Race to the Finish

1. Race to the Finish Iditarod Literature Focus Unit Created by: Lisa M Hulm

2. Literature SelectionEasy Reads • Akiak: A Tale from the Iditarod by Robert J. Blake • Adventure in Alaska by S.A. Kramer • Balto- Sled Dog of Alaska by LaVere Anderson • Born to Pull by Bob Carey

3. Literature SelectionChapter Books • Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner • The Call of the Wild by Jack London • White Fang by Jack London • Dogsong by Gary Paulsen

4. Literature SelectionPicture Books • To See the Moon by Ethel Bacon • Where’s the Boss- A Sled dog’s tale from Alaska’s Iditarod Trail by Lois Harter • Elim- The Determined Athlete by Joan Jackson • Storm Run by Libby Riddles

5. Theme Study The students will take part in the thematic unit on the Iditarod. This unit will integrate Reading and Writing with Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, and Physical Education. Students will develop an understanding of the Iditarod and all of the elements that it contains, including: geography, survival, weather, mushing, animal behavior, and achievement

6. Language Arts: Reading Activities • Students will read multiple books, both in fiction and non-fiction form, pertaining to the Iditarod. The reading will be done in various ways, including: silent reading, partner reading, guided reading, reading aloud. • Class will read, “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London, as a whole led by the teacher. • Have the students pick present Iditarod competitor and track their progress day to day and write that down in their journal. • Teacher will provide facts about the Iditarod and mushing and bring them to class. Students will read through these and discuss with group/pod/class.

7. Language Arts: Writing Activities • Students will start their own “ Boss Journal”. They are the leader of their very own sled dog team. They will name their team and share a day-by-day account of where they are at geographically, the weather, health, and other details of their Iditarod journey. • Students will practice using descriptive language in their journal entries. • Students will write a short story taking the place of one of their sled dogs. They will need to describe what they are doing, how they are feeling, and what they are thinking as they run the Iditarod. • Students will write a post-card to a friend or family member about their journey on the Iditarod. • Students will write a Haiku form poem about either the Iditarod, sled dogs, or mushing. • Students will participate in Spelling test based on Iditarod themed words. • Students will write a theatrical play with a small group.

8. Language Arts: Speaking Activities • Students will share daily accounts out of their “Boss Journals” with the class and what their sled dog team is doing. • Students will share daily where the Iditarod team that they chose is in their race and how far they have left. • Students will share their poems with the class and teacher. • Students will participate in discussions about Iditarod facts and other topics that are discussed during class. • Students will share their short stories with the class. • Students will share live news reports.

9. Language Arts: Listening Activities • Students will listen as the teacher reads the book Call of the Wild by Gary Paulsen. • Students will listen and be respectful during peer sharing of journals, stories, and poems. • Students will listen and participate in class discussions and sharing of opinions. • Students will listen and watch audio clips of Iditarod information.

10. Language Arts: Viewing Activities • Students will view Call of the Wild the movie as a class. • Students will view Iditarod website and look at facts, pictures, and information---www.iditarod.com • Students will view Iditarod water-color paintings done by classmates. • Students will view our Iditarod information center in classroom. • Students will act out a theatrical play with a small group.

11. Language Arts: Visually Representing Activities • Students will help create an Iditarod Information Center. This will contain pictures, facts, and display pieces that all represent or show something that is a part of the Iditarod. • Students will display their sled dog water-color. • Students will display their shoe box dioramas representing a scene in either their journal or story. • Students will display their stories with illustrations. • Tape students as they “report” about the Iditarod taking place an send it home with students- it will be shot like a live news broadcast! • Students will stage a TV broadcasting center in the classroom.

