Resource Unit: Alaska

By: Tiffany Hoover

ED 417-01

Grade: 1

Table Of Contents:• Introduction

• Content

• Objectives

• Activities

Day 1: States Flag

Day2: Glaciers

Day 3: People

Day 4:Wildlife

Day 5:Iditarod Trail

Day 6:Pipeline

Day 7:Panning for Gold

• Evaluation

• Instructional Resources

Teacher Resources

Student Resources

Multi Media Resources

Slide 3

4-6

7-10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18&19

20

21

22-24

Introduction

• This lesson plan is designed to help students understand the importance of the state Alaska. The lesson touches several important areas that our within the states environment, which includes the following:

The states pipeline, Iditarode trail, history of panning for gold, glaciers, the states flag, the people, and wildlife.

Content:• State Flag

Students will understand what each star means on the Alaskan Flag. Students will be able to locate the state of Alaska on a map.

• Glaciers

The student will understand how glaciers are formed and will reenact an experiment showing what glaciers look like.

• People

Students will know how igloos are built and will be able to explain how Alaskan people live differently from our state.

Content Continued • Wildlife

The students will understand the different types of wildlife in Alaska. Students will be able to name ten animals that live in Alaska.

• Iditarod Trail

Students will know the route for the Iditarod trail and will be able to explain what “Mushing” is. Students will also be able to explain what a typical dog sled looks like.

• Pipeline

The students will know how the pipeline is built and will be able to show where the pipeline begins and ends on a map.

• Panning for Gold

Students will understand how and when panning for gold took place. Students will be able to demonstrate gold panning techniques.

Content Continued

Vocabulary:

*Iditarod Trail *Inuit Eskimos

*Musher *Juneau

*Gold Rush *Glaciers

*Igloos *Salmon

*Pipeline *Ice Berg

Objectives:The first grade students will be able to: • Explain and show where the state of Alaska is on a map.• Label the following geographic areas, (The capital Juneau, oceans surrounding

the state, Iditarod trail path, Pipeline, and bordering Country). Raise questions about how families lived in the past and use photographs, letters, artifacts and books to clarify what is known and what is unknown.

• Compare past and present, near and far, with emphasis on daily life including: A. The roles of men, women and children; B. The identification of basis human needs; C. Various ways people meet human needs.

• Relate stories of the heroism and the achievements of the people associated with state and federal holidays.

• Describe similarities and differences in the ways different cultures meet common human needs including: A. Food; B.Clothing; C. Shelter;D. Language;E. Artistic Expressions

• Describe family and local community customs and traditions.

Objectives Cont.• Identify and use symbols to locate places of significance on maps and globes.

• Identify and describe the physical features (lakes, river, hill, mountain,forest) and human features (town, city, farm, park, playground, house, traffic signs/signals) of places in the community.

• Describe human adaptations to variations in the physical environment including; Food, Clothing, Shelter, Transportation, and Recreation.

• Explain that wants are limited and resources are scarce, thereby forcing individuals to make choices.

• Explain ways that people may obtain goods and services that they do not produce including the use of money and barter.

• Recognize the need for rules in different settings and the need for fairness in such rules.

• Discuss the consequences of violating rules.

Objectives Cont.

• Demonstrate the importance of fair play, good sportsmanship, respect for the rights and opinions of others and the idea of treating others the way you want to be treated.

• Demonstrate pride in personal accomplishments.

• Obtain information about a topic using a variety of oral and visual sources.

• Determine categories for sorting information.

• Communicate information orally or visually.

• Display courtesy and respect for others in group settings including: staying on the topic and focusing attention on the speaker.

Activities for Day 1: States Flag• Introduction: The teacher will show the students where Alaska is located on

the map and will explain that even though it’s not connected to the U.S. it is still part of America. Next, the teacher will show where the capital is located, the bordering oceans and country. Finally, the teacher will hold up the States flag and will explain what each color and symbol stands for. Then the students will design his or her own flag.

• Development:Students will understand what each star means on the Alaskan flag. Students will be able to locate the state of Alaska on a map. Students will also read various materials about Alaska and use several other multimedia resources to explore Alaska.

