I have a free 4-week hands-on Alaska unit study. Also, grab more ideas on my Best Homeschool Unit Studies page. Too, look at my Arctic Region and Arctic and Inuit Unit Study Free Lapbook & Hands-On Ideas.
Alaska is the largest state in the United States and is a land of breathtaking natural beauty and rich cultural heritage.
Furthermore, from the towering mountains and sparkling glaciers to the vast forests and abundant wildlife, Alaska offers a wide range of opportunities for exploration and learning.
We will explore the state’s diverse ecosystems, learn about its indigenous peoples, and discover its unique place in American history.
Too, I prepared this 4-week unit study with multiple ages in mind.
Further, this study will foster a deep appreciation for Alaska’s unique culture, history, and environment.
We’ll include geography, science, history, art and a bit of math.
BOOKS ABOUT ALASKA FOR KIDS
First, look at these books about Alaska.
When I can find them, I include living books.
Then I add reference books.
13 Alaska Books for Kids Who Love to Be Read to and Love to Read
Add some of these books about the beautiful state of Alaska to your learning day or to your unit study about Alaska.
To live in a pristine land unchanged by man...to roam a wilderness through which few other humans have passed...to choose an idyllic site, cut trees, and build a log cabin...to be a self-sufficient craftsman, making what is needed from materials available...to be not at odds with the world, but content with one’s own thoughts and company...
Thousands have had such dreams, but Dick Proenneke lived them. He found a place, built a cabin, and stayed to become part of the country. One Man’s Wilderness is a simple account of the day-to-day explorations and activities he carried out alone, and the constant chain of nature’s events that kept him company. From Dick’s journals, and with firsthand knowledge of his subject and the setting, Sam Keith has woven a tribute to a man who carved his masterpiece out of the beyond.
Ten-year-old Frederika (Fred for short) doesn't have much faith that the new teacher in town will last very long. After all, they never do. Most teachers who come to their one-room schoolhouse in remote, Alaska leave at the first smell of fish, claiming that life there is just too hard.But Miss Agnes is different -- she doesn't get frustrated with her students, and she throws away old textbooks and reads Robin Hood instead! For the first time, Fred and her classmates begin to enjoy their lessons and learn to read and write -- but will Miss Agnes be like all the rest and leave as quickly as she came?
The Alaskan wilderness is a lonely place for Mark Andersen, especially after the death of his older brother, Jamie. But in time Mark finds someone else to love--Ben, an Alaskan brown bear so huge that no one else dares come near him. Gentle Ben has been a favorite of readers of all ages for 25 years, and is a timeless story of a rare friendship.
It's 1934, and times are tough for Trip's family after the mill in their small Wisconsin town closes, leaving her father unemployed. Determined to provide for his family, he moves them all to Alaska to become pioneers as part of President Roosevelt's Palmer Colony project. Trip and her family are settling in, except her mom, who balks at the lack of civilization. But Trip feels like she's following in Laura Ingalls Wilder's footsteps, and she hatches a plan to raise enough money for a piano to convince her musical mother that Alaska is a wonderful and cultured home. Her sights set on the cash prize at the upcoming Palmer Colony Fair, but can Trip grow the largest pumpkin possible--using all the love, energy, and Farmer Boy expertise she can muster?
After severely injuring Peter Driscal in an empty parking lot, mischief-maker Cole Matthews is in major trouble. But instead of jail time, Cole is given another option: attend Circle Justice, an alternative program that sends juvenile offenders to a remote Alaskan Island to focus on changing their ways. Desperate to avoid prison, Cole fakes humility and agrees to go.
While there, Cole is mauled by a mysterious white bear and left for dead. Thoughts of his abusive parents, helpless Peter, and his own anger cause him to examine his actions and seek redemption—from the spirit bear that attacked him, from his victims, and, most importantly, from himself.
Set in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart -- he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone -- but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.
It is November, and for the gray wolves of the Toklat Pass in Alaska, the hunt is on. It is time to harvest the sickly, weak, or old caribou as the herd migrates through the pass. It is also a time to test the survival skills of the young wolf pups.
