Research the geography of Alaska using books and the Internet. Guiding questions:
What does it look like? What's unique about it?
Write a catchy, colorful description of your findings which may include: Alaska's location, size, landscape, climate, weather conditions, and any other significant features.
Blogging Etiquette:
1) post comments as "Anonymous"
2) use your assigned screen name
3) use complete sentences
4) be a respectful, thoughtful digital citizen
5) no names, no faces
Alaska has frozen streams and rivers and
ReplyDeletemountains.It's weather is dry with a lot of snow. They don't get a lot of sun. The Iditarod goes through a low rolling tundra. S14
Alaska, the biggest state in the U.S.A, holds the famous Iditarod race year after year since 1973. Dogs run sleds for over 1,000 miles across the land filled with 3 million lakes and many active volcanoes. At the checkpoint called Rohn, you could be able to sight Mt. McKinley, the biggest mountain in North America, towering over the tundra at an astonishing 20,320 feet high. Many out of the 670,053 Alaskans show up to watch the racers. You would also have to remember which way to go. There are two different routes, one for the odd years, and one for the even years. Racers speed through the Iditarod, from Anchorage to Nome. The trail has icy rivers, steep hills, and sometimes, thin ice on the Norton Sound. Alaska is amazing, and if you race in the Iditarod, you get an exciting way to see it.
ReplyDeleteYou’ve probably never wondered how big Alaska is. Who would? It’s so far away from us, there’s a whole country in between us! No one even lives there! In reality Alaska is twice the size of Texas, that’s over 650,000 thousand square mile and over 660,000 people live there. Alaska has more than 3 million lakes over 20 acres in size. If you like to hike up mountains, then Alaska is a great place for you. Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, is over 20 thousand feet high! Alaska also hosts the Iditarod every year, the longest and hardest dog race in the world. Dog teams come from all over the globe to enter in the Iditarod. The trail is a hard one, the teams run on tundra and through forests, they run up mountains and on the Bering Sea. The dogs have to stay warm and healthy, or they might die from exhaustion or hypothermia, but it isn’t cold all year round, in the summer it reaches an average of 70 degrees, and there are 40 active volcanoes to keep you warm in the winter.
ReplyDeleteNow, whenever you think about Alaska, hopefully you will remember that it isn’t just a flat piece of land that only crazy people could live on. You will remember the beauty of the largest state in America.
The Iditarod is an amazing sled race, which racers race over 1,000 miles along Alaska’s roughest terrain. The course is lined with beautiful jagged mountain ranges, frozen lakes and rivers, dense forests, icy hills, steep twists and turns, miles of desolate tundra, and the beautiful but deadly, Bering Sea. Alaska is a beautiful state, and is full of amazing volcanoes, towering glaciers, and over three million lakes! Do you know what North America’s tallest mountain is? It’s the big, great, and beautiful, Mount McKinley (Denali). Though the mountain may only be the 104th tallest in the world, it really is one of the tallest, because of the sea level. The worlds tallest mountain is Mount Everest, (29,035 ft) is only about 8,000 ft taller then 20,320 ft McKinley. What’s the largest state in North America? Some may say Texas, but it’s Alaska. Did you know Alaska is two times the size of Texas, and four hundred and seventy times the size of Rhode Island!
ReplyDeleteDid you know that almost all the notable mountains in North America are in Alaska, or that Alaska is made up of 663267 square miles of land and water? Or that it has over 3 million lakes? Well, now you do! Alaska is a world of wilderness and these are only a few of the exciting facts about it. Did you know, for instance, that Alaska is 470 times the size of Rhode Island, the smallest state, and more than 2 times the size of Texas, the second largest state? This, of course, if you haven’t figured it out already, means that Alaska is the largest state in the USA. Right down the middle the Brooks mountain range streaks through, bearing Mt. McKinley, the largest mountain in North America, with an elevation of 20320 feet at its tip. In the world ranking, though, Mt. McKinley scores only as the 104th largest mountain. Alaska is filled with icy “deserts” and a surprise waits at every turn!
