| Woodsong From the Back Cover
When Gary Paulsen travels with
his sled dogs, he is up against the most unforgiving side of Nature. Facing the brutally
cold Minnesota wilderness is a challenge he is determined to survive. The ultimate test is
Alaska's Iditarod. Alone, with only his dogs for company, Paulsen begins a thousand-mile
trek through frozen Arctic wasteland--a journey that may cost him his life. With thrilling
immediacy, the award-winning novelist pulls us into the breathtaking drama of his own
story. Woodsong is especially compelling--because it is true. |
 |
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Iditarod
http://www.iditarod.com/
Iditarod Trail Dog Sled
Race http://www.workingdogweb.com/Iditarod.htm
PBS Mathline
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/mathline/concepts/iditarod/activity1.shtm
Alaska's Iditarod
Sled Dog Race http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/3796/Index.htm
Anchorage Daily News: Iditarod
http://www.adn.com/iditarod/
Dogsled.com http://www.dogsled.com/
Iditarod Dog Sled Race: History and
Background http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/mathline/concepts/iditarod/activity1.shtm
Below you will find a letter with terrific
Iditarod Links written to our Listserv:
eIditarod registration has closed and we are set for our third year ollowing the great
race! We have set a new record this year with 380 classes enrolled in the project! They
will create wall maps, study the mushers, dogs, history, geography and climate, select a
team to follow, and email each project checkpoint as their team progresses in the Iditarod
Sled Dog Race. What makes this such a great project? Classes follow the race in real time
right online! You can visit the project site at http://surfaquarium.com/e_iditarod.htm
to follow the progress of the classes as they work through this year's project.
With the race set to begin on March 1st this year. As I have the past two years, I am
showcasing the best online resources for studying the race again in this special triple
issue. Here's to a great race.....and a great project!
2003 edition is http://surfaquarium.com/newsletter/iditarod2003.htm
This is the official site of the Iditarod Trail Committee, and it's very comprehensive.
There's lots of information here - everything you need to follow the race for FREE:
history, geography, weather, news sources, strategy, mushers biographies, information on
the dogs, and real time updates of the race once it begins March 2nd!! This will be a
major resource for the eIditarod project mentioned above.
AKC Alaskan Malamute Page - http://www.akc.org/breeds/recbreeds/alasmal.cfm
The American Kennel Club offers wonderful, detailed information on the breed that fuels
the race; the kids love the dogs and this site makes you an instant authority on their
characteristics, breeding and upkeep. The entire package is nicely formatted and
colorfully attractive for kids.
Alaska - http://www.education-world.com/a_sites/sites071.shtml
This is a Great Sites piece I wrote for Education World on classroom resources for the
study of our 49th state. It's full of useful links you can use for a study of the history
and geography of Alaska.
Alaska History Toolbox - http://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/akhistory/aktools.htm
Great material for the teacher who wants to dig deeper into the history and culture of the
land that gives us this enduring racing tradition. And look at the depth of material here.
If you're looking to implement an Alaska unit in which the Iditarod is one component, this
is a great place to start.
Alaska Science Explained - http://www.alaskascience.com/
Neal Brown hosts this site, which includes a nice segment on the Aurora Borealis and a
good presentation of remote mapping to boot. There's links for further study and an
interesting section on rockets that may be useful in other units you will cover this year.
Alaska Wildlife Notebook - http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/notebook/notehome.htm
Great site on all kinds of native animals presented by the Alaska Department of Fish and
Game.
Anchorage Daily News - http://www.adn.com/iditarod/
The ADN is a great source of information on the race as it happens - even the
Official Iditarod Website links to it. Here is an archive of last year's race, including
lots of information of recent dominant musher Doug Swingley and plenty of material on
other past races. It is sure to be updated as this year's race gets underway.
Beyond Land's End - http://beyond.landsend.com/iditarod/prologue/
The Land's End company features Bill Cotter, his family and his dogs as he races and
prepares for his participation in the Last great Race - nice, personal insights. The
section on preparing for the Iditarod contains great material including Bill's journals,
and thecluding Bill's journals, and the online press kit can easily be adapted for
creative uses in your classroom as an "Iditarod Central".