In Thirteen Moons - a spellbinding wildlife series - Newbery Award-winning author Jean Craighead George has captured 13 North American animals in their natural environments and chronicled their fight for survival. From the lush Florida Everglades to the fertile Canadian east, this series explores the intricate relationships among animals, plants, and the ever-changing environment in which they live. A favorite of adults and children alike, George's entertaining and educational tales of nature alive and in action - Julie, Shark Beneath the Reef, and Julie of the Wolves - have thrilled listeners for a generation. Barbara Caruso's inspired narration captures the vitality and harsh reality of life on the hunt.
In the far northern parts of the world, near and above the Arctic Circle, summer days are very long. In Barrow, Alaska, for example, the sun rises in May and sets 83 days later, in early August. During this time, the sun shines all through the night. People call it the midnight sun. When the midnight sun is shining, people and animals stay active even at night. This sweet poetic narrative, illustrated by award-winner Jeremiah Trammell, showcases the many pleasures of this unique time as a little girl dances, fishes, plays games, watches moose and fox, and communes with family and nature.
Based on an actual real-life encounter with a bull mouse, author-illustrator Jim Arnosky provides music for read-aloud rhymes and entertaining illustrations of his adventure in the woods.
Focuses on the land, animals, plants, and climate of Alaska, presenting it as an example of a place where it is so cold your hair can freeze and break off.
Based on the true story of the heroic dogs who saved countless lives in Alaska in 1925, this classic tale is a thrilling adventure and a history lesson all in one.Togo wasn't meant to be a sled dog. He was too feisty and independent to make a good team member, let alone a leader. But Togo is determined, and when his trainer, Leonhard Seppala, gives him a chance, he soon becomes one of the fastest sled dogs in history! His skills are put to the ultimate test, though, when Seppala and his team are called on to make the now-famous run across the frozen Arctic to deliver the serum that will save Alaska from a life-threatening outbreak of diphtheria.
Then, here are some amazing facts you can use to introduce Alaska.
8 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT ALASKA
- Dog mushing is the official state sport of Alaska and has roots in the state reaching all the way back to sled dog use which dates back to 1000 AD.
- Alaska is the largest state in the US, it is double the size of Texas at almost 600,000 square miles.
- The state flag was designed by a 13-year-old boy as part of a contest held in 1926 and was voted on unanimously by the panel of judges. His design of eight stars to represent the Big Dipper, placed on a blue background to represent the sky, and the forget-me-not flower (Alaska state flower).
- More than half of the glaciers in the world are located in Alaska. These glaciers cover 10 times more Alaskan land than people do.
- The name Alaska comes from the Aleut, an Indigenous people of Alaska, and means “the great land”.
- Alaska is the only US state that has coastlines on the Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Bering Sea.
- There are over 130 volcanoes, including 90 that have been active in the last 10,000 years located in Alaska.
- Alaska has over 12,000 rivers, streams, and creeks, including seven of the 20 largest rivers located in the US with the Yukon River being the largest.
Keep in mind that not all school subjects may fit naturally into a unit study. Don’t force a fit with a subject.
However, it is a chance to tie concepts in and fit as many ideas as you can in a fun way.
MATH & LANGUAGE ARTS ALASKA UNIT STUDY WEEK 1
Many math themes can tie in naturally which will force math concepts.
For instance, look at this list of ideas
- Track daily temperature in Alaska. Learn how to convert from Fahrenheit and Celsius
- Build a mini igloo and learn about geometry and shapes. Teach how to calculate perimeter, area and volume. Engineering for Kids | Building Igloos with Marshmallows
- Hands-On Math: Fun and Easy Snowflake Geometry
- Prepare a chart to compare snowfall in different cities using tally marks.
- Look for patterns found in the animals.
- Research animals and guess the population
- If you’re working on measurement then measure the distances between cities. Use a ruler and string.