ReplyDeleteDid you know that almost all the notable mountains in North America are in Alaska, or that Alaska is made up of 663267 square miles of land and water? Or that it has over 3 million lakes? Well, now you do! Alaska is a world of wilderness and these are only a few of the exciting facts about it. Did you know, for instance, that Alaska is 470 times the size of Rhode Island, the smallest state, and more than 2 times the size of Texas, the second largest state? This, of course, if you haven’t figured it out already, means that Alaska is the largest state in the USA. Right down the middle the Brooks mountain range streaks through, bearing Mt. McKinley, the largest mountain in North America, with an elevation of 20320 feet at its tip. In the world ranking, though, Mt. McKinley scores only as the 104th largest mountain. Alaska is filled with icy “deserts” and a surprise waits at every turn!
-s7
Located in the North West corner of Canada Alaska was the 49th colonized state in America. Alaska is the biggest state in America; two times the size of Texas, which is to most people “the biggest state in America.” Unlike Texas’s warm desert feel, Alaska’s geography includes: Tundra, Mountains, Cold deserts, and even Volcanoes. Alaska is mostly bordered by water. To the North the Artic Ocean borders Alaska. To the West Alaska is bordered by the Bering Sea. To the South Alaska is bordered by the Gulf of Alaska, and finally to the East Alaska’s only land border, Canada. Every March 1st, mushers and dogs take to Alaska’s cold icy frontier. The race is from Anchorage, Alaska (the largest city in Alaska with a population of 250,006 people) to Nome, Alaska. This race is known as “The Last Great Race” more commonly known as the Iditarod. Alaska is one of the only states that keeps the old way of traveling alive. Lying ahead of the mushers are some of the steepest mountain ranges in the world. At the check point Rohn, you may look up and see Mt. McKinley the highest mountain in America and the 3rd highest in the world. More than 3 million lakes spread across the flat tundra. Alaska is also home to 3rd biggest river in America, The Yukon River. As you can see the dog sled race in Alaska, known as the Iditarod, is not only a race to try and win, but a struggle to survive Alaska’s vast terrain.
ReplyDeleteDid you ever wonder how big Alaska really is? Well it is the largest state in the U.S.A. and over 656,000 sq. miles. There are 6 regions of Alaska, the Southeastern, the Southwestern, the Arctic, the Interior, the Western, and the South Central. The lowest point of Alaska is where the Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, and the Artic Ocean join together and meet Alaska. If you climbed Mt. McKinley you would be the highest point in Alaska at 20,320 feet above sea level. Since there are not tons of people in Alaska there is about 1 sq. mile per person. Alaska is 1/5 the size of all 48 of the lower states not including Hawaii! From the east to west coast it is about 2,400 miles and from the north to south coast it is about 1,420 miles. The Iditarod trail is a dog sled course from Anchorage Alaska to Nome. The trail is over 100 miles long. You would travel over ice and snow and frozen oceans, lakes, and rivers. In the Iditarod you could see the Bering Sea and Mt McKinley.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever wondered just how big Alaska is? Or what is the tallest mountain in the U.S.? Maybe you’ve thought about the Yukon river and where it runs? If you have I know the answers. The tallest mountain in the U.S. is Mt. Mckinley in Alaska. It is about 20,320 feet high and the centerpiece of Denali National Park. The Yukon River is the fifth largest river in the U.S. at 3,185. It flows in the Bering Sea. The Bering Sea is a massive body of water in the Pacific Ocean at two million Sq. kilometers it is the third biggest sea in the world. It is bordered to the east by Alaska, to the west by Russia, the Alaskan Peninsula and the Aleutian islands to the south. Some other fun facts are, Alaska is a cold desert, the capital is Juneau, the population as of 2006 is 670,053, and Alaska is the biggest state and it is huge, at 656,425 sq. miles it is more than two times the size of Texas which is the second biggest state. Also it has over three million lakes more than 20 acres. When you think of sports in Alaska I bet only one comes to mind, the Iditarod, It has been going since 1973, and is still going strong. The trail is 1,050 miles long but some people will tell you it is 1,049 miles long because Alaska is the 49th state. The trail is beautiful but dangerous it has sharp turns, and tundra steep banks, icy trails and over 40 active volcanoes. There are two trails the northern one for odd years and the southern one for even years. There are 26 checkpoints and you must take at least one 24 hour stop. The Iditarod is dangerous but if you finish it can be a life changing experience.