Alaska

1. Alaska

2. Created by Angela Williams For EDCI 5314

3. This presentation will present basic information about the state of Alaska. • The information in this presentation will provide a basis for the audience to compare Alaska to their own state. • The audience could be anyone who is interested in the state of Alaska, but does not have much prior knowledge about Alaska. The presentation was created specifically for elementary students in Virginia. The presentation could be used to prepare the students for a unit about Alaska, or to review concepts covered in a unit about Alaska, or to compare Alaska to the students’ own state. • Prerequisite skills/knowledge: • - Ability to use a mouse. • - Ability to read.

4. Alaska Geography Animals The Northern Lights Culture andTraditions

5. Alaska Menu Geography Denali (Mount McKinley) Glaciers Earthquakes

6. Geography Alaska Menu Denali (Mount McKinley) Mount McKinley is the tallest mountain in North America. It is 20,320 feet tall. Mount McKinley is also called Denali. Denali is an Athabascan Indian name meaning “The High One.”

7. Glaciers Glaciers are made up of fallen snow that, over many years, compresses into large, thickened ice masses. Glaciers form when snow remains in one location long enough to transform into ice. What makes glaciers unique is their ability to move. Due to sheer mass, glaciers flow like very slow rivers. Some glaciers are as small as football fields, while others grow to be over a hundred kilometers long. Geography Alaska Menu

8. Geography Alaska Menu Earthquakes Alaska has from 10-20 earthquakes every day! The largest so far was the Great Alaskan Earthquake in 1964. It killed 131 people and caused 300-400 million dollars in damage. The earthquake was felt in all parts of Alaska, and even parts of Canada and Washington, and it created waves up to 70 meters high. This was a 6-story apartment building in Anchorage after the 1964 earthquake.

9. Alaska Menu The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) Aurora Borealis is also known as the northern lights. It is a fantastic light show! It is caused by electricity that passes through a thin gas and it causes a spark or glow. The electricity comes from particles from the sun that come in contact with the earth's atmosphere.

10. Alaskan Animals Eagle Musk Ox Killer Whales Grizzly Bear Snowshoe Hare Polar Bear Porcupine These are just a few of the many animals that live in Alaska. Can you think of more? Caribou Moose Alaska Menu

11. Eagle • The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States. • It is not really “bald” but its head and tail are covered with white feathers. • Bald eagles can weigh 8 to 14 pounds, and their wings can spread up to 7 ½ feet across. Animals Alaska Menu • Eagles are not very good hunters, so they usually eat dead animals or steal food from other animals. • It is against the law to kill or have an eagle or any part of an eagle, including feathers.

12. Alaska Menu Musk Ox • The word Oomingmak (for musk ox) means "the animal with skin like a beard" to the Inupiaq speaking Eskimos. • They are usually 3-5 feet tall and weigh 500-900 pounds. • The musk ox coat and hooves keep them warm in the cold arctic weather which can reach –70ºF. Animals • The soft underfur of the Oomingmak is used by native people to create many knitted items. They use the fur of them muskox because it is one of the warmest furs known to man. Native people call this underfur "Qiviut".

13. Alaska Menu Killer Whales • Male killer whales, or bulls, average 19-22 feet, and usually weigh between 8,000-12,000 pounds. • Females, or cows, average 16-19 feet, and usually weigh between 3,000-8,000 pounds. • Killer whales produce clicks and sounds that resemble moans, trills, grunts, whistles, squeaks, and creaking doors. Animals • They live in groups called pods, which usually have 5 to 30 killer whales. In Alaska and Antarctica, groups of more than 100 killer whales have been seen.

14. Alaska Menu Polar Bears • Polar bears live only at the very northern tip of Alaska. • They do not hibernate. • Their white fur helps keep them camouflaged in the snow, but underneath their fur, they have black skin. The black skin absorbs heat from the sun and helps them stay warm. • They are great swimmers! Animals • They have fur on the soles of their feet to keep them from slipping on ice.

15. Alaska Menu Porcupines • Porcupines are usually 25 to 31 inches long, and they usually weigh 13 to 18 pounds. • The porcupine has excellent senses of smell, hearing, and taste, but its eyesight is poor. • They are covered with quills which they use for protection. Animals • Porcupines keep their backs to predators and swing their tails like a club. • Some Native Americans and other people eat the meat from porcupines and use their quills for decoration.

16. Alaska Menu Grizzly Bear • Grizzly bears and brown bears are the same kind of bears. • They can be 6 ½ to 7 feet long, and weigh 330 to 825 pounds. • They eat about 80 to 90 pounds of food every day. • They eat mostly grasses, flowers, and berries, but they also eat fish, insects, and other small animals. Animals • They have long claws (3 to 4 ¾ inches long) which they use for digging for food. • They hibernate during the winter months.

17. Alaska Menu Snowshoe Hare • They are yellowish to grayish brown in the summer, but turn white in the winter. • They have large hind feet which help them move around in the deep snow, like snowshoes. That’s how they got their name! • When they are born, they learn how to hop almost immediately. Animals • Snowshoe hares rest in the daytime and eat at night.

18. Alaska Menu Caribou • Caribou are usually 4 to 5 feet tall and weigh about 500 pounds. • Their antlers are about 3 feet tall! • They can sleep in water. • Caribou hide is often made into blankets, clothing and shelter. The antlers and bones are used to make toys, tools and weapons. Many people eat meat from caribou. Animals • They “shovel” snow in the winter to get to the moss and lichens under the snow. That’s what they eat. • Caribou are also called reindeer.

19. Alaska Menu Moose • Moose are the largest members of the deer family. • Baby moose weigh 28-35 pounds when they’re born, and grow to 300 pounds by the time they’re 5 months old! • Female moose can weigh 800-1300 pounds, and male moose can weigh 1200-1600 pounds. Animals • Only the bull moose have antlers and they fall off every winter.

20. Alaska Menu Culture and Traditions These are just a few examples of culture and traditions in Alaska. It would be impossible to show everything about this topic! Clothing Subsistence Lifestyle Iditarod Dog Sled Race Music and Dance Blanket Toss

21. Culture & Traditions Alaska Menu The Five Feathers On A Dance Fan Represent: First Feather - Yupiks of the land Second Feather - animals of the water Third Feather - birds of the sky Fourth Feather - animals of the land Fifth Feather - fruits and wild vegetables

22. Culture & Traditions Alaska Menu Seasoned dried fish strips are a tasty snack. Many Natives depend on king salmon, halibut, and other fish for food and income. Many Alaskans also depend on meat from caribou and moose.

23. Culture & Traditions Alaska Menu Long ago, hunters would put one person on a blanket and toss them high into the air to scout for food, as there were no trees or tall buildings to climb up and see far away. The scout, when tossed high, could look around and find animals and point the hunters in the right direction. Today, the blanket toss is performed at many festivals and celebrations in Alaska for a fun way to preserve a cultural tradition.

24. Culture & Traditions Alaska Menu Mukluks are like tall moccasins made of fur and animal skin. They are waterproof and very warm. A parka from long ago and a modern parka. A kuspuk is a lightweight coat. Mothers carry their babies in the back of the kuspuk.

25. Culture & Traditions Alaska Menu The Iditarod Dog Sled Race is an annual tradition in Alaska. It was started to keep alive the tradition of using dogs and sleds as opposed to snowmobiles and four-wheelers. The race is over 1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome. A special award is given to the last person who crosses the finish line. It is called the Red Lantern award because, as a joke, they used to say that the last person was so far behind they needed a lantern to find the way to Nome. Now it is a symbol of perseverance and honor.