3Rd Grade Okaloosa Writes, Informational

3rd Grade Okaloosa Writes, Informational

3rd Grade Okaloosa Writes

The Iditarod sled-dog race is sometimes called “The Last Great Race on Earth.” Write an informative essay explaining what the Iditarod sled-dog race is and why it is famous. Use information from both passages in your essay.

Manage your time carefully so that you can

· Read the passages

· Plan your response

· Write your response

· Revise and edit your response

Write your essay on the paper your teacher gives you.

You have 90 minutes to read the passage, and plan, write, revise, and edit your essay.

The Race Across Alaska

The Iditarod is a race like no other. It is more than 1,000 miles long, and it is run across ice and snow. It takes at least nine days, and dogs are its stars. Teams come from all over the world to be in the race.

The race got its name from the Iditarod Trail, an old mail road in Alaska. Long before there were telegraphs or phones, people used dogs to pull sleds that carried mail, supplies, and news. The sleds were driven by people called mushers.

The Iditarod race began in 1973. In the race, mushers use teams of twelve to sixteen dogs to pull sleds. The sleds are very light, and the mushers do not carry anything that they may not need. The lighter the sled, the faster the dogs can go.

The dogs that run this race are amazing. They are very strong. One dog can pull nearly 1,000 pounds! They are also fast. The dogs can run from eight to twelve miles in one hour.

Mushers take good care of their dogs. They make sure that the dogs get plenty of food. They put booties on the dogs to keep ice from cutting their paws.

The Iditarod Trail goes through cities and towns. The dog teams climb mountains. They race on frozen rivers. They run through deep drifts of snow. After the race, it is time for the mushers and dogs to rest.

Historic Iditarod

The Iditarod sled-dog race is run on a trail that was originally a mail-supply route. In 1925, part of the trail became a lifesaving trail for the children who lived in the town of Nome.

A medicine had to be delivered to the children who were very sick. The medicine was delivered by a group of mushers and their dogs. The Iditarod race is one way to remember this historic event.

Mushers have been running the race each year since 1973. Thirty-five mushers attempted the first race, but only 22 finished. The first Iditarod race took 20 days to complete.

Over the years, mushers and their dogs have gained skill and speed. Last year, the winner completed the race in just 9 days!

The Iditarod is sometimes called “The Last Great Race on Earth.” Every year, it begins in the city of Anchorage during the first weekend in March. Each team of 12 to 16 dogs covers the distance to Nome in about 9 to 17 days.

The Red Lantern Award is given to the last team to finish the Iditarod. The longest any team took to finish the race was 32 days. The award got its name from the lantern that is lit during the race and not put out until the last dog crosses the finish line. Top dog or not, in the Iditarod, every dog has its day!