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that Alaska is twice the size of Texas? Well if you don’t then read on to find out more really cool facts about the geography of Alaska. Alaska has 30 active volcanoes. It has 39 mountain ranges and three million lakes. Alaska has more than 100 state parks. There is .91 square miles per person, that’s not many people. All the saltwater lakes are the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, and the Arctic Ocean. The terrain there is glaciers, deserts, and tundra. A very popular event in Alaska is the Iditarod. The Iditarod is a sled dog race when people train with their dogs and participate in a very long race. The trail is in the wilderness and there are many obstacles. It is full of winding woods, and long stretches along the tundra. These are some of interesting facts I learned about the geography in Alaska
ReplyDelete~S5
Alaska is a wonderful and beautiful state. It is also the host of the Iditarod, a famous dog sled race every year since 1973. Have you ever wondered how big Alaska really is? Well if you added together Texas and California it would be bigger. The capital is Juneau, which is a hard to get to island. Alaska has over 3,000 rivers and lots of wild animals. Even though it is very cold, over 650,000 people live there. Alaska is home to some of the biggest mountains in North America. For example, Mt. McKinley is 20,320 feet high. If you like sunlight Alaska may not be the place for you because starting in November there is none for two months! Even with all its beauties the Iditarod is a hard race its 1050 miles and with harsh conditions and long distances they make it though in 9 days 11 hours 11 minutes and 37 seconds.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that Alaska is the largest state in the United States of America? The snowy state is approximately twice the size of Texas. It is also 470 times bigger than Rhode Island. If you went on vacation in Alaska, you would be bordered by the British Columbia, Canada, the Gulf of Alaska, the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Chukchi Sea, and the Arctic Ocean. It would be so big that there would only about 1 square mile per person. You wouldn’t see many people because there are only 626,425 people in the huge state with 656,425 square miles. Anchorage is the biggest city in Alaska with about 250,006 people. The state has a lot of snow and there would be two whole months without daylight. Looking at Mount McKinley will take your breath away. The beautiful mountain is 20,320 feet high. The calming Yukon River is the longest river in Alaska and is 1875 miles long. Some major rivers you would see in Alaska would be the Kuskokwim River, and the Copper River. The beautiful major lakes would be Iliamna Lake, Aleknagik Lake, Becharof Lake, Clark Lake, and Minchumina Lake. In Alaska, you could see more than 3000 rivers and 3 million lakes. Also, you could glaciers, deserts, tundra’s, volcanoes, and lots of wild animals. If you hate snow, Alaska is definitely not the place for you.
ReplyDeleteThe Iditarod is one of the most beautiful and dangerous races in the world. It is lined with icy mountain ranges, frozen rivers, barren tundra, dense forests, and treacherous climbs up the sides of some of the biggest mountains in the world! For example, Mt. McKinly is one of the tallest mountains in the world.
ReplyDeleteThe Iditarod travels through some of the largest, most gorgeous rivers and lakes. It winds through the Bering Sea, which is amazingly pretty but can be very deadly. Iditarod’s trails also end up running right into the Yukon River. The Yukon River is 1857 miles long through out Alaska. The thee trail continues to be 2298 miles out of Alaska. The actual length of the Iditarod Trail is 1049 miles long. Almost all the time the temperature is far below zero. The place where the Iditarod takes place is Alaska. Alaska is 2 times the size of Texas and it is 470 times Rhode Island.
The Iditarod sled dog race has two trails, one for odd years and one for even years. The southern trail is the one that the mushers and dogs run on in the odd years and the northern route is the one they run on in the even years.
The Iditarod race starts in Anchorage and ends in Nome. The precipitation in Anchorage is 1000 mm. and the precipitation in Nome is 400 mm. the average amount of rain is 500 mm.
The Iditarod is extremely dangerous but if you take the chance and prepare well it can be an amazing experience.
Have you ever wondered how many miles the Yukon River in Alaska is, the answer to that is 1875 miles long.
