BY: ROGER TYLER DUNCANDIG ITAL STATE TOUR

11/15 /2012

ALASKATHE __TH

STATE

WHAT STUDENT SHOULD LEARN (GOALS)?

• Student should be able to identify that each state in the United States has specific attributes• Students should know the capital of Alaska• Students should be able to connect Alaska to

current day ideas, people, news, etc.

• *An old class in Alaska of Indians

SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS

• 4.3.01. Understand how to use maps, globes, and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process and report information from a spatial perspective• 4.3.01.b. Locate places on a map using cardinal

and intermediate directions, latitude and longitude, and time zones.• 4.3.03.a. Explain how physical process shape the

United States’ features and patterns

TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS

4.1.1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the nature and operation of

technology systems.a. Identify the functions of computer components.b. Use input devices, such as mouse, keyboard, and

voice/soundrecorder.c. Use output devices, such as disk drive, printer, multimediaprojector/display screen, etc.d. Save, retrieve, and delete files.e. Describe the purposes of drives, directories, and files.f. Be aware that there are different types of files (different

extensions).

COMMON CORE

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing

Production and Distribution of Writing4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the

development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,

purpose, and audience.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,

revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and

publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• What famous people came from Alaska?• What major highways, parks, and cities are in

Alaska?• Does location affect the size of the city?• Are all parks the same?• What is Alaska’s capital?• Was Alaska the most recent state that was given

statehood?

THE CAPITAL: JUNEAU

-The longest day in Juneau is June 21st,: the sun rises at 3:51 a.m. and sets at 10:07p.m.. The shortest day is December 21st: the sun rises at 8:44 a.m. and sets at 3:07 p.m.-Juneau has 280 species of birds, all five species of salmon, brown and black bears and three species of whales- Juneau is the gateway to the glaciers. Just down the road is the incredible Mendenhall Glacier, a massive river of ice 1.5 miles wide by 12 miles long.-Mendenhall is a small fragment of the Juneau ice-field, which covers 1500 miles to the Canadian border

MAJOR CITIES

• Anchorage-Population 200,000-Largest City

• Ketchikan-Population 8,000-Lots of Rain Here

• Fair Banks-Population 30,000-Second Biggest City

• Nome-The end of the Iditarod Trail Dogsled Race is here.

MAJOR HIGHWAYS

• Alaska Highway• Denali Highway • Elliott Highway,• Parks Highway• Glacier Highway• Glenn Highway• Dalton Highway• Richardson Highway• Seward Highway• Steese Highway• Sterling Highway • Taylor Highway

*Alaska Highway

MAJOR PARKS

• Denali-Home to the tallest mountain in North America and

impressive array of wildlife• Glacier Bay-Can see tidewater glaciers and kayak through valleys

and fjords carved by retreating glaciers.• Turnagain Arm-Can go ice climbing

*Alaska has over 100 state parks were one can camp, fish, or picnic.

HISTORY“The first Alaskans migrated from Asia to North America from 30000 to 40000 years ago during an Ice Age that lowered the sea level and gave rise to a 900mile land bridge spanning Siberia and Alaska. Four ethnic groups remained in Alaska and made the

harsh wilderness their homeland: Athabascans, Aleuts, Inuit and coastal tribes of Tlingits and Haidas.

Several European countries explored the region. The Spanish admiral Barthileme de Fonte is credited by many to be the first one making a trip into Alaskan waters in 1640. Vitus Bering, a Danish sailing for the Russian tsar came there 1728 and proved that

America and Asia were two different countries. 13 years later he was the first European to set foot in Alaska. He died during that journey but his man came home with fur pelts and tales of seal and otter colonies. So it didn't take much time until Russian fur

traders went there. Also Spanish people claimed a part of Alaska as did Captain James Cook for the British in 1778 and Jean de la Perouse for France.

When some US adventurers begin to arrive, four nations had a foot in the Panhandle of Alaska. Spain and France were squeezed out by the early 1899s while British were reduced to leasing land from the Russians. By 1860 the Russians had problems with

their national treasury and so they decided to sell Alaska.

The U.S. purchased Alaska from the Russians in 1867. They paid $ 7,2 Million, less than 2 cents an acre. In the beginning years this great land remote and inaccessible to all but a few hardy settlers remained a dark, frozen mystery to most people. Whaling and salmon fishing brought people and prosperity to Alaska. Gold was discovered in the 1880s and soon many Gold rushes took

place. By 1900 the State population was estimated to be 60000 including 30000 non indigenous people.

In WWII many army and air-force bases where build and the famous Alcan (Alaskan Highway), a 1520-mile road, was build to become the only overland link between Alaska and the USA and to supply military hardware to protect the North-West of the

country. The road was built in 8 months and 12 days and was opened on 25 October 1942.

On January 3rd, 1959 Alaska became the 49th State. Alaska is the largest of all American States (twice the size of Texas), but ranks 49th in population. Only Wyoming has fewer residents. Around 15% of all inhabitants are Native: Athabascan, Tlingit, Haida

and Tsimshian.

In 1968 massive oil deposits where discovered underneath Prudhoe Bay in the Arctic Ocean. There had to be a pipeline build to transport it to the warm-water port of Valdez. The oil began to flow in 1977. (See also Dalton Highway)

In Alaska there are 17 of the 20 highest mountains in the United States, including the highest peak in North America: Mount McKinley (Denali).”

(http://members.chello.at/andrea.pilgram/alaska/history.htm)

FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM ALASKA

-Irene Bedard-played Pocahontas in Disney movie Pocahontas

-Sarah Palin-Jewel-Benny Benson-made the flag

ALASKA IS THE 49th STATE!!!

REFERENCES

• www.google.com/images• www.animoto.com• www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108178.html• www.alaska.com/parks• www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/alaska• www.alaskatourdirectory.com/parks-and-destinati

ons/major-alaskan-cities.aspx