12. Science Activities • Teacher will discuss with class the climate that the Iditarod takes place in and how it compares to the one that we live in yearly. • Students will learn how the sled dogs survive in this climate, and what the mushing teams do in the wilderness to survive. • Students will make their own sleds using popsicles sticks, tooth picks, and cloth replicating sleds they have seen in pictures and books. • Class will discuss according to what climate they are in what they will need to survive for both themselves and their sled dogs. • Students will discuss Alaskan wilderness and hazards that it contains. • Snow and Ice experiments- how water freezes, look at snow under microscope. • Students will use the Iditarod Information Center when looking for information and facts.

13. Mathematics Activities • Students will chart daily temps of the locations of where their Iditarod teams are currently at. • Students will use both positive and negative numbers depending upon the temperatures being used. • Students will measure in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. • Student will measure how much weight their sled dog teams can pull. • Students will measure the number of miles of the Iditarod. • Students will track their Iditarod team online and measure their progress daily. • Students will utilize the the charts and maps in the Iditarod Information Center.

14. Social Studies Activities • Students will learn about how the Iditarod originated and when the first official race took place. • Students will research how the first sleds and dog teams were put together. • Class will discuss famous races that occurs. • Students will research people who have been in the race. • Students will look at teams from state being taught in. • Class will investigate areas with similar climates. • Students will draw map of the Iditarod trail.

15. Music and Art Activities • Students will illustrate pictures of the Iditarod on the front side of their postcard. • Students will create a water-color of their sled dog team. • Students will create a diorama pertaining to a scene in their story or their poem. • Students will add backgrounds to their poems using images associated with Alaskan wilderness or the Iditarod. • Class will make a wall mural of dogs, sleds, and people that are competing in the Iditarod trail.

16. Physical Education Activities • Students will have a mock Iditarod in the gym. They will be divided into groups of 8 and have to stop at certain stations either answering questions pertaining to the book, facts, or solve problems using math, science, or writing. • Students will run their own Iditarod outside using actual sleds. • Students will pretend they are sled dogs and see how fast they can run on their hands and knees like they do. • Students will compete in an Iditarod relay using snow shoes, skis, sleds, ect.

17. Technology • http://www.iditarod.com/ • http://www.ionearth.com/2010/iditarod/ • Newspaper/Magazine articles • Digital photos and videos • Call of the Wild on DVD.

18. Language Arts Strategies • Discussing: class will discuss things that they would like to know about the Iditarod and where they think they could find this information. • Sharing : class will spend time reflecting upon prior knowledge that they have about the Iditarod. • Brainstorming: Students will think of ideas that they could use for their stories and poems. • Connecting: Students will connect the concepts learned in all of the subjects together to have a better understanding of the Iditarod. • Language: Students will practice using descriptive words and language when writing their stories to bring them to life and make them interesting. • Predicting and Monitoring: Students will use these skills when tracking their team and measuring there progress and the temperature day to day. • Visualizing: Students will bring their images in their mind to life with drawings to illustrate their poems and stories. • Revising: Students will go over their stories and poems and make changes to them when necessary.

19. Language Arts Skills • Comprehension: Students will recognize the difference between the stories we discuss when determining fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. • Comparison: Students will be able to identify what is similar and different between our climate and Alaska’s. • Language: Students will practice multiple writing techniques, including: story telling, poetry, journaling, weather forecast. • Reference: Students will read facts, make dioramas, and make graphs to reflect back on.

20. Grouping Patterns • Large Group: class conversations, outdoor snow activities, indoor Iditarod activities, viewing videos, peer sharing, journal sharing, and daily updates. • Small Group: small group discussions, Iditarod Information Center, graphing of weather, and partner discussion. • Individual: writing stories, writing poems, writing journals, making diorama, making post card, creating sled, survival techniques, and attentive listening.

21. Assessments • Journal Entries and KWL chart • Participation in class discussions • Participation in journal, story, and poem sharing • Analytical Writing Traits Rubric and 6 +1 Writing Assessment • Observation of participation in sharing, diorama, mock Iditarod, team cooperation • Math, Social Study, and Science comprehension • Numerical Score Sheet/ Rubric for poem • Elements based rubric to grade art projects, elements and practices used • Student work portfolio