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Congratulations
Robert Sorlie! |
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Robert Sorlie and his two lead dogs "Sox" and "Blue"
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Every March my students become involved in "The Last Great Race on Earth," the Iditarod. This exciting race pits man and animal against the forces of nature. Dog sled teams race over jagged mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast. The teams experience temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of ice, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs. From Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the Bering Sea coast, each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover over 1,200 miles in up to two weeks.
This year my class, and many
students from our school will participate in an
Idita-Walk. I got this
idea from a Boy Scout Troop in Nome.
Nome Idita-Walk They are doing this
as a fund-raiser. Get in on the fun, and sign up with them for a very good
cause! Teachers, e-mail me and I'll send you things
I've made up for this event.
Read "How
the Iditarod Got Started," as well as
The Serum Run: Blazing the Iditarod Trail,
written by Debbie Miller and illustrated by Jon Van Zyle.
Read my review.
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In March of 2000, I followed the Iditarod with my own bush pilot! We traveled the Iditarod trail all the way to Nome, stopping at the checkpoints along the way. I kept in contact with the school community via Internet and this web site. I wrote daily journal reports and sent back lots of pictures. The experience far exceeded my expectations! I met lots of mushers, Iditarod Trail Committee officials, and many wonderful people in the villages. Prior to the 2000 race Jeff King called the classroom and the students interviewed this Iditarod champion. It was an experience none of us will ever forget! This past summer I visited Jeff's kennel in Alaska. He took me on a "training run." Now that's another experience I'll never forget! There are people who believe that this race harms the dogs and are against promoting it in any way. I have done much research on this controversy over the 18 years that I have used the race as a teaching tool. Now, having witnessed the care of the dogs during the 1,200 mile race, I KNOW what is true and what is not. Read an article I wrote addressing this issue. |
| The Iditarod is an Alaskan adventure students and
the school community can share without ever leaving Cape Cod. Have a great Internet experience with your child. Utilize the links on this site to follow the Iditarod race this year. I was interviewed by Educational World on how teachers are using this technology in classrooms. Take advantage of the GCI web-broadcasts of the re-broadcasts of the starts. It's great fun actually watching and listening. Anchorage Daily News has some audio and video as well! I am
honored that my site has
been featured in the January 12, 2004 Iditarod 2004 issue
of the Innovative Teaching Newsletter! Have an idea you'd like to suggest? Send comments
and suggestions to
amorgan@chathamma.com Last update February 23, 2003 You are visitor
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