• Culminating Activities: Watch the video, “The Story of America’s Last Frontier.” T.V. shows/posters for kids www.mms.gov/alaska/kids

Activities for Day 2: Glaciers• Introduction:First, read to the students about how glaciers are formed (use

visual pictures to help them understand). Use the web site for glacier information: www.glacier.rice.edu/land/5_whatisaglacier.html Now, fill a clear cup half full of water. Next, place solid ice cubes that are dyed blue into the cup of water. Then, fill another cup half full of water. Place crushed ice cubes that are dyed blue into the cup of water. Lastly, discuss why the ice cubes both float even though we changed the shape of the ice cubes. Make sure to talk about why ice bergs float onto of the water in Alaska.

• Development:The student will understand how glaciers are formed and will reenact an experiment showing what glaciers look like.

• Culminating Activities: Use the interactive CD-roms,National Geographic Map Trails Illustrated:The Definitive Alaska-Set of 4 Destination CD-Roms.” Listen to CD “Music For Relaxation:Waterfall Sounds.” Read the story, “A Child’s Glacier Bay” By: Kim Corral

Activities for Day 3:People• Introduction: The teacher will show the students several pictures of what the

Alaskan people look like and the clothes they wear. The teacher will then pass out Ven-Diagram sheets for each students. As a class the students and teacher will discuss what clothing items are the same and different from the clothes the children wear here. The teacher will also read several folktale story’s that were written by Alaskan Eskimo's. The teacher will also explain the different types of homes the Eskimo's live in and how they are called, “Indians” some times.

• Development: Students will know how igloos are built and will be able to explain how Alaskan people live differently from our state.

• Culminating Activities: Read the story, “ This Place is Cold (Imagine Living Here)” By: Vicki Cobb

Activities for Day 4:Wildlife• Introduction: Give each student a paper plate. Next, have each student

decorate their plate so that it looks like a moose head. Then, give each student a piece of brown paper. Now, have each student trace their own hands onto the brown paper. This is their moose antlers. Finally, have each student write a few sentences describing the moose they have created.

• Development: The students will understand the different types of wildlife in Alaska. Students will be able to name ten animals that live in Alaska.

• Culminating Activities: Look at Killer Whale Posters:www.abc.-kid.com/killerwhales/

Read the story, “ The Salmon Princess:An Alaska Cinderella Story” By: Mindy Dwyer. Read the story, “ Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?” By: Bill Martin Jr. Watch the video, “Supper Natural Grizzly Bear.”

Activities for Day 5:Iditarod Trail• Introduction: Give each student a vanilla folder and a copy of the Iditarod trail

map. Next, have the students paste their Trail map into their vanilla folder. Now, give each student a black and white copy of a dog sled team. Next, have each student color their dog sled team.The students will be able to relate to the length of days a race takes by creating their own dog sled. Now have each student place their dog sled at the beginning of the Iditarod trail by using sticky tack. Explain to the students that as he or she finishes a book they will move their dog sled to the next check point. At each check point a student may choice any book they want to read. Each book will be from their book box and will at his or her own reading level.

• Development:Students will know the route for the Iditarod trail and will be able to explain what “Mushing” is. Students will also be able to explain what a typical dog sled looks like.

• Culminating Activities: Interactive Website:www.surfnetkids.com/games/iditarod_ws.htm

Read the story, “Mush” By: Patricia Seibert

Activities for Day 6:Pipeline• Introduction: The teacher will first show the students a picture of Alaska’s

Pipeline. Next, the teacher will explain what it is used for how it was made and why it is so important to Alaska.Then, the students will be shown a map that shows the route for the pipeline from beginning to end. Then the students will watch a film strip on Alaska’s other resources. The students will make a replica of the pipeline using tissue paper, paper towel roles, wire, string and any other resources the would like to use. Instead of oil their pipeline must carry baking oil.

• Development:The students will know how the pipeline is built and will be able to show where the pipeline begins and ends on a map.

• Culminating Activities: Watch Film strips from, Alaska’s Resources:Minerals-Film strips:U.S Fish and Wildlife Service

Activities for Day 7:Panning for Gold

• Introduction:The teacher will place gold nuggets (spray painted pebbles), sand, and water into the large wash pan. Next, give each student a pie pan. Then, have each student take turns sharing the aprons. Now, show the students the real method for panning for gold. Lastly, have each student pan for gold (have a timer available so everyone gets a turn). Finally, Have each student place their gold nuggets onto a paper towel to dry.Then, have each student weight their gold in a plastic cup using the electric scale. Now, display each students gold on to a graph that represents the whole classes findings.

