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].
Other
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.