Everyone loves puppies! So come with us and take an inside look into a musher’s breeding program and the relationship that forms between musher and dog. The program focuses on what traits musher's hope to breed into their dogs and how a basic understanding of genetics can improve a breeding program. We will also take a look at how the future of dog breeding may be affected by current advances in the genetic sciences. And of course, since all sled dog breeding really comes down to how the dogs run, we will take a quick dog run to see exactly the kind work the dogs are expected to do.
The program consists of a single videoconference session that is supported by optional pre- and post-activities designed to engage the students and prepare them to get the most out of their time with us. Registering for a program also gains you (and your classroom) month long access to all our other distance learning tools where we have compiled even more activities, resources, and chances to stay in contact with us and other classes who have participated in our programs!
Grade level: 4-12
Required Classroom Time:
| Option A |
Option B |
Option C |
| 50 mins. to 1 hour (depending on your class schedule) to visit with us during the videoconference | 3 days- participate in the videoconference but also do the pre- and post-activities | 1 week to 1 month- participate in the videoconference and do the pre- and post-activities and explore/create from all of our Distance Learning Tools. |
Cost:
| Grades: 4-12 (50min. to 1 hr) | |
| $100.00 |
Content Area: Science, w/ Math alternatives
Primary National Standards:
| Grade 4-12 |
Grade 5-8 |
Grade 9-12 |
|
| NS.K-12.7 HISTORY OF NATURE AND SCIENCE: Science as a human endeavor
|
NS.5-8.3 LIFE SCIENCE Structure and function in living systems Reproduction and heredity Regulation and behavior Populations and ecosystems Diversity and adaptations of organisms |
NLS.9-12.3 LIFE SCIENCE Molecular basis of heredity Biological evolution Behavior of organisms |
Adaptable to:
| K-12 | ||
| NM-PROB.CONN.PK-12.3: Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics. |
||
| DATA ANALYSIS AND PROBABILITY Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer Select and use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data Apply transformations and use symmetry to analyze mathematical situations Develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on data Understand and apply basic concepts of probability |
||
Overview of Videoconference:
| Time | Activity |
|
5-15 min |
Who we are? Where we are? Who they are? Where they are? What we use our dogs for: Racing; distance, mid., jr. Hauling wood Camping |
|
20 min |
What features would we be needing in our dogs: To haul wood To race To camp |
|
10-15min |
Use feature chart to create hypothetical breeding and predictions of what pups would be like. |
|
10-15min |
Dog run… let’s see ‘em in action |
| 10 min | The future… new genetic understandings and how that will effect mushing…give example of new understanding then have them speculate on it’s results/effects… |
Overview of Pre- and Post Activities:
| Pre-Activity 1 | Pre-Activity 2 |
|
| “Who is the Mendel guy anyway?” Overview: Students will learn about the basics of dominant and recessive genes and how Mendel’s experiments explored these processes. Purpose: Prepares students to understand the scientific principals mushers are using when setting up a breeding program for their kennels.(40-60min) | What do sled dogs need to do? A guide to what different types of mushers expect/need/want from their dogs (10-20min) | |
| Post-Activity 1 |
Post-Activity 2 |
Post-Activity 3 |
| Moodle Survey/quiz; focus on applying information learned about how mushers breed to a purpose to other areas of breeding; farming, ranching, etc… (20min) | Moodle forum post; prompt based on applying information learned about how mushers breed to a purpose the large picture of how our knowledge of genetics affects our everyday lives. (10-15min) | Create a photo collage depicting the steps of breeding program that would be needed to create a “make believe” animal or plant to serve a real life role. (20-30min) |
Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions.
Register: