarod while on winter break.  Only this time instead of teaching high school students they went…

Filed under I Kid A Rod, News and Information, Teacher Tips and Tools

12/18/2009

Pennies for Polio: Iditarod Style

By Joy Davis, Educational Journalist, IN
* Editor’s Note:  Each year, thousands of teachers help students recognize the importance of service learning and volunteerism.  The race is an example of the importance of volunteerism.  Iditarod would not happen without the…

Filed under Service Learning Projects, Teacher Tips and Tools

12/18/2009

I Kid A Rod™

Hundred’s of schools are involved in I Kid A Rod™ projects each year.
An I Kid A Rod™ is an Iditarod race simulation.
An I Kid A Rod™  can be held in a variety of ways.  Some involve participants from…

Filed under I Kid A Rod, Idita Reads and Races

12/18/2009

Showing Support for Rookies

Educational Journalist, Joy Davis, of Indiana and her Basic Skills Class recently made support quilts for three rookie mushers- Pat Moon, Middy Johnson, and Tamara Rose.  The students helped in the design work and layout.  They learned about the mushers…

Filed under Art, Music, FACS, Indust Arts, Quilt Projects, Student Work Samples, Teacher Tips and Tools

12/16/2009

Projects for Middle School Students

By Linda Kal Sander, Educational Journalist, Fl
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…

Filed under Integrated Curriculum, News and Information

12/16/2009

Iditarod Involves Teamwork! Teaching Does, Too!

By Sally Simon, Educational Journalist
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…

Filed under Integrated Curriculum, Math, News and Information, Research and Testimonials, Social Studies, Teacher Tips and Tools

12/13/2009

Taking Iditarod to the Community

Our small North Carolina town has a strong sense of community—folks and their families have lived here for generations, and the town considers its schools, although part of a county school system, “their schools”. At the holiday season, our local…

Filed under News and Information, Service Learning Projects, Teacher Tips and Tools

11/22/2009

The Iditarod, Web2.0 Tools & Your Students

By Educational Journalist, Nancy Carroll, 4th Grade Teacher, MA
Are your students already talking about the Iditarod?  Sled dogs?  Mushers? Alaska? Engage your students in their learning by creating, analyzing and synthesizing different aspects of the Iditarod while using sites…

Filed under Games and Activities, Research and Testimonials, Teacher Tips and Tools, Technology Integration, Technology-Information Highway