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Lesson Description: 1. Inform your students you've all decided to leave Skagway and travel to Dyea to take the Chilkoot Pass. To give students a sense of how arduous the passes were, have students perform a reenactment of the climb by creating an obstacle course. Ask students to bring approximately 2-10 pounds of supplies to school in a backpack (books, canned goods, etc.). Set-up an obstacle course in a large open area (such as a playground). This is a great lesson to involve parent volunteers. They can do the entire set-up and act as guides. If you plan to have more than one classroom participate you will want to setup the course in the morning and then have each class take a turn visiting the course. Each class breaks into two groups one per guide. Two parent volunteers act as guides taking kids through the obstacle course. Encourage parent volunteers to dress in character for this activity. 2. Begin the activity by having students load their backpacks with heavy objects. Next, weigh each pack. Record the weight of the pack on the student's ID card. The ID card should include a place for the student's name, the weight of the pack, and a way to record the number of obstacle course laps completed. Remind students that they cannot pass each other on the trail. They must walk in a single-file line just as the original Stampeders did when they went up the pass. It makes it more authentic for the students. Students are also asked to dress appropriately. Look at a sample map (PDF) of the obstacle course using the playground at Lakeridge Elementary School. The advantage of using the playground is you can incorporate the play structures on your playground for different stations. For example, you can use the climbing structure for reenacting the "Golden Stairs." 3. Once back in the classroom students get to do some calculations. If you pretend one lap of the obstacle course is the equivalent of one trip up the Chilkoot Pass, how many more trips would each student need to take in order to cache their entire outfit (2,000 pounds of supplies) up the pass? Students can make the calculations in their journals. 4. End the activity by having students describe in their journal their character's experience of moving his/her outfit over the pass. Provide a few guiding questions such as, "Did you carry all loads on your back? Did you use pack animals, hire packers, or use a sled to help? How did your body feel when you were done?" You may want to write key words on the board to help students remember the different stages they experienced in the reenactment (Dyea, Taiya River, Sheep Camp, The Scales, The Ascent, Avalanche Warning, Glacial Crevasse, Switchbacks, Golden Stairs, Provisions, The Summit). They should include many details of the experience in their journal entry. The following is how one school prepared their obstacle course: Set-up Procedure: Tables: Arrange with custodian to bring out two large tables. One for "provisions" and the other for check-in at Dyea. Tape appropriate signs onto tables, set at locations as indicated on attached diagram. Ladder: This goes over the "Taiya River" and should be climbed over using hands and feet. In covered basketball area at Lakeridge Elementary - note location of ladder on map layout. Lay out tarp, then old mat, then blue tarp (water) and add cut outs of fish and paper icebergs. Tape or stake sign for "Taiya River" at the beginning of the ladder climb. You may want a parent volunteer at this station. Scales: Set up 4 or 5 stations with scales at Sheep Camp location. Each scale needs a parent volunteer with clip board and pen. Put "Sheep Camp" sign at this station. Place scales per diagram on map. Trail Markers: Use contractors tape to mark the direction of the trail. Begin at the trampolines and follow the diagram through the playground. You'll want parent volunteers standing throughout the course to help kids through it.
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Lesson 14 Title: Cache the Outfit Up the Chilkoot Pass Objective: To provide students a hands-on experience to reenact the arduous assent up the Chilkoot Pass. Materials: Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour Contents IntroductionAcknowledgements Bibliography Glossary Essential Academic Learning Requirements (PDF) Lesson 1: Background Information Lesson 2: Setting the Scene Lesson 3: Field Trip Lesson 4: Biographies Lesson 5: Miner's License Lesson 6: Creating Paper Doll Character Lesson 7: Journal Writing Lesson 8: Gimmick/Inventions Lesson 9: Shopping in Seattle for Supplies Lesson 10: Map Day Lesson 11: Journey to Skagway Lesson 12: Postcard Lesson 13: Debate Lesson 14: Cache the Outfit Lesson 15: Building Boats Lesson 16: Crisis on the River Lesson 17: Arrival in Dawson Lesson 18: Panning for Gold Lesson 19: Reflective Lessons ![]() |