Introduction
The
Iditarod dog sled race is held each March in Alaska. "Mushers,"
or dog sled drivers, race for over 1000 miles with a team of up to sixteen
dogs. They travel from Anchorage to Nome in snowy, windy and cold weather.
Mushers race for prize money. It usually takes about two weeks for mushers
to complete the race.
There is a Junior version of the race as well for teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17. The Junior race is 150 miles long and is usually completed just over a day.
In this activity, you will learn about the race, follow some mushers, and solve some math problems using the data found on the Iditarod website. Later, you will write your own math problems about the race for others to solve. These will be posted on the website for all to share.
You may also choose to track a particular musher as he/she competes in the race. You may enter your musher's statistics into a spreadsheet document or into your own data gathering form.
So, grab your mittens and reins, put on your warmest clothes, and above all, start thinking about how to challenge your fellow students to solve your math problems. Their challenge may be as great as that of these brave mushers!
