The Iditarod: Last Great Race to Nome, can be a fully integrated curriculum unit which uses the Iditarod Sled Dod Race as its focus and central theme. The unit is designed to enhance the student's awareness and appreciation for the annual sled dog race across the state of Alaska. As a multi-faceted curriculum, the students will be involved in a variety of activites to become more knowledgable about the race, Alaska culture and geography, and the people and animals who participate in the competition.

Pre-Race:

Friendly Letter: Students reasearch a musher participaring in the race, write a letter of support (or email) to a musher. Many mushers respond to letters which will make the experience more meaningful for the students. Once the race begins, the student will track the progress of his or her musher.

Alaska Brochure: Students use the Internet to research areas of Alsaka. Once information is gathered, students create a travel brochure using catchy phrases and descriptive vocabulary to entice visitors to come and visit their vacation spot. Graphics from the Internet can be captured and imported into the student's project.

ABC Scavenger Hunt: Students visit various Iditarod sites to match each letter of the alphabet with a word which relates to the Iditarod, Alsaka, etc.

During the Race:

(teacher should make a giant sized map of Alaska marked with the race route)

Tracking Mushers: Students create flags for their musher and place them on the bulletin board. Each day, update the location of the musher via the Internet and move the flag to the musher's current location.

Weather Comparisons: During the race, use the Internet to compare the weather in Santa Maria, Anchorage and Nome. Students graph their findings and later analyze weather differences.

Literature Link: Students will enjoy reading Woodsong, by Gary Paulsen, as a literature piece that shares the Iditarod from one who has run it. While reading this story, students can learn more about Gary Paulsen by visiting Paulsen-related web sites and posting questions through the Scholastic Network's author chat.

• Cost involved in the Iditarod POW: Dog food, entrance fees vs. winnings, travel expenses.
• Tracking miles covered per day, hour, etc.

• Northern Lights
• Animals of Alaska
• Orienteering

• Eskimo culture and art
• Iditarod History and Serum Run
• Latitude and Longitude
• Map Reading

• The Call of the Wild, Jack London
• To Build a Fire, Jack London
• Black Star, Bright Dawn, Scott O'Dell

• Students read either 1049 minutes or pages (1049 is the length of the race route)

• Modified Musher Relays using saucer sleds
• Eskimo games