- Talk about the time zones in Alaska and understand what are time zones. Use a chart to show times in the different time zones in cities
- Create a bar graph to show animals found in the ocean, tundra and forests
- Plan a sled dog race and calculate speeds and times of travel based on various speeds
- Research fish populations and graph the ones you learned about
- Read Julie of the Wolves for a literature-based study. Look at my post Julie of the Wolves Free Hands-on Arctic Unit Study.
- Download this fun Alaska Word search.
- Do poetry inspired by nature
- Use rocks for storytelling. See my post Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities.
- This E is for Eagle Preschool Unit covers so much more than just language arts. There are plenty of ideas for math, science, and other subjects as well.
- Here is a simple read and worksheet about Alaska statehood.
In addition, If you are looking for a read aloud that the entire family will love Sweet Home Alaska is the sweetest story.
For example, it is Little House on the Prairie meets American Girl and is about a family who makes their way from their home in Wisconsin to Alaska as part of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.
Besides, that deal gave a couple hundred destitute Midwestern farm families a chance to start over in Alaska, which was then just a U.S. territory.
SCIENCE ALASKA UNIT STUDY WEEK 2
Next, look at some of these ideas to learn about science.
- Research an animal like bald eagle, grizzly bear or moose and prepare a fact sheet. This is an idea for language arts too.
- Learn about animal physiology. Do this fun activity How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity.
- Read about the various plants in Alaska like the fireweed wildflower, Alaska cedar, the moss and lichens which grow in the tundra, the Saskatoon berry fruit and willow to name a few.
- Learn about how pollution affects the marine animals in the ocean. Look at my post Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids.
- Learn about glaciers and icebergs. Make a model glacier. Look at my post Unlocking The Mystery Of Iceberg Science.
- Create a simple model to explain the Northern Lights. Make an Aurora Borealis in a jar.
- Look at my winter unit study to learn about types of frost. Investigate how permafrost affects plant growth.
- This hands-on activity fits science, language arts, history and geography. How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study
- A fun game like Professor Noggins Wildlife of North America Trivia can teach your child so much more about the animals of a certain region than worksheet after worksheet.
Too, compare sled dogs to house dogs and learn about the differences.
Of course, the study of Alaska makes for a great geography unit study and include history.
HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY ALASKA UNIT STUDY WEEK 3
The geography is unique with towering mountains, glaciers and coastlines.
Too, Alaska is located in the far northwest of North America. And it’s bordered by Canada to the east and the Arctic and Pacific Oceans to the north and south.
- In Northern Alaska there is a tundra. It is a unique ecosystem. Learn about the low growing plants there and the caribou and arctic fox who make the tundra their home. How to Make an Easy 3D Tundra Biome Poster Project
- The Yukon River is one of the largest rivers in the United States. Learn how the river is important to wildlife and life in Alaska.
- Then gold was discovered in Alaska in the 1890s. The Klondike Gold Rush attracted thousands hoping to strike it rich.
- Investigate Denali. It is the highest peak in North America.
- Then the southern part of Alaska includes lush forests including the boreal forest. It is filled with spruce, evergreen and fir trees.
- Native groups like Inupiat, Yupik, Tlingit, and Athabascan have lived in Alaska for many years.
- Russian explorers arrived in Alaska for the fur trade in the 1700s.
- Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables
Also, for a phenomenal reference book that you can use for more than one theme grab the beautiful and fact filled The 50 States: Explore the U.S.A.
ARTS & CRAFTS ALASKA UNIT STUDY WEEK 4
Finally, study and learn about the beautiful arts, crafts and culture of Alaska.
- Make a Northern Lights painting
- Do this craft Beautiful Bald Eagle Fun Facts And Torn Paper Bird Craft.
- Another craft Easy and Fun Polar Bear Fork Painting.
- Another fun one kids like Black Bear Unit Study and Fun Edible Bear Poop.
- Research about the Iditarod
- Understand what is a totem pole
- Use soap to sculpture an animal. Trumpeter swans and tundra swans are the two species of swans native to North America, both nesting in Alaska. How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan
- Make fun borax and pipecleaner snowflakes.
- Cook traditional food like salmon patties and use berries for dessert
These activities will foster your children’s love of Alaska while tying in important concepts.
What other ideas have you done?