Cabela's Iditarod Race Coverage - http://www.cabelasiditarod.com/
Cabela's became a new major online contender for race information and updates last year.
Cabela's is an outdoors outfitter that is now an official sponsor of the race. The site is
a combination of free access to information and offers for all kinds of merchandise. If
you can't find it at the official race site, look here!
Dee Dee Jonrowe - http://www.eddiebauer.com/deedee/2001/deedee.asp
Eddie Bauer is Dee Dee's proud sponsor and hosts this site dedicated to sharing her team's
experience with fans online. This is perhaps not as in-depth a treatment as other musher
sites, but it is well done and girls will love learning more about a female musher!
Discover Online - http://www.discovery.com/area/exploration/iditarod/iditarod.html
Chronicles the journey of Billy Snodgrass from the lower 48 to his first run in the
Iditarod. Classic story!
Dog Mushing and Iditarod Coverage - http://dogsled.com/
Dogsled.com has long been a first class home base for covering the Iditarod. They tend to
bend a little more towards the human interest side of the race, so it's definitely
designed for use with kids. It's so full of information it can be kind of busy as you
scroll down the page, but it's 100% information with little or no filler!
English Musher Max Hall - http://www.maxhall.com/
For a completely novel point of view, check out Max Hall and his dogs as they travel
across the pond to participate in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race each year. Then focus is on
Max and his team, with data on past races and race history, as well.
Fascinating Facts - http://www.bena.com/lucidcafe/library/iditarod2.html
Lots of trivia and historical facts you may not know yourself, or you may want to use to
stump and impress your students.
Gary Paulsen - http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/special/kay/paulsen.html
This Paulsen page covers all his books, many of which have to do with dogs and sledding -
never mind the fact that he's an awesome writer. N.B. Woodsong, Dogsong and Dogteam.
Iditarod: Fact not Fiction - http://sunhusky.com/Facts/
June Price offers this rebuttal to those who allege that the Iditarod is cruel to animals,
including pictures, facts and responses from Dr. John Bramante, Dr. Michael Davis and
Janet Oates of the Alaska Service Area branch of the Providian Health System.
Iditarod 411 - http://www.designperfect.com/iditarod/
More links (some duplicated) that help you delve into the many facets of a classroom
Iditarod study, but hurry - Jan says she'll be shutting down the site soon!
Iditarod Ideas - http://www.iditarodideas.com
Jeanie Olsen's activities for implementing the race in the classroom. A must see for
middle school teachers!
Iditarod in the Classroom - http://www.rims.k12.ca.us/iditarod/class/
Bulletin board for teachers plus books and activities covering Language Arts, Math,
Science and the Social Studies.
Iditarod 2000 Unit - http://www.alexandriacentral.org/cove/iditarod.html
A group of fifth graders at Cove Kid Elementary in Alexandria Bay, New York hosts this
unit on the race that is easily adaptable to this year's event. Links include history,
rules, the dogs and sled gear.
Iditarod: The Last Great Race - http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson103.shtml
This is an article I wrote for Education World back in 1999 that offers lots of curriculum
connections for teachers wanting to make their room come alive this Winter celebrating
this unique race.
Iditarod: Race Across Alaska - http://teacher.scholastic.com/iditarod/home.htm
Scholastic has put together this presentation on the Iditarod with help from veteran
mushers Martin Buser and Mitch Seavey. The teacher's guide brings together Standards
Correlations, Lesson Plans and Skill sheets to boot. You'll have to ignore the commercial
pitches, but the content is fairly good.
Martin Buser and Happy Trails Kennels - http://www.buserdog.com/buserdog/
Martin is one of the race's great veterans and this site allows you to follow his team as
they prepare for the upcoming race. Happy Trails is the kennels where Martin and his wife
Kathy Chapoton raise and care for their dogs. Martin has won the race three times and is
the Iditarod Hall of Fame!
