Summary: Students will create their own 12″ x 12″ Alaskan quilt.
Summary: During the study of Alaska’s Arctic animals and where they live students will be able to tell the teacher one cold fact about each animal. A cold fact is anything that tells how these animals survive in such a harsh environment. Two facts, for example, that help the willow ptarmigan survive are that he turns white in the winter (his camouflage) and that he grows extra feathers in the winter, even on his feet (for warmth). This information is reviewed and reinforced by playing the Arctic Animal Memory Game and Arctic Animal Bingo.
Summary: Students will look for red, yellow, blue and green toothpicks distributed in a grassy area and discover that the green toothpicks are more difficult to find because they are the color of their surroundings.
Summary: After conducting the toothpick experiment and reading Gone Again Ptarmigan students will see in this art activity how important camouflage is to Alaska’s state bird, the willow ptarmigan and other Arctic animals. (Other Arctic animals that change their coats or feathers with the season are the Arctic fox, the short-tailed weasel (known as ermine in their winter coats), the snowy owl, and the snowshoe hare. Polar bears keep their camouflage all year long!)
Summary: Students will learn about the Iditarod by singing and learning a finger play that can also be dramatized.
Summary: Students will observe Jon Van Zyle’s Iditarod art as well as some of his other work showing the beauty of Alaska. They will learn a song about Jon and then draw their own Mush! Art following a step-by-step format.
Summary:
Summary: At the end of a three-week study students will draw and label a map of Alaska from memory.
Summary: Classroom jobs will be given each day by a numbered rotation.
Summary: Students will string beads in the order demonstrated by the teacher.
Summary: This lesson(s) will focus on the first tenet of the acronym RACE, respect and responsibility. Through song, reading, video, discussion, and drama students will identify and demonstrate respect and responsibility.
Summary: Students will run traditional relays with the intent of working as a team to water their huskies. The focus is on the chores necessary to take good care of the dogs and less on winning the race.
Summary: Students will run traditional relays with the intent of working as a team to feed their huskies. The focus is on the chores necessary to take good care of the dogs and less on winning the race.
Summary: Students will run traditional relays with the intent of working as a team to clean the dog yard. The focus is on the chores necessary to take good care of the dogs and less on winning the race.
Summary: Relay race using team work and cooperation. Students work in teams of three to five to come up with the best strategy to bootie their dogs (chairs). Students start the race with chairs standing in a row. They may bootie their “dogs” in any fashion—even turning them upside down—but they must be returned to their upright position and all team members must return to the starting line before their task is complete.
Little Brown Bear is a line game where all players are involved at all times. Children especially like this game when the teacher, counselor, or leader assumes the role of “it,” or in this case, Little Brown Bear. All of the children must move through the woods as Little Brown Bear has stated. Using the same locomotor skill, Little Brown Bear tries to tag as many players as possible as they move through the woods. Players who are tagged become Little Brown Bears helpers.
Summary: Black Bear is a line game that allows all players to be involved at all times. Children especially like it when the teacher or counselor assumes the role of “it,” Black Bear. Black Bear is a game that tests auditory discrimination and teaches children to navigate a designated area while avoiding being tagged. Anticipating the signal adds to the fun.
Summary: White Bear provides an opportunity to move in general space with a partner, without colliding with others. Whenever White Bear says, “White Bear is hungry!” all of the fish must run across the sea area and attempt to reach the opposite base line as White Bear chases them. White Bear may only catch one fish at a time. Whenever White Bear has a pair of fish in his Ice Cave, they join hands and become fishermen. Then when White Bear says, “White Bear is hungry!” the fishermen may go fishing with White Bear capturing one fish at a time.
Summary: This is a basic tag game that allows student to have fun with sound effects. The “its” are the wind and the rest of the players are Alaskan huskies. The “its” tag the huskies and they howl three times and freeze. The designated mushers may free the huskies by saying “Good Dog!” and patting them on the head.