Iditarod 2013

Iditarod 2013 starts in t- 4 days 23 hours and counting. On March 2,  mushers and their dogs will start the 1, 150 mile race. The Iditarod trail was historically used as a mail, supply, and gold route from coastal towns such as Seward and Knick to the interior mining camps of Flat, Ophir, and Ruby. The trail continued to the west coast communities of Unalakleet, Elim, Golovin, White Mountain, and Nome.

The Iditarod trail became famous in 1925, when a diphtheria epidemic threatened the community of Nome. A dog sled relay transported life-saving serum from Anchorage to Nome.

Why teach about the Iditarod?

Even if you aren’t in Alaska, the Iditarod makes a great lesson! Teaching about the race is an opportunity to incorporate geography lessons, map skills, science concepts, and literacy skills into a real-world context. And there’s no denying the appeal of hundreds of hard-working, lovable dogs to children and adults! 

Additionally, the common practice of having each student follow a musher through the race provides invaluable practice in reading  texts (newspaper accounts) and using the real-time data available online.

Incorporating the Iditarod race can meet standards in a variety of content areas. 

The official Iditarod web site offers many resources for educators, including lesson plans and activities.

Other sites:

 Scholastic’s Iditarod web page includes many articles and interactive features.

Education World also devotes an entire page to integrating the Iditarod across the curriculum. 

Technology Resources

The Iditarod web site also includes many technological features:

 Zuma’s Paw Prints is a student-friendly blog written from the perspective of four sled dogs: Zuma, Gypsy, Sanka, and Libby. 

The Iditarod Insider, requires a subscription and features videos, trail fly-bys, and updated race content.