A global studies unit on Alaska for homeschool, worldschool or just for fun.
The girls love animals and requested this week to focus on sled dogs. We learned about the Great Serum Race of 1925 (and who the real hero dog is). We also learned about Yup'ik life in the 1890s. There's lots to read and watch about Alaska!
Printables
Here's this week's info, all wrapped up into an easy-to-read printable. Click here for the full color copy and click here for a low-ink black and white version.
On the Dining Room Wall
These pictures and maps from Wikipedia: Serum Run map, Alaska size comparison map, this picture of Balto.
Books
One from each category plus an assortment of picture books is usually just perfect.
Not all book series are as good as the next. Get the scoop on some of our favorites here.
Library Haul
Not all of these books will get read. Most library systems allow you to browse online and put books on hold. They'll round them up for you and deliver them to your local branch. It's a big time saver!
Base Non-Fiction Books:
Read every word or simply flip through and reach what catches your eye.
Top Pick:
Molly of Denali: Molly's Awesome Alaska Guide The same girl from the PBS TV show introduces readers to her part of the world in this short book with lots of illustrations.
Other Ideas:
Dogsledding and Extreme Sports (Magic Treehouse Fact Tracker #34) A companion to Balto of the Blue Dawn. Like always, these books are good additions to the week and are easy to skim for what interests you.
Base Fiction Chapter Book:
Some of these books are part of a series but all of them work as standalone books.
Younger Learners:
Balto of the Blue Dawn (Magic Treehouse Book #52) Jack and Annie travel to Alaska in 1925 to help Balto on his journey to get medicine to where it needs to go.
Mystery of the Icy Paw Prints (Greetings from Somewhere #9) Twins Ethan and Ella get wrapped up in a mystery up in Alaska.
Older Learners:
Minuk: Ashes in the Pathway* (American Girls; Girls of Many Lands) I'm so glad we read this meaty, year-in-the-life type book about a young Yup'ik girl as her village experiences Christian missionaries moving to her village. The book takes a pretty grim turn at the end which accurately represents the fate of many actual Yup'ik people. *Trigger Warning that nearly everyone except our main girl dies at the end from an influenza epidemic.
Other Notable Books
Have more time? Try these too.
Surviving the Iditarod (You Choose Book) My kids love these books but those with young learners should be aware that you will die in about half of these endings.
The Girl Who Dreamed Only Geese: And Other Tales of the Far North
Picture Books
Library inventories vary so much with picture books. Rather than wasting time tracking down specific ones, I like to do keyword searches and just grab what's available.
Search these keywords: Alaska, Sled Dogs, Togo, Balto, Denali, Iditarod.
We liked these books:
Togo (By Robert J. Blake) In case you didn't know, Togo, not Balto, is actually the true hero of the 1925 serum run in Alaska. We read this book after we watched the movie and got to learn a little more about our new favorite hero pup.
Douggie (By Pam Flowers) The true story of a spirited dog who turns into a reliable sled dog.
Big-Enough Anna (By Pam Flowers) The true story of a small dog with a lot of might who doesn't need size to be an amazing sled dog. (Douggie as an adult dog is mentioned in this book)
Things to Watch
Interactive tour of Alaska's Kenai Fjords National Park. These tours, put out by the National Parks Service, are really fascinating and give you a chance to feel like you're really there!
This Week's Live Cam: Muskox Cam (or click around on explore.org and find a different one.)
Disney Nature's Bears An engaging introduction to animal documentaries with a heavily anthropomorphized mama bear and her two cubs. *There's some peril but both cubs and mom survive.
While You Read Activity Ideas
Build a dogsled team out of Legos, color an Alaskan coloring sheet.
Charitable Giving Suggestions*
Alaska Wilderness League Their mission: "Protect Alaska's wild lands and waters by inspiring broad support for federal policy action."
*I have not done research on any charity listed on this blog. I personally liked the idea of teaching our kids to be charitable and thought it might be helpful to list a few ideas here as well. Please do your own due diligence it you have high expectations of charities.
End of Week Movie Night Ideas
Togo (PG, 2019) We loved this movie about the unsung hero of the Alaska serum run. *SPOILERS* For those who are leery about dog movies, no dogs die in the movie. A voiceover at the end does explain how Togo dies at home, peacefully a few years later.
Balto (G, 1995) This movie is wildly inaccurate but cute enough. It's about what you'd expect from a 90s cartoon movie.
Segue Ideas... Arctic, North American Native Peoples
Wrap Up
I was a little concerned that this week might be lacking since we didn't have a Alaska-specific nonfiction book but it turns out a meaty historical fiction book can fill the void and be very educational. In the end, we learned a lot and are very much team Togo in our house. We also gained some insight into the problematic history of white people's arrival in Alaska. All of this material would work great for an Alaska homeschool unit or, in our case, just some fun, extra learning.
Final Moment
The girls and I have never been to Alaska but my husband lived for a year on a floating logging camp when he was a kid. Here's a picture from this lawless time in his childhood.
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