Iditarod News for Teachers

1. Iditarod News for Teachers Iditarod as a Teacher’s Tool for Math and Science http://iditarod.com/teachers/ 21st Century Teaching Teachers in Alaska, across the nation, and around the world have discovered that “Iditarod based’ lessons are an effective way to engage students in real time learning. Iditarod’s website has become a resource of information and a warehouse full of standards aligned lessons and activities that are easy to use not just during the race, but all school year. This year promises to be a year that brings more lessons to teachers than any other year. Join us! Iditarod works as a topic or theme for the classroom because students quickly discover that many of the concepts associated with the race are interesting and capture their imagination. Science, math, and all content areas can be enhanced through Iditarod based lessons. Cultural standards and life skills blend with the lessons in a natural way due to the real life skills mushers and the canine athletes exhibit while training and racing. Technology brings the race to the classroom. Students complete standards aligned lessons

2. Iditarod News for Teachers Iditarod as a Teacher’s Tool for Math and Science Science Instructional Focus • Science Project Example: • Does friction play a role in how fast a musher ‘s sled moves , turns, or stops? • Can the musher increase one’s potential energy? • Materials for Experiment • sheet of plastic to act as the trail to do the experiment on, handle put on the top of the plastic to run the twine over during the experiment and help bricks have a more constant speed/force during each trial, digital scale, sled runner plastic (sample pieces) tinfoil, plastic wrap, sand paper, wax paper, pieces of wood, tape, bricks, weights, chord • Sled into Science With Us! • Watch for our new science curriculum that will boost your current curriculum by providing Iditarod based activities that challenge your students to answer the ‘big’ questions and focus on the science standards. • Look for: • Science project ideas • 5 Challenging Questions • Iditarod Activities to support curriculum. (STEM) What Ever Pulls My sled!

3. Iditarod News for Teachers Iditarod as a Teacher’s Tool for Math and Science Boost Math Scores the Iditarod Way With our Iditarod math activities, your classroom’s math instruction can be an out of the text book, hands on, real life based, and an engaging experience for your students as they practice and reinforce math skills that they must know. Step out of the math book and away from the worksheets and join us on the Iditarod math trail and continue working on the standards that you teach and your students must know and understand. On our website, you’ll find a updated problem solving activities for students. A PDF packet of sample race stats is located on the website to use for math lessons designed to use problem solving to predict outcomes mathematically and practice skills in graphing. (Stats are found at the Teaching Resources menu tab – Race Stats.) During the race at the ‘Teachers section’ of the website, starting in 2015, we will provide you a daily math problem based on what is happening during the race. Real time math opportunities will enrich your current math curriculum. Preschool Students Learn to Create Graphs Using Doggie Treats

4. Iditarod News for Teachers Technology Integration... Iditarod Based Learning Brings to the Race to Within the Classroom Walls Breaking News: Iditarod Insider is an Instructional Tool Iditarod Insider is the section of the website that provides video and GPS Tracking. Starting in 2015, we’re taking a giant mathematical and scientific leap by providing on the Education Portal-- a daily update for teachers with instructions on how to use the video clips from the previous day, in their classroom to reinforces standards and objectives in all content areas. Our educational team will help you put the educational focus on the daily race updates. This INSIDER UPDATE will help you identify the ‘best’ video clips and provide suggestions for you to maximize the learning. Iditarod Insider is more than current events, it is real life lessons for your students. Iditarod Insider is a ‘pay for use section of the website. To take advantage of this, purchase a classroom or school subscription to Insider. Learn more: http://iditarod.com/insider-educational-packages/ Student in Nome Review Insider Video

5. Iditarod News for Teachers Iditarod as a Teacher’s Tool for Math, Science, and Other Areas. Iditarod is a Tool For All Curriculum Areas! Iditarod can be used in any grade level and with all curriculum areas: Language Arts, Social Studies, Health, and the Fine Arts are part of our “Iditarod Based” multiple intelligence approach to teaching and learning. Creating maps to scale is one example of using math and social studies skills. The Iditarod provides topics for journal writing, research, creative writing, and all of the traits of reading and writing. Service Learning projects are also available. The website provides teachers and students with a comprehensive list of Iditarod and Alaska books. At the Education Portal menu tab on the left of the page, scroll and click on : Books About Iditarod and Alaska A FOR STUDENTS page has been added to the website just for kids. Activities, games, and projects are easily accessed by students! http://iditarod.com/teachers/students/ Students create maps of the Iditarod Trail

6. Iditarod News for Teachers Iditarod as a Teacher’s Tool All Instructional Areas Iditarod = All Curriculum Areas! All Ages! Watch for our new project: Helping Students Succeed Iditarod Style! The Iditarod Mushers are individuals that our youth see in the news and in Alaska, sometimes in their own communities. What lessons can we learn from the mushers, the dogs, the volunteers, and even the canine athletes that help lead students to making positive choices in life and grow up to live healthy lives and impact their communities positively? We are developing lessons and working on the concept of brining you real stories that help student learn real life lessons that they can apply to their own lives. We have accepted the challenge to bring to you the race in this ‘new’ way and provide you with interviews, stories, and lesson ideas that help students think about healthy living and good decision making. Helping Students Succeed Iditarod Style!

7. Iditarod News for Teachers Iditarod Leads Students to Academic Success for Students Iditarod is a Tool For All Curriculum Areas! Research shows that when teachers are actively involved in developing the lessons and are interested in what they are teaching, academic success for students is more likely. Our Iditarod based lessons and activities are created by educators for educators. They are tried, true, classroom tested, students and teacher approved, and they are aligned to standards. Each year new content is added to the site making the Education Portal an important resource and tool for educators. Teachers can contribute lesson ideas to djohnson@iditarod.com Helping Students Succeed Iditarod Style WORKS!

8. Iditarod News for Teachers http://iditarod.com/teachers/ Iditarod as a Teacher’s Tool for Math and Science 21st Century Teaching Visit the Education Portal • Use the menu on the left hand side of the page to locate lessons and links to use with your students. • Categories have been designed to help you find what you need quickly. • Check back often because we are always collecting new ideas to share with you!

9. Iditarod News for Teachers Iditarod as a Teacher’s Tool for STEM Teachers around the world are using Iditarod as a tool in the educational process. Join us! Better yet, be a part of the team of educators making a difference the Iditarod way! Contact us for additional information! djohnson@iditarod.com Visitwww.iditarod.com each week for Iditarod news and information about teaching and learning. The Education Portal is the section of the website designed specifically for educators. Don’t forget! We have two exciting teacher workshops held in the Anchorage area each year. You can earn university credit as you develop enrichment lessons for your curriculum.