Unit: Teamwork Theme: Iditarod

1. Unit: TeamworkTheme: Iditarod Jeri Spears / Roberto Canchola Fifth Grade/Language Arts

2. Introduction • As we are reading the stories “Iditarod Dream” and “Woodsong” we will be learning more about the Iditarod Race, Alaska, and sled dogs through this WebQuest journey. Click on the links below to read and watch some video to begin your journey. www.iditarod.com and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iditarod_Trail_Sled_Dog_Race

3. More Intro The Iditarod, or Last Great Race, takes place in Alaska the first weekend of March. First officially run in its entirety in 1973, teams of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover 1,500 miles in 10 to 17 days. Traveling from Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast, this National Historic Trail, commemorates the route used in the late 19th and early 20th century to get mail and supplies from coastal towns like Seward and Knik to mining camps in the interior. Everything went into the small mining communities along the trail while gold came out - all by sled dog. This race honors the beautiful terrain of Alaska, the spirit of the people that live there, and the teamwork between the dogs and their musher.

5. Task • This WebQuest has three task for you to complete. You will be doing these task individually. You can complete them in any order. Quest 1: Dog Sled Races Around the World Quest 2: What Type of Dog is Best? Quest 3: Looking at Mushers

6. Process Quest 1: Dog Sled Races Around the World http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sled_dog_races Using the website above, identify, locate, and label on the map provided to you five places other than Alaska where dog sled races are held. You must choose places on at least three different continents. On the back of the map, write a paragraph why you think these places are good places for dog sled races.

7. Process • Quest 2: What Type of Dog is Best? http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/sled-dogs-an-alaskan-epic/introduction/3146/ Go to the above website and read about the qualities of a good sled dog. Then go to the website below and read about at least five of the types of dogs used in sled dog racing. Choose one breed of dog that you think would make the best sled dog and write a paragraph to support your choice. Be sure to include a description of the dog, information on temperament, size, and any other information that supports your choice. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/sleddogs.htm

8. Process • Quest 3: Looking at Mushers http://iditarod.com/race/2013/mushers/ Choose two mushers from the website above and read their “bio’s.” Use the Venn Diagram (provided to you) to list at least five similarities and five differences between the two mushers.

9. Resources • www.iditarod.com • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sled_dog_races • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/sled-dogs-an-alaskan-epic/introduction/3146/ • http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/sleddogs.htm • http://iditarod.com/race/2013/mushers/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iditarod_Trail_Sled_Dog_Race

10. Evaluation - Quest 1: World Map – Dog Sleds

11. Evaluation: Quest 2: Which dog is best?

12. Evaluation: Quest 3: Looking at Mushers

13. Conclusion • Congratulations – You made it through the WebQuest! We hope you learned something about the Iditarod race, the dogs, the mushers, and some geography thrown in there, too! Here are a couple of books if you are interested in reading more about these type of things: • Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner • Iditarod Country: Exploring the route of the last great race by Tricia Brown • Winterdance: the fine madness of running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen (or any other book by Gary Paulsen) • Black Star, Bright Dawn by Scott O’Dell

14. Teacher Page • This WebQuest goes along with two stories from the 5th grade Harcourt Trophies anthology: “Iditarod Dream” by Ted Wood and “Woodsong” by Gary Paulsen. There is also a learning center to go along with this. Please see next slide for a list of learning center activities.

15. Teacher Page • Learning Center Activities “Iditarod Dream” and “Woodsong” • You will be choosing any 4 activities to do throughout this unit.  • Comparison of size of Alaska to other states.  • Traffic Light Thinking – rereading the stories and see directions for specific instructions of how to complete this activity.   • Totem Pole – read the background information provided on Totem Poles and their symbols, as well as Whale in the Sky. Design and create your own totem pole. See folder for specific instructions/guidelines.   • Read the story “The Wolf and the Dog” and respond to the questions provided.   • Literary Response (Read and Respond). Choose ONE of the books from the center to read and respond by completing EITHER a Sequence Diagram OR a Conclusions Chart.   • The Iditarod Trail Board Game – this game is played with 2 to 4 players. See instructions/guidelines for playing the game. AFTER the game has been played, EACH player must write down two things they learned from the game.   • Supplies on a sled – Take a look at the model of a sled. There is a list of 12 supply items to take on your sled for the race. Choose the top 5 items you would take (and prioritize them) and explain why you chose these items.

16. References • www.iditarod.com • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sled_dog_races • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/sled-dogs-an-alaskan-epic/introduction/3146/ • http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/sleddogs.htm • http://iditarod.com/race/2013/mushers/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iditarod_Trail_Sled_Dog_Race • Also, please make sure to make use of your school library, public library, or EMC (Education Materials Center).