Mrs. Morgan's Great Iditarod Adventure - http://www.chathamma.com/iditarod/
Ann Morgan first posted this page this past year with all kinds of ideas for using the
Iditarod in the classroom. She even had musher Jeff King conduct a telephone interview
with her class prior to last year's race! You'll want to peruse her site before beginning
your own Iditarod adventure!
Mushing - http://www.mushing.com/
Online version of the magazine devoted to sled dog racing; there's a good bit of
information available here without having to get tangled up in subscription rates.
Northern Virginia Fortune Seekers - http://members.tripod.com/~jupiterx/pictures.html
Great pictures from a family who won a free trip to a previous year's race.
Official Student Information Guide- http://www.dced.state.ak.us/tourism/student.htm
Presented by the state of Alaska, this site has everything your class will need to learn
about state facts, economy, geography, boroughs, population, public lands, the pipeline,
and so much more. I especially like the usefulness of sections on native peoples, the gold
rush days, wildlife and the aurora borealis.
Ramy Brooks - http://www.ramybrooks.com/
Ramy is a regular in the Iditarod race and this page offers a personal glimpse at the man
and his dogs. This page not only offers personal insights, but presents human interest
stories you won't find anywhere else about the dogs. Consider "Who are the favorite
dogs of the Iditarod?" and "How do the dogs get home from Nome?"
Libby Riddles - http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/frontiers/riddles.html
Libby was the first woman to win the Iditarod, and this NASA feature is part of their
Female Frontiers presentation online.
A Rookie Gets Ready for the Iditarod - http://www.discovery.com/area/exploration/iditarod/iditarod.html
Discovery Online presents the chronicle of Billy Snodgrass as he makes the journey from
the lower 48 to his first run in the Iditarod. This is a classic story wonderfully
formatted and full of high interest information for anyone who dreams of making it as an
entry in the Last Great Race!
Schools from the Iditarod District - http://www.iditarodsd.org/Pages/schoolwebpg.html
Want to learn more about the schools along the trail? Here's a great collection of the
school web sites.
Snow Activities - http://www.teelfamily.com/activities/snow/
Science, Art. Literature and Food activities ready to go in your classroom, links to
additional resources as well.
Stephen R. Lee's Mushing Home Page - http://www.ooowoo.com/
Here's coverage of the basics of mushing in simple, easy to understand format ! The Junior
Mushers link is especially fascinating for teachers who would like to allow their students
to immerse themselves in all it takes to become a musher on the trail. Check out the
detailed directions on how to build your own dog sled - all from a musher who lives in New
Mexico!
Tilford on the Trail - http://www.vinton-hellsburg.k12.ia.us/tms/seventh/rdg7/iditarod/idit.html
Judy Mitschelen brings together a great collection of information for anyone learning
about the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. There's history, fascinating facts, and in-depth
information. The musher's links need to be updated, but if Judy's true to form she'll have
them updated before the race is close. Definitely worth a look!
Ultimate Iditarod - http://www.ultimateiditarod.com/
This site touts itself as an inside look at the race and may be worth your consideration
in planning for this year's event.
Veterinary Educational Team - http://www.drsonny.com/Default.htm
Sonny King leads this web site full of ideas like the IditaRead project and information
like necessary musher gear.
Wild-Eyed Alaska - http://www.hhmi.org/Alaska/
This site is dedicated to the wild life of Alaska - beautiful pics, audio and video clips;
a great Science extension for your Iditarod unit. Featured animals include Puffins, Gulls,
Chicks and a variety of underwater animals.
Working Dog Web - http://www.workingdogweb.com/Iditarod.htm
Lots of information here and some teacher links too. The nice child-friendly design makes
it easy to incorporate into your class studies. Topics include Race History, the Iditarod
Trail, Dogs & Mushers, News Media Coverage, Equipment & Strategy and
Iditarod in the Classroom.
"Used with permission from Walter McKenzie's Innovative Teaching
Newsletter: http://surfaquarium.com/news.htm"
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