For several years, my seventh grade classes would always read The Call of the Wild around the same time that the Iditarod sled dog race was being run. We'd have a huge map of the right part of Alaska posted on a classroom wall, with dog cut-outs to represent the dog teams and their mushers. We'd move the paper dogs along the Iditarod Trail each morning as the postings would come in on the Internet. Each student would have a team to root for, and when the race was over there would be small prizes for the students whose teams won, and for those whose team came in last (the red lantern prize for determination and perseverance).
We'd watch short videos about the Iditarod and sled dogs, and learn about the northern lights. Of course with The Call of the Wild we'd learn about the Alaskan Gold Rush.
We're not doing that this year, but you can still follow the Iditarod. It's going on right now. Internet coverage just keeps getting better, and you can find standings, news stories, photos and videos, bios of the mushers, and even an interactive map. My favorite source of all things Iditarod is The Anchorage Daily News. If you'd like to learn about the Iditarod, and follow this great race, go to http://www.adn.com/
By the way, The Call of the Wild is a wonderful book, and a great story for junior high age students, but remember that it was written in the early 1900's, so it's a more difficult read than most of our students are used to (Lexile level: 1120-1170). Another book about the same gold rush is Will Hobbs' Jason's Gold (Lexile level: 860).
[The photo is from Anchorage Daily News. I receive e-mail updates with photos, starting well before the race begins and continuing through the race. You, too, could sign up for the service.]
