Trent and the Snowshoes

Just like all of the 2010 Iditarod Mushers, Trent Herbst left Willow, Alaska for Nome.  Trent is a 4th Grade teacher from Idaho.  In many ways, Trent’s students began the journey with him – and the sled and snowshoes with Trent, were symbols of learning and mutual trust.

Pounding, sawing, thinking, sewing, cooking, organizing, and planning— for the 2010 Iditarod all became a part of the student’s classroom curriculum, the reading, the math, the science, the real life application of skills turned a classroom into a learning experience of a lifetime.

The students did the math, the science, the research, and the work to design Trent’s sled, create snowshoes, prepare meals on the trail for Trent, to sew important gear to keep Trent’s dogs safe and to support their teacher’s trek on the 1049 mile journey to Nome!

When Trent left for Nome, student signatures on the sled were not symbols of a classroom left behind.  The signatures are instead, symbolic of what is good — no great about education today.  Trent’s students will have what it takes to be academically successful because they’ve learned to used the content skills.  More importantly, his students have learned about volunteerism, problem solving, research, organization, goal setting, compassion, teamwork, and many other life skills that will guide them as they help make the world a better place.

*Congratulations to Trent and his students for the incredible job they did on the teacher’s workshop presentation.  Thanks to Trent and his students, the parents, the principal, and the Community School.  Well Done!  A+  You are Idita-Excellent!

On the first day of school, I presented my students with a community service goal which tied into the Iditarod Rookie Project.   We were going to raise money for our rookie musher, Kim Darst and all the money that was over our goal would be given to our local animal shelter.  I called it “Cans for Miles”.  After all, how hard could it be to collect cans and bottles!   My class calculated the number of miles from Kim’s hometown in Blairstown, New Jersey to the Iditarod finish in Nome.  Using Yahoo Maps, we calculated it was 5,413 miles.  Our goal then was to collect 5,413 five cent cans.  September through January we collected five cent cans.  Unfortunately, our goal was not met.  We collected 1, 837 cans during those months.  Boy, talk about a great lesson on goal setting.  My students realized that sometimes, we set goals and they aren’t always achieved.  We talked about what we could have done differently and how sometimes we set goals in life that are hard to attain.  I tied this in with how Kim Darst may have felt knowing that she would not achieve her goal this year of getting to Nome.  Many of the students were disappointed when they knew we wouldn’t be able to donate any money to the animal shelter, so I told them I would match their hard work so that Kim and the animal shelter would get a piece of their hard work.

Not to be undone by our rookie project, my class learned about Four Paws for Logan from the Iditarod website.  Now this is our new service project.  We are collecting five cent returnable cans to raise money for a service dog for Logan.  Did we set a goal?  You bet we did!

I’m teaching a unit on the Iditarod for a small group of homeschooled kids (grades 4 through in our city.  One of the assignments was to write a free-verse poem about the Iditarod using at least three of the following poetic elements: simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, repetition, unusual words together, and using the five senses. While not all the students included three elements, I thought they did an awesome job on their poems.  Here they are:

Marcia

Alaska’s Big Race

By Jeremiah

Alaska is cold

The mushers are starving

The dogs are barking and ready to go

The first one to Nome gets the titanic truck

They don’t care what the color is

They just want the cheers

The Starting Line

By Jessica

Trembling, I step into the light, the cheerful sun welcoming me.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

My boots tread on the awakening snow.

Time ticks with the beating of my anticipating heart.

I am caught in the chorus of chaos as the countdown begins.

Five . . . hearing the chirping of songwriters singing to the Creator . . .

Four . . . feeling the tingling thrill of mushing through mayhem . . .

Three . . . seeing the sun rise after riding in dreary darkness . . .

Two . . . the aromatic smell of pine trees, their branches waving me on as I rush past them . . .

One . . . the joy of crossing the finish line . . . Go!

I awaken from my dream as my dogs mush on to be swept into a veil of needles and snowflakes.

Will I win?

I cannot think about that now.

I only hope to soon see the welcoming sign to congratulate my long journey.

Snow Shadows

By Alexa

The trees brush their arms against the snow.

Images dance around, then disappear.

Murmurs sound wherever you go.