ReplyDeleteAlaska is 656,425 square miles making it twice the size of Texas. The Iditarod started in 1973, it is 1049 miles long with its twenty-six checkpoints and the Bering Sea, and it is a pretty rugged trail. Here are some interesting facts about the checkpoints, the checkpoint before Nome, Safety, has zero population and Iditarod is a ghost town after the gold rush. Some major rivers in Alaska are The Yukon River, The Kushokwim River The Colville River and The Copper River.
The highest point is Mt.McKinley the highest point in North America, in fact it is 20,320 feet above sea level.
In the Iditarod the racers have to cross the Bering Sea to get to the next checkpoint, it can get so cold that the sea gets a layer of ice on top, Sea ice is very different from fresh water ice. Sea ice is isn’t as slippy and it’s more elastic. A common night sight in Alaska is the Northern Lights.
~S9
Did you know Alaska has the largest peak in North America? It is called Mt.McKinley and is in Denali National Park. The mountain is 20,320 feet high. Alaska also has the longest coastline in America. It is 33,000 miles long. There are 39 mountains in Alaska. It has a chain of islands made from volcanoes. These are called the Aleutian Islands. Another land form in Alaska is the tundra.
ReplyDeleteS6
Have you ever wondered how big Alaska is? Have you ever heard of volcanoes in Alaska? Have you ever heard of the famous Iditarod? If you haven’t I am here to answer all your questions. Alaska is very large. It has 570,374 square miles of land and 86,051 square miles of water. The highest point in Alaska Is Mt. McKinley, the largest mountain in North America. Mt. McKinley is a towering 20,320 feet above sea level. Surprisingly there are lots of volcanoes in Alaska. Over 100 volcanoes have been active in the past one and a half million years. I couldn’t imagine running the Iditarod in this. If you are interested in racing through tough artic tundra I recommend running in the Iditarod.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever wanted to explore the wild white desert of Alaska? Have you ever heard about the Alaskan mountain ranges? Plus you’ll learn even more stuff about Alaska than you’ve ever dreamed of.
ReplyDeleteFirst did you know that Alaska is the biggest state in America?To prove it Alaska is 69 times bigger than Massachusetts and that’s something! Also you probably didn’t know that Alaska has 55 small islands. Which still doesn’t compare to how many lakes they have, 3,000,000 lakes lake’s and that’s just an estimate. Some of the major rivers are Yukon River, Kuskokwim River and the Colville River. Plus with all that, Alaska also has the biggest mountain range in all of North America, which includes Mount McKinley, which also is 20,320 feet. Some common sights you might see in Alaska are the Northern lights and glaciers.
Something else you might see in Alaska is dog sledding. One particular race is the Iditarod. With it’s icy hills rocks and freezing cold nights it is really a challenge. The race goes from Anchorage to Nome, which is 1,049 miles long. With all this, you probably know that Alaska is a place you want to go.
Welcome to Alaska, the 49th state. I hope you like fun facts because I’m going to run through some with you! Did you get that, “run” like the dogsled race? Well anyway……
ReplyDelete1. Did you know it would take 554 Rhode Islands to fit into Alaska? That’s a lot of Rhode Islands!
2. The highest point in Alaska is Mt. McKinley and lowest point is at sea level like the Pacific Ocean the Bering Sea and the Artic Oce4an. Did you know that?
3. I bet you didn’t know that Alaska was bought from Russia by a man named William Sewerd. It only cost $7,200,000.00. What a deal!
4. Alaska came into the United States on January 3, 1959. That’s this month, fifty years ago!
Now onto the weather or climate. As you can see behind me (ooppss! This isn’t t.v.) it is very cold here in the winter but the Gulf of Alaska makes summers not as warm and winter as cold as inland Alaska. Anchorage has warmish summers and very cold winters. The Denali National Park has pretty hot summers and warmish winters. Northern Alaska has cold winters and warm summers. Western Alaska’s climate is influenced by the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Its winter’s are warm and the summers are cool. Now that’s strange, the exact opposite of what we are used to. Because of these different climates people like to fish, hunt, ski, make igloos and sled. So if you like winter fun, go to Alaska!
S2
WELCOME TO THE 49TH STATE, ALASKA! It may be cold but you will like to visit here in the future! Listen and learn about some interesting facts about Alaska.