• Development:Students will understand how and when panning for gold took place. Students will be able to demonstrate gold panning techniques.

• Culminating Activities: Visit the Anchorage museum online:www.alaskanet.com/anchorage.html

Evaluation• The students will be evaluated on each Day:

Day 1: Have the students label a blank Alaska map with the following (Capital, bordering oceans and country). Then have the students verbally explain what each color and symbol on Alaska’s flag means.

Day 2: Verbally ask the students how a glacier is formed. The have them explain what the iceberg experiment was showing us about glaciers.

Day 3: have the students draw what kind of outfits a person in Alaska would wear. Have the students do a Venn-Diagram comparing and contrasting the clothes we wear hear and the clothes they wear in Alaska.

Evaluation Cont.Day 4: Have the students verbally name ten Alaska animals. Then

have them name two that we have in our state(fox and bear).

Day 5:Have the students label an Alaska map with the Iditarod trail. Then have them draw the items a dog sled contains.

Day 6:Have the students label a blank map with the beginning and end route for the pipeline. The students must answer the question of what is inside the pipeline and how it is built.

Day 7: Students must show correct panning for gold technique and must know why people came to Alaska looking for gold.

Instructional Resources: Teacher Resources

• “School-Mailbox Magazine Teacher Helper”-has an Alaska lesson plan and maps.

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Fish Kit-Contains: posters, books, Salmon life cycle, and video.

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Raptors of Alaska: includes lesson plans, books, and materials for studying habitats.

• DVD: “North To Alaska”

• “Alaska Bear Tales” By: Larry Kaniut

• “Alaska’s 12 Days of Summer” By:Pat Chamberlin- Calamar, Shannon Cartwright

Instructional Resources: Student Resources

Alaska Books for Children

1.“A Child’s Glacier Bay” By: Kim Corral

2. “ The Salmon Princess:An Alaska Cinderella Story” By: Mindy Dwyer

3. “ L is for Last Frontier An Alaska Alphabet” By: Carol Crane

4. “ Mush” By: Patricia Seibert

5. “ This Place is Cold (Imagine Living Here)” By: Vicki Cobb

6. “ Running With the Big Dogs” By: Lori Yanuchi

7. “ O is for Orca” By: Andrea Helman

8. “Alaska’s Three Bears” By Shelley Gill

9. “Akiak: A Tale from the Iditarod” By Robert J. Blake

10. “ Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?” By: Bill Martin Jr.

11. “ A Child’s Alaska” By: Claire Rudolph Murphy

12. “The Big Fish: An Alaskan Fairytale” By: Marcia Wakeland

13. “Tommy’s Train Ride on the Alaska Railroad” By: Bonnie Pennington

14. “ Alaska ABC Book” By: Charlene Kreeger

15. “ Alaska Mother Goose” By: Shelly Gill

Instructional Resources: Multimedia1. Video’s

• “Supper Natural Grizzly Bear”• “Discovery Eye: Antarctic & Arctic”• “National Geographic Video: The Great Whales”• “The Story of America’s Last Frontier”• “The Valley of Eagles”

2. Audio Cassettes• “Alaska Loon Kit”,Cassette tapes on birds and wetlands”• “Going on a Bear Hunt,” Sing along song

3. CD-Roms• “Wildlife of the World” Product ID:B00004TTU4• “National Geographic Map Trails Illustrated:The Definitive Alaska-Set of 4

Destination CD-Roms”

Instructional Resources: Multimedia Cont.

4. Interactive Websites

• www.surfnetkids.com/games/iditarod_ws.htm

• http://tqjunior.advanced.org/3500/animals.htm

• www.state.ak.us/kids/

5. Music

“Touch the Sea” Whale Song Tape:U.S Fish and Wildlife Service

“Music For Relaxation:Waterfall Sounds”

“Music For Relaxation:Birds Singing”

Instructional Resources: Multimedia Cont.

6. Film Strips

• Alaska’s Resources:Minerals-Film strips:U.S Fish and Wildlife Service

• Alaska Mammals: Slide Show: U.S Fish and Wildlife Service

7. Museums

• www.alaskanet.com/anchorage.html

8. T.V. Show/Posters

• www.abc.-kid.com/killerwhales/

• www.mms.gov/alaska/kids