As stops come and go

You fall into the deep shadows of snow.

Snow sparkles wherever you go.

Don’t slow

Let’s go, go, go.

All About Lance

By Simon

Lance is in Takotna

There’s thirteen stops to go

Until he reaches the Safety

Of the finish line in Nome.

He’s not wearing 13 like the three years before now.

He’s wearing 49, a way off from three years ago.

Iditarod Race

By Nathan

I am an Iditarod racer.

I duck and dodge obstacles that don’t exist.

I yell to others who disappear into thin air.

The finish is coming, the finish is coming,

I know it, I know it, I know it.

Whoosh-my panting pals run faster.

I see the amazing aurora borealis.

I see a looming figure, it looks like safety.

I start again. My dogs see the finish line. They bark joyously.

I finish the Iditarod race.

The Iditarod Race

By Kaitlyn

The snow is cold.

Dogs run fast.

My hands burn and are as red as a raspberry.

I’m scared as I see this hill upon me.

I speak “Lord, be with me as I face this hill of burning cold snow.”

My dogs, my faithful friends.

I trust them when they speak to me with their eyes.

I whoosh as I go over this hill.

Crunch, crunch, crunch goes the sound of my dogs and sled as they run through the snow.

My darling dogs with their pulling paws.

Cheers, cheers, cheers, I hear them call from city to city.

I catch them all.

We cross the finish line.

Hurray ! Hurray! We did it!

Hurray!

Mushing in the Iditarod

By Emma

Mackey won last year,

The year and the year before.

There are lots racing,

Young and old,

Veterans and rookies,

Girls and boys.

All in hope of covering

The finish line together

With their beloved dogs.

Hope you enjoy and thanks for this opportunity!

Sincerely,

Liz

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

The Iditarod

Musher,

Rookie, racer,

Dogs, leader, challenges,

Control, cold, lack of sleep, sick, can’t breathe

Musher,    dogs ,

Sleighing, freezing, leading,

Leaders, racer, challenges, Husky,

Racer,  runners, challengers,

Food, lead dogs,

Musher

By  Jai

*****

THE IDITAROD

In the Iditarod you have to go through cold weather.

There is a lead dog .There is a musher.

They have to bring a stove and food.

Dogs have to wear booties so their feet don’t get cold.

By: Zarian

*****

Iditarod

dark, challenging

freezing, snowing, mushing

sleigh, Huskies, swimming, running

scorching, Opening, Closing

interesting, colossal

Summer Olympics

By Margot

**********

Huskies

Skiing with Huskies is hard at night when  Huskies like to steal and fight.

The wind in your face is no delight .

Seeing thing gives me a fright, putting on booties is a fun sight.

I learn to do  things I have never done before .

By

Alexandrya

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

Anchorage

Beginning,   nervous

exciting,  smiling ,   snowing

sled  ,   snow,   mountain,  trees

standing,   thinking,  crying

happy,  tired

Nome

By Tarria

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

The Iditarod

I’ve done this a few times before,

But each time it never gets easier,

When the first time you do it no kidding you will get hallucinations

Always tired with no sleep,

Slipping and sliding through the snow,

Trying to find your way through restless

Nights

Lots of people dropping out because of the cold,

it’s a very hard race to win and can be

dangerous but is great fun to

Win!

By Shyla

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

The  Iditarod

Dogsled, racer

pulling, racing, running

Husky, sled, ice, hockey stick

Skating, shooting, blocking

Ice Hockey

By:    Raequann

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

• I don’t know but I’ve been told
• You getta lack of sleep and food that’s cold.
• Gee Haw left right mush whoa stop and go
• I don’t know but I’ve been told
• The Iditarod is long and freezing cold
• Gee Haw left right mush whoa stop and go
• I don’t know but I’ve been told
• You go through 200 booties and loose ‘em all
• Gee Haw left right Mush Whoa stop and go
• I don’t know but I’ve been told
• To win the Iditarod you gotta be bold
• Gee Haw left right Mush Whoa
• I don’t know but I’ve told
• you gotta be fast to get to Nome.
• BY; Jason

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

The Iditarod

Iditarod

Difficult dangerous

Freezing  daring  racing

Little  time  to  sleep

Challenging

by Elizabeth

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

THE DOGS

The Dogs…   They Love To Run…

Love To Pull…

Love To Race…

But Why…?

