Race to the FinishIditarod Literature Focus Unit

Created by: Lisa M Hulm

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Technology

http://www.iditarod.com/

http://www.ionearth.com/2010/iditarod/

Newspaper/Magazine articles

Digital photos and videos

Call of the Wild on DVD.

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.

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.

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.

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

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday-Teacher will begin to read, “Call of the Wild”.-Students will pick a present Iditarod competitor and track their progress-Begin “Boss Journal” using descriptive language.-Will being to make Iditarod Information Center.

-Students will provide facts on mushing and discuss.-Read silently or with partner books available in our Iditarod center.-Students will share daily accounts from journal-Participate in discussions.

-Write a Haiku form poem-Begin writing short story.-Group reading.-Look at Iditarod official website for facts.-Share water color paintings.-View information center.-Will display dioramas.

-Write a postcard from the race.-Group Reading.-Class will look up and watch audio clips with information.-Students will write theatrical play.- Students will build their TV center.

-Iditarod themed spelling test.-Students will share short stories.-Students will write and tape live broadcast.-Group Reading.-Students will will act out theatrical play.*** Teacher will continue to read Call of the Wild until finished and then the class will watch the movie.

Students will create a water-color of their dog team.

- Students will create a diorama pertaining to a scene in their story or poem.

- Students will add backgrounds to their poems associated with Alaskan wilderness.

-Students will illustrate pictures of the Iditarod on the front of their postcard.

- Class will make a mural of dogs, sleds, and people that are competing in the Iditarod.

-Students will compete in an Iditarod relay using snow shoes, skis, sleds, ect.

- Students will act like sled dogs and see how fast they can run on their hands and knees.

- Students will run their own Iditarod outside using plastic sleds.

- Students will have a mock Iditarod in the gym.

- Students will run inside and then outside in the snow and compare their times.

- Begin to chart daily temperatures of their Iditarod teams and their location using charts and graphs and online charting website.

-Chart teams.-Students will practice using positive and negative numbers while charting.

-Chart teams.-Students will measure in Celsius and Fahrenheit.

-Chart teams.- Students will research and measure how much weight their teams can carry and pull.

-Students will measure the number of miles of the Iditarod and compare it to something in their lives.Ex. Trips they take- Chart teams.

- Discussion of climate during the Iditarod in comparison to ours.

-Research how sled dogs survive in the cold.-What do mushing teams do to survive in the wilderness.

-Students will plan out what they will need to survive.- Use Iditarod Information Center.

-Discussion and research of Alaskan wilderness.- Students will make their own sleds using popsicle sticks and tooth picks.

-Snow and Ice experiments- looking at snow under a microscope.

-Students will learn where the Iditarod originated and first took place.

- Students will research how the first sleds and dog teams were put together.

-Class will discuss famous races that occur.-Class will research former people that have raced.

-Students will study teams from the state.-Students will look at areas with similar climates of the Iditarod trail.

- Students will draw a map of the Iditarod trail.

LanguageArts

Art/Music

P.E

Math

Science

Social Studies