SPORTS Athletes are mushing across the Alaskan wilderness in hopes of becoming top dog in the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. (National Geographic News) Read our interview with current Iditarod leader Jeff King to better understand what it takes to win the ‘Last Great Race.’ Discussion Ideas Read through our terrific 2010 article on the Iditarod. What are some of the most difficult obstacles … Continue reading The ‘Last Great Race’ Is On
GEOGRAPHY Is that a luge in Times Square? Schussing in Central Park? As the Winter Olympics officially kick off in Sochi, think about space and scale by imagining the games in a more urban environment. (New York Times) Use our resources to better understand urban planning. Discussion Ideas Take a look at the terrific New York Times infographic, and the relative scale of urban landmarks … Continue reading Bobsledding the Boroughs?
SPORTS The Winter Olympics boast a wide variety of sports, from rather sedate-looking curling to fast-and-furious speed skating. So is one type of athlete fitter than another? (LiveScience) Use our resources to better understand sports of the Winter Olympics. . . . Or, look back on this earlier blog post to get a great sense of how athletes use different sizes and strengths to their … Continue reading Winter Olympic Athletes: Who Is Fittest?
SPORTS An ancient culture in the Chinese Altay Mountains offers a glimpse of how skiing evolved. (National Geographic Magazine) Use our resources to learn more about the evolution of skiing. Discussion Ideas Look at the map above. Why do you think cultures in Scandinavia and the Altay Mountains developed skiing cultures? How did skiing benefit these communities? According to the Nat Geo magazine article, “[W]hoever … Continue reading Tracking the History of Skiing
SCIENCE Have you ever heard the claim that if an ant was the size of a human it could lift an elephant? Actually, it would suffocate under the weight of its own exoskeleton. Similar principles will also prevent The Rock from winning any ultramarathons (although he’d look good trying) . . . (Number Hub, check out the video below!) Use our resources to size yourself … Continue reading Size Matters—But How?
