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Good luck walking through a blizzard. It’s very dangerous! Blizzards have strong, fierce winds. So much snow falls that it’s impossible to see. And blizzards last for hours. The longest blizzard ever lasted for three days!
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Snowstorm!
You are going to read about a snowstorm in Alaska 100 years ago. Here are five facts to know first.
From the February 2024 Issue
Give students background knowledge about snowstorms before they read this issue’s Big Read, “The Dog That Saved a Town.”
Lexile® measure: 470L
Vocabulary: fierce
Common Core Standards
TEKS Standards
1) A blizzard is a HUGE snowstorm.
2) Alaska has a lot of blizzards—and land.
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Polar bears live in Alaska.
The story you are going to read takes place in Alaska. That’s the coldest and biggest state in our country. Cities and towns can be far apart. In the winter, it can be extremely difficult to get from one place to another.
3) It is really hard to get around in a blizzard.
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But 100 years ago, it was a lot harder! Now people use snowmobiles to speed through the snow. Back then, snowmobiles had not been invented.
4) Cars could not get through heavy snow back then.
L. F. Schoelkopf/Wisconsin Historical Society/Getty Images
A car stuck in the snow in 1920
Cars today are much more powerful than they were 100 years ago. Plus they have heated windshields to melt snow. They have snow tires that don’t slip easily. Long ago, cars didn’t have those things.
5) Dogsleds were a great way to get around in the snow.
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Whoosh! Dogs race through the snow and ice. They pull a sled. People have been using dogsleds for thousands of years. Go, dogs, go!
Now read about how a famous dog raced through a blizzard.
Activities
(3)
Skills Activities
Answer Key
(1)
About the Article
Science Focus
Winter Weather
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Implementation
- Small group; whole group; independent reading
Pairings and Text Connections
- Pair this article with the Big Read, “The Dog That Saved a Town.”
Before-Reading Resources
- Text Preview Bookmarks
(10 minutes) Kids can cut out the nonfiction bookmark and use it to preview the text.
- Play the Vocabulary Slideshow
(5 minutes) Help students become familiar with the vocabulary word they will see in the article.
Suggested Reading Focus
Comprehension, nonfiction text features (30 minutes)
- This article gives students background knowledge that will help them better understand this issue’s Big Read, “The Dog That Saved a Town,” on pages 6-11.
After-Reading Skills Practice
(15 minutes)
- Quiz: Comprehension check
- Nosey’s Fact File: Students can write key details from the text on this page. Send photos of their pages or emails of their facts to [email protected]. She will write back!
Text-to-Speech