ReplyDeleteAlaska is in the northwest part of the United States. It’s next to Canada and close to the Arctic Circle. Mount McKinley is the highest mountain in North America and is located in Denali National Park, Alaska. It is 20,320 feet above sea level. Alaska is mostly surrounded by water, except on the east-southeastern side. If you visit Alaska you could go just about anywhere to fish or see little sea creatures.
Alaska is known for its Iditarod Race. It is when sled dogs race from Anchorage to Nome. There are two routes, a northern and a southern route. Since Alaska is the 49th state, the route is 1, 049 miles. I wonder who thought of that? The southern route is run on the odd numbered year and the northern route is run on the even numbered year. The route is so long, it takes ten days to finish it. That’s one week and three days. It’s about two months away.
The history around the Iditarod Race is that it honors the “Great Race of Mercy” and the people who raced in it. You may ask, What is it for? The answer is this race happened in 1925 in Nome because there was an epidemic (a disease that spread everywhere) that scared the parents. They thought that their children would die. The mushers raced medicine to the children to save their lives. So if you travel to Alaska in March you will see the Iditarod happening just like it did in 1925.
S16
Have you ever wondered how harsh, cold, and warm Alaska can get? Have you ever seen the amazing animals that live there? Well if you haven’t I am here to answer all your questions. Alaska can get very cold; the lowest temperature is 80 degrees below 0. The highest temperature in Alaska is 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Alaska gets lots of snow too. It gets over 300 inches of snow every year. In Anchorage Alaska there record of snow is 70 inches. In Alaska there are lots of animals just like there is lots of snow. One of the animals is the caribou. It is not close to extinction and lives in around Canada and Europe. Another animal in Alaska is the Lynx. It lives in most of North America and Europe. If you ever think about studying Alaska’s environment you will find lots of information.
ReplyDeleteAlaska is very cold and has three different climates. One of the climate zones is called the Maritime. It is the southern coastal area. They get 100 inches of rain a year. It has very heavy snow in the winter. The second zone is the Sub Arctic zone and it’s located in the middle of the state. It is very dry in the middle of the state. They mostly get 24 inches of rainfall in a year. The upper north part of Alaska is the Tundra. They have very strong winds and they have very thin snow cover.
ReplyDeleteThere are many animal species in Alaska. They have to adapt to the climate to survive in Alaska. Three animals I am interested in are the wolf, the coyote, and the hare. There are two types of hare and they are named snowshoe and tundra hare. They can turn white to blend in with snow. The snowshoe hare has big back feet.
Now I am going to talk about the wolf. It likes to live in a group and play when not hunting. The wolf weighs 110 pounds and likes to eat caribou and moose and sheep.
The coyote weighs 25 pounds and is a new comer to Alaska. It moved to the northern wilderness when people took away its woods further south. They are prey to bald eagles and bear , wolves and great horned owls.
S 6
There are 3 climates in Alaska!
ReplyDeleteThe Maritime zone is along the sea coast of Alaska. This area gets 100 inches of rain every year and gale force winds frequently. The Sub Artic zone is between the Alaska and Brooks Mountain Ranges. In the winter the weather is harsh but in the brief summer it is mild. The Tundra zone is the area north of Brooks Mountain Range. It is extremely cold and there are very low wind chills. This area gets less than 8 inches of rain/ year.
Alaska has many wild animals. The ones I found interesting are the caribou, the wolf and the wolverine. The Caribou eat lichens and moss and they can be called reindeer too. Their knees clack when they run and you can hear them because of the sound. The wolf can weigh 110 pounds and it can hunt animals that are sick, young or old. They can hunt and kill a bull moose in deep snow. Wolves prey on Caribou, Dall Sheep , Hares or small critters. The Wolverines are related to Minks and Weasels. Devil Bear is the nickname given to the Wolverine. Often they have to travel 40 miles for food. The Wolverines eat animals larger than themselves. This means animals like Caribou, Dall Sheep and Moose.
