Dogs from the North

Dogs from the North

by Mrs. Carter

Overview

What makes a dog suitable for Northern climates and cold weather? Was a question driving our inquiry into Northern Dogs.

What We Thought We Knew

Group 1

Aleiram C.- That they run fast. They have things on the bottom of their feet to help them run. (I don't know what they are called.)

Joshua B.- That some of them, but not all of them, chase cats.

Curtis D.- Some dogs pull sleds.

Perry M.- They can race in the North.

Julianna K. - My German Shepherd has white hair under his real fur. He was born in a canyon called cougar canyon.

Priscilla A.-I have a labrador at home. He is gold. My parents told me he has an undercoat. His fur feels soft.

Shannon H.-At home I have a half chow and half lab dog. He has a black and pink tongue, that's how I know he is half lab and half chow. (and then she said ciao! and went back to her group- a pretty funny joke.)

Group 2

George K.- I know that dogs go in races.

Rodolfo Q.- I know that they have pads.

Irving T.-I know that some dogs are good for the North.

Omayra D.-They have fur, it comes in different colors.

Group 3

Kathy G.- That they slobber, because they are tired.

Laquiva J.- My dad has a dog at home, he is a pit bull. I know that dogs jump on cars and they lick you.

Lissette O.- I know that dogs can be little and big. I have a dog myself, half chihahua and half rat terrier. It is a small dog.

Cole A.-Dogs can jump over fences. Because I have a Great Dane and he loves to jump over my fence. And when I put him in another yard he jumps over that fence.

Fabian H.-My dad has a dog and it is a Siberian Husky, he is grey and white. It likes to bite people. This morning it jumped my fence, I had to chase it before I came to school.

Julio G.-I have a dalmation at home. I don't know how old he is.

Group 4

Leanne S.-I know dogs shed their fur.

Laquisha T.-I had a puppy, he was bad, he is at my granddad's house. He was bad because he bit me. He runs behind me when I go to my granddad's house and he bites me.

Charlie S.- They have different color fur.

Yesenia D.-I know that Siberian huskies have undercoats because I asked my neighbor what kind of fur they have. Whenm I went over to my firiend's house she had a new dog that is a siberian husky, named puppy, I asked her dad about the dog and then he said that those dogs have undercoats.

Group 5

Timmy W.-They can run fast.

Chelsie M.-They are warm blooded.

Laura M.-All dogs are different.

Andrew M.-My dog is a doberman. He barks alot. Because my friends come to the front door. He thinks they are strangers, that's what all dogs do.

Questions We Had

Group 1

Aleiram C.- Why do they have floppy ears?

Joshua B.- Do dogs bark to scare stuff away?

Curtis D.- Do dogs in the North run fast?

Perry M.- How do dogs run in snow?

Julianna K. - Is a German Shepherd a Northern dog, and where do they come from?

Priscilla A.- Why do dogs itch?

Shannon H.- Um Um Um I forgot. Ok Mine is, How do dogs live in the snow. Hey you better erase that Um Um part.

Group 2

George K.- What do dogs do if they get a thorn in their paw?

Rodolfo Q.- Why don't other kinds of dogs run in races?

Irving T.- What's special about their fur?

Omayra D.- Why do dogs run in races?

Group 3

Kathy G.- Do Northern dogs eat other animals?

Laquiva J.-

Lissette O.-

Cole A.- Can Northern dogs get cold in all the ice?

Fabian H.- Do Northern dogs die in snow?

Julio G.- Do they have fur in their ears?

Group 4

Leanne S.- I wonder if dogs have special coats.

Laquisha T.- I wonder why dogs run over a fence.

Charlie S.- I wonder dogs could bark the same bark, or are they different and what do they mean. Are they talking?

Yesenia D.- I wonder if there dogs as big as tigers?

Group 5

Timmy W.- How fast can they run? How many miles can they run?

Chelsie M.-

Laura M.- Why are they so strong? Doesn't the cold affect them?

Andrew M.- How can they stand it in the cold?

What We Found Out from Books, the Internet, and Experts

(From Laura M.-) The class has looked at internet sites including the Iditarod page and followed the progress of this year's race. They students looked a stack of books about Northern Dogs. They were sent to us from our pen pal in Alaska, Mollie. Mollie and her mother went out and bought the books for us.

(From Mrs. Carter) We coordinated our experiments with a sister class in Atlanta Georgia that was also studying Northern Dogs. We brought in different dogs and compared them to Northern dogs. We brought in a bulldog, a terrier, and a mastiff. We measured their pads and compared their coats. We charted the Iditarod. Each student chose a musher and charted that musher on a map of the race. Progress of each musher was tracked by following the race times and standings as posted on the internet.

What We Found Out from Experimentation

(From Mrs. Carter)Our class went to see dogs at the dog show, and we touched their coats and learned that Northern Dogs have double coats, we found out that the dogs' snouts have specialized adaptations so that they warm the air before it gets to the dogs' lungs. We learned that they have almond-shped eyes which protect the eyeball from the cold air.

How We Showed What We Had Learned

The class made dog mobiles, they experimented with dog hair to see if it was waterproof. We did cold experiments to learn about cold and insulation. We experimented with cold materials like liquid nitrogen, we put flowers in liquid nitrogen and flash froze it, we flash froze feathers.

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