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Teacher Resources

Grade 6, Unit 2

Sled Dogs as Heroes

Treasures Treasures

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Slideshow
Activity 1
Activity 2

Content Objectives

Students will:
  • Learn about sled dogs and the ways they help people.
  • Access prior knowledge and build background about dogs and the arctic.
  • Explore and apply the concept of the characteristics of a sled dog team and what kinds of tasks sled dogs can accomplish.

Language Objectives

Students will:
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of sled dog teams.
  • Orally use words that name the various items a sled dog team may use.
  • Extend oral vocabulary by speaking about the various jobs and activities of sled dog teams.
  • Use key concept words [transportation, arctic, harness, musher, husky, Iditarod].

Explain

  • Use the slideshow to review the key concept words.
  • Explain that students are going to learn about sled dogs:
    • What sled dog teams are used for.
    • What kinds of things a sled dog team needs to work in the arctic.
    • The history of using sled dog teams for important jobs as well as racing.

Model

  • After the host introduces the slide show, point to the photo on screen. Ask students: What is a sled dog team? (a team of dogs, often huskies who pull a large sled controlled by a person called a musher).
  • Ask students: What are some things sled dogs are used for? (personal transportation, delivery of supplies, racing).
  • Say: Sled dogs are important when traveling through snow. Why are dogs used in the arctic instead of horses? (their fur makes them better-suited to the arctic climate, they are easier to control in the uneven arctic terrain, etc.)
  • Guided Practice

  • Guide students through the next four slides showing them items a sled dog team may take along on a trip. Always have the students discuss what the item is used for and what kind of sled dog team would need the item most.
  • Apply

  • Play the games that follow. Have them discuss with their partner the different topics that appear during the Talk About It feature.
  • After the first game, ask students to discuss the kinds of dogs they own or have seen first-hand and compare them to sled dogs. After the second game, encourage them to share experiences they have had with dogs.
  • Close

  • Ask students: Do you think you would ever like to work or go on a vacation in the arctic?
  • Summarize for students that sled dogs can guide people in the Arctic and transport supplies. Encourage them to make up a story about exploring the Arctic with friends.