October 6, 2009
Iditarod in the Classroom
Welcome to the 2009 - 2010 Teaching and Iditarod Season!
Visit the For Teachers section of the website and click on the menu items to find information you need! We've been reorganizing information! Join us and explore!
Did you know that 65 mushers have already signed up to run the 2010 Iditarod? We expect more to be signing up over the next two months. What a race this will be! Past champions, veterans, and rookies will be at the starting line on March 6, 2010. On the following day, the mushers will leave Willow Restart headed for Nome. The racers will be facing the challenges that the weather and trail bring to them. The students in classrooms around the world will be following the race on our website. Our race coverage will be the best ever.
Come along this educational journey! Our new lessons and activities will be powerful tools for you to use. We are determined to make this your best teaching season ever!
A goal of our department is to continue to upgrade our curriculum and projects to meet the educational needs of your students. Exxon Mobil is our partner dedicated to help us develop new math and science ideas for you to use with students. We invite you to be the 'voice' behind our improved website activities and curriculum. Share your thoughts with us!
What curriculum areas do you think we need to strengthen? What educational challenges do you have that we can help you with and what can we do better? What are your successes? Do you have projects you'd like to share? What grade level or content area do you teach? Do you use Iditarod Insider and GPS Tracker? Why? Why not? What would you like to see on the website? Please send an email to share your ideas.
Have you wondered? What is it like to be a rookie musher? (A rookie is a musher that has not finished an Iditarod race.)
Once again this year, we'll bring 'Rookie Musher Reports' to your students. Meet the rookies. Discover what it takes to train for Iditarod. Why did they decide to race Iditarod? What are their goals and inspirations? To read these articles, go to the For Teacher's section. Choose the menu item, Rookie Mushers.
Have you noticed? We are working on better organizing the website to provide you easier access to lessons and activities. Click the topic in Curriculum Connections to find articles and lessons that you need. Our PowerPoint presentations and Virtual Field Trips are designed to bring you closer to the race! Check it out!
The Iditarod Teaching Season
We are gearing up for the best teaching season ever. Don't wait until February or March to join our activities. A special feature of the website, Here's What's Happening! is designed to keep you updated on our projects.
Looking for lessons? Herb Brambley is this year's Target Iditarod Teacher on the Trail. Meet Herb. Review the lessons, songs, and journal from Cathy Walter's, the 2009 Target Teacher on the Trail. Herb has started his on line journal. During the race, Herb will fly from checkpoint to checkpoint. You'll be able to read his journal and experience the race from his point of view. Herb will also have a GPS Tracker so you will be able to track his journey while you track the mushers along the trail. Don't wait until the race to meet Herb. Check out his journal and lesson ideas.
You can also review past Teacher on the Trail archived lessons and journals. We are in the progress of restoring the teacher's work to our website. Watch our progress!
Are you interested in being the next Target Teacher on the Trail? The deadline for submitting an application for the 2011 teacher is December 1. Read about the program. To announce your application intention or ask questions about our application process, contact us!
Read Zuma's Paw Prints. Our K9 Reporters will be on the trail all year long, bringing you interesting new articles to read. You can read past articles, learn about the Iditarod Trail, teach character education through the 8 Traits of Iditarod, and meet real authors. Leave comments and wait for it, wait for it, wait for it..... get replies to your comments. No matter what level of reading and writing you teach, there is something for you! Zuma is on Facebook, too! Friend Zuma!
Follow the adventures of the Iditarod Traveling Quilts. This year, 4 quilts will be traveling around the United States. This teaching tool will help teachers 'uncover' the curriculum in unique ways. Learn more! In the menu bar at the website, view a PowerPoint about the quilts, read journals, discover lesson plans, and learn how to become a part of the 2010 Virtual Quilt. Where are the quilts today? Read and join this adventure.
New this year! Take your students on Virtual Fieldtrips. Watch for web quests and special activities just for students. That's right! We've also added a special section FOR STUDENTS!
Renew your subscription or subscribe to Iditarod Insider BEFORE the start of the race to get video and GPS Tracker. Learn more!
Are you looking for Iditarod and Alaska themed books to use with your students? Thanks to our team of librarians, we've updated our Iditarod Books section of the site.
Get involved with Books to the Trail, a service learning project that brings books and school supplies to needy students in Alaska or other places.
Interested in volunteering to help with Iditarod from your classroom? Enter this contest and make table decorations for the Musher Banquet in Anchorage.
Coming soon to the website-- Watch for these features!
Stay on Track, a unique way to help students make healthy life choices.
Race Stats Teaching Tool: Race data for your math classes
Helping Students Succeed Iditarod Style!
Trail Mail and other projects!
Make sure you subscribe to the Iditarod Insight, our educator's newsletter. Forward this email to interested teachers and encourage them to sign up for their own copy of the newsletter.
Review the list of mushers who have already signed up to run the 2010 Iditarod.
Don't miss a moment of the exciting Idita-school year. The Iditarod is an incredible learning tool. Visit the For Teachers section of the website often to keep up with Iditarod news, learn about this year's projects and activities, view curriculum and lessons, lean what other schools and teachers are doing, and to share your own projects.
Join us for Teacher's Workshops
Each year we hold two workshops in Alaska for teachers. Watch the website for updated information on these and other events. We are accepting registration for these events at this time.
Our winter conference is held the week before the start of the race, allowing teachers to be there for the start of the race. This year's conference is in Anchorage on March 2- 5, 2010.
The Summer Camp for Teachers is held in June. We stay at a musher's kennel, learn about the culture of mushing and Alaska, visit museums, listen to speakers, and develop content driven curriculum connections. This is a 9 day adventure in learning for teachers. Summer Camp will be June 20 - 28, 2010 in Wasilla, Alaska.
We hope to provide regional workshops in the lower 48 during the next 12 months. If you are interested in helping to organize or host one in your community, let us know!
Email questions and comments about our teacher workshops and camps.
Have a GREAT School Year
We've only just begun to share our lessons and projects with you via this newsletter and website. We are going to get better and better each month! Stay on the educational Iditarod Trail with us for 'mush' more!
Bookmark the For Teachers section of the website and check back often.
I'm looking forward to staying in touch! Email me any time!
Iditarod Education Director
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