S16
The tundra is in the northern part of Alaska. The
ReplyDeleteTundra has a unique climate & landforms. There are harsh winters and not much snow or rain in this area. The summer is short. Permafrost is a layer of soil that stays frozen all the time. The permafrost is just below the top layer of soil. There is poor drainage so there are many ponds and bogs. The tundra is fragile. People can damage the permafrost and that hurts the ecosystem
There is not much plant life in the tundra and what does grow there grows slowly. In the tundra the plants are matted like the cotton grass, sedge, dwarf heath moss and lichens. They adapt to winds, heavy snow and temperatures that vary. The Tundra’s animal life is quite large. Some of the larger animals are the musk-ox, caribou and reindeer. These animals eat the sledge, grass and lichen. The small animals include the Arctic Hare, the snowshoe rabbit and lemmings. Some of the predators would be the Arctic fox, snowy owl, wolf, polar bears and brown bears. Alpine animals like mountain goats, pika, marmot, ptarmigan and big horned sheep , are other animals in the tundra The tundra can be brittle and it can also be nice, so don’t hurt it.
Is there really a rainforest in Alaska? Yes there is! It is 40 acres long and it is in Herring Cove near Ketchikan, Alaska. The Eagle Creek runs though the rainforest. It is one of Alaska’s richest streams in which Salmon lay their eggs.
ReplyDeleteThe trees and the plants in the Alaska Rainforest are varied. The trees that are in the rainforest include the Spruce, Hemlock, Red Cedar and Yellow Cedar. The rainforest has a variety of berries and two type of moss which are the Cat Tail moss and Methuselah’s Beard. There are a lot of plants in the forest but there is more moss than other plants. Wildflowers are other types of plants.
The rainforest has animals like bear, Blue Herrons, Ravens, Mammals, Salmon, Bald Eagles and Reindeer. They also have three types of Salmon: Chinook, Chum and Coho.
s16
Is there really a rainforest in Alaska? Yes there is! It is 40 acres long and it is in Herring Cove near Ketchikan, Alaska. The Eagle Creek runs though the rainforest. It is one of Alaska’s richest streams in which Salmon lay their eggs.
ReplyDeleteThe trees and the plants in the Alaska Rainforest are varied. The trees that are in the rainforest include the Spruce, Hemlock, Red Cedar and Yellow Cedar. The rainforest has a variety of berries and two type of moss which are the Cat Tail moss and Methuselah’s Beard. There are a lot of plants in the forest but there is more moss than other plants. Wildflowers are other types of plants.
The rainforest has animals like bear, Blue Herrons, Ravens, Mammals, Salmon, Bald Eagles and Reindeer. They also have three types of Salmon: Chinook, Chum and Coho.
Alaska has 39 mountain ranges. The Alaska Range is the most famous. This is because the Denali National Park is there. McKinley, the highest peak (20,320 ft.) is in the park. The Alaska Range is one of Alaska’s largest ranges. It runs from the Alaska eastern border of Canada to the western edge of Kenai Peninsula. There was a large earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter Scale on Nov. 3, 2002 . This area has an active volcano called Spurr.
ReplyDeleteThere is another rang called the Chugach Mountains.
This range begins near the panhandle and runs along south central Alaska. Of all the areas of Alaska these mountains have the highest amount of snowfall. These mountains hold the greatest amount of glacial ice.
Did you have any idea that Alaska has Volcanoes?
ReplyDeleteAlaska lies near an area called the Pacific Ring of Fire. There, volcanoes form a circle in the Pacific Ocean. It runs all the way from the tip of South America along the coast of the U.S.. It continues through the Kamchatka Peninsula and to Japan, Indonesia and the islands of South America.
Do you want to know the types of Volcanoes and their formation? Well here they are. Volcanoes are like people they are all different. There are Cinder Cones, which are small mountains with steep sides. Here comes another type of Volcano. It’s called a Shield volcano. The shield volcano covers a larger area than the Cone. It has sloping sides and a dome shape. Last the Composite Volcano is a large mountain with steep sides. It is cone shaped and probably the most violent type of volcano.
Hey do you want to know when Volcanoes are active, where some are and what their sizes are? Well listen up. The biggest Volcano eruption on Earth was in Alaska (in the last hundred years). Major eruptions in Alaska are near the Aleution Arc and occur almost every year. Also some active volcanoes are in the Wrangle Mountains and southeastern Alaska. Finally Volcanologists try to warn people when Volcanoes come, so thank those guys.