It’s In Their BLOOD!

By  Cooper

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

Musher

dogsled, racer

racing, steering, hallucinating

Husky, sleigh, skates, ice

skating, gliding, dancing

ice, glider, skater

By: Benjamin

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

Musher

Fast racing

Wanting sliding gliding

Pulling up in front

Confident

By ZEANNA

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

Iditarod

Dogs are challenging.

They are hard work.

In the Iditarod you need to do what you can.

By James

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

Dogs

fun  cool

pulling  sleeping  running

booties on their feet

Leader

By: Kassie

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

Musher

nervous, scared

racing, risking, willing

snow, cold, wrecking, hero

delivering, racing, willing

happy, excited

Balto

By: LeQuentin

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

Iditarod

Frigid, slip

Sledding, looking, thinking

You might get gold

Race

By Raven

]]> http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2010/03/11/poetry-from-students-in-new-york/feed/ 0 http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2009/12/29/language-arts-abc-books/ http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2009/12/29/language-arts-abc-books/#comments Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:00:31 +0000 Diane http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/?p=1494 Creating an ABC book is an excellent way to combine research, writing, and technology skills.

Nicole’s ABC Book (PowerPoint)

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 culture the class did some reading and research.  Please refer to the follow sites for more information:  http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/features/yupik/lessons.html and http://www.projectarticulate.org/lessons (select Spirit Masks)  for more information.

Image and article by Joy Davis, Educational Journalist, IN

Send images of student art work via email! We’ll share your projects on the website.

To view a larger image of the pictures, click on each picture.  Be patient.  It takes a little time to load the full view of the image.

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

Learn more about our Iditarod quilt projects at this link:  click here.

Join our projects, send a virtual quilt square, or create your own project and email us about your project!  Click here for additional quilt project information or to send information about your quilt project.

View the lesson he used and writing samples from two 4th grade students by clicking here.

This lesson can be used with any grade level.  The original lesson and other information can be viewed by clicking here. Scroll to the Experience Journal.

Thanks goes out to Mr. Russoniello and his students for sharing their work!

The Alaskan Husky

By Gabrielle

Alaskan husky strong and smart,

Tall and brave with a beating heart.

Alaskan husky, a very good pleader,

Wants to be the front row leader.

Years go by too fast for him,

Now he has a very sore limb.

Even though he is old,

He still has dreams, big and bold.

Now he has passed away,

But he’s living his dream every day.

From Willow to Nome

race dogs race

ole the place youll go

zoom!!!!

eliminate

Nome !!!!

Keanna

by Stephen

In

Alaska

the iditarod

race is the race

that takes skill and

and hard work and that’s

the iditarod race in Alaska!

Dogs

on the

go!

By Naydia

RACE TO

ALASKA! LOTS OF

CHALLENGES!

EAGER TO WIN!

By  WILSON

MUSHER

UNBEATABLE

SLED

HIGH

ENERGIZE

RUN

By Elijah

slip

listen

equipment

dogs

obstacles

go

snow

By Cameron

Awake

Lose

Alaska

Sled

Killed

Away

by Cody

Disgusting

In a deadly

Position. People

Had

To

Help

Each other for

Recovery

In

Alaska

Jean Paul

Run

Alaska

Challenged

Elements

By   Emmanuel

Noah

Go

mushers

tell your

dog to

run run run so

you can win the

race.

Dogs love

Other people to

Go

Sledding

Jaime

Race

a fun

careful

east s race

Elizabeth

MUST

U AND ME

SEE

HIM

END THE

RACE

Nathan

Races

Alaska

Challenges

Eligible

Makayla

Brave

Risk

Achievement

Victory

Achieve

Parth

GOOD

READY

ELEGANT

ALASKA

TRAIL

RIDE

ANIMALS

CRASH

ELEGANT

BY Thomas

Race to

Alaska there will be

Challenges and it will be an

Elegant ride.

Marcus

To

Have

Even

Such

Outstanding

Unstoppable

Tremendous

Host

Race

Attitude

Checkpoint

Entertained

Jarred