As part of our social studies curriculum the students study John Beargrease, an Ojibwe Indian and local hero. We follow the John Beargrease Sleddog Marathon, a local event commerating John Beargrease and his important contributions to out local history.
To immerse themselves in what it is like to run in a sleddog marathon today we utilize many print resources. First the children read a non-fiction selection by Gary Paulsen entitled "Wood Song".
Gary Paulsen is a popular children's author. Gary Paulsen is training to run in the Iditarod this year for the first time since 1985. He is communicating with his fans by keeping an Iditarod web journal. He grew up in Minnesota and has written several books about dogs and dog sledding. Two of our favorites are "Winterdance" (an adult non-fiction novel about Gary Paulsen's experiences running the Iditorad. Parts of the book are used as a read-aloud) and "My Life in Dog Years" a series of short stories about important dogs in Paulsen's life.
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Iditarod History and General Information This link includes information on the history of the Iditarod, background information, portrait of a musher,past winners, and mushing history.
Zuma's Paw Print Zuma's Paw Print contains letters to students and race fans, from K-9 reporter and journalist, Zuma. Zuma shares behind the scenes information all year long and provides race updates for readers during the race.
Map of the Trail Downloadable PDFs of the Iditarod's Northern and Southern Trails.
Iditarod Board Game Iditarod Printable Board Game, fun for the whole family!
