Grades 6–8
Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers
by Gary Paulsen
An experienced Iditarod racer, Gary Paulsen celebrates his lead dog and longtime
companion, Cookie, in this intimate essay. Paulsen takes readers inside the kennel as
Cookie’s last litter of pups grow and learn to pull sleds across the snowy frontier. It’s a
wild, joyous, and unforgettable ride!
Choose
a
Direction How to Use This Guide
Before You
Get Started
pages 2–4
Introduction
pages 5–7
READ aloud!
You read to kids
page 8
READ ON!
Kids read together
pages 16–17
READ aloud!
Discussion and
activities
pages 9–15
READ on!
Partner discussion
and activities
pages 17–25
CONNECTIONS
Choose activities
pages 26–29
wrap it up!
pages 30–31
Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers by Gary Paulsen • Dell Yearling, 2002 • Suggested for Grades 6–8
Before You Get Started
Read through “What’s the Story?” and “Some Big Ideas” for
an overview of the book and themes emphasized in discussions
and activities. You and the kids may discover others.
What’s the Story?
The fire indoors may be warm, but outside the moon is full, it’s
twenty below zero, and Gary Paulsen’s race dogs are straining at
their tethers. Paulsen hitches ten of the dogs to a sled and heads into
the night for a 14-hour, 100-mile run across the snowy Minnesota
landscape. It’s all part of the team’s training for Alaska’s grueling
Iditarod, a long-distance sled race that demands stamina and a hearty
love of adventure from both the dog team and its driver. In raising
and training his dogs, Paulsen enters a close partnership marked
by mutual understanding and respect. His lead dog, Cookie, her
puppies, and the other dogs in the kennel display extraordinary
intelligence, loyalty, sensitivity, and determination as they lead the
author to a deeper understanding of himself and his place in their
shared world.
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Some Things the Kids
Will Need to Know
• The Iditarod is an annual 1,150-mile dogsled race across Alaska.
It starts in Anchorage (in south central Alaska) and ends in
Nome (on the Bering Sea coast). It takes from 10 to 17 days.
Author Gary Paulsen has run the Iditarod and trained dog teams
for the event. You can find detailed information on the Iditarod
on these websites:
www.iditarod.com/general_information.html
www.dogsled.com/events/iditarod (see Iditarod History)
Heads Up!
•
This book refers to many aspects of dogsled racing and training
that may be unfamiliar to the kids. Try to assemble photo books
that show various breeds of racing dogs (Siberian Huskies,
Eskimo Dogs, and Alaskan Malamutes) and scenes from Iditarod
races. Books with photos of Alaskan scenery and/or northern
Minnesota in the winter will help the kids imagine the conditions
that Paulsen describes and that racers and their teams must
endure. Show the book’s cover so the kids will be able to picture
Gary and Cookie as they hear about their adventures.
•
Some kids may have read other books by Gary Paulsen.
Encourage them to share briefly about his books and interests.
You may want to assemble and display some of his books in case
the kids get inspired to read more of his work. Ask your local
librarian for a list of recommended titles.
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Some Big Ideas Suggested
by the Story
Our Relationship to Animals
• We can learn about both animals and ourselves by observing and
interacting with animals.
• People who work closely with animals often identify with them.
Friendship
• Like friendship with a person, friendship with an animal can
include companionship, communication, loyalty, sharing,
acceptance, mutual support, respect, and occasional disagreement.
Our Relationship to the Environment
• Our physical surroundings help shape our daily lives and activities.
• Knowledge of and respect for the environment (and climate) are
requirements for survival in some places.
Identity/Self-Image
• Our passions help define who we are and shape our
daily lives.
• Some people feel most alive when they face extreme
physical challenges.
Work and Play
• For some people, work and play are inseparable.
Changing and Growing
• Sometimes circumstances force us to make major changes
in our lifestyle and habits.
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Introduction Choose 1 or 2 Activities
Lead an introductory activity (or two) to build curiosity and
excitement about the story. An introduction warms the kids up
to the characters and ideas they will encounter and gives them a
chance to build on what they know from their own life experiences.
Animals and People
10–15 minutes
Group Share: Ask the kids to think about occasions when they’ve
See Quick Tip #3,
“Discussion Strategies.”
© Developmental Studies Center
seen animals behave like people. What humanlike qualities or
behaviors have they observed? Invite them to share stories with the
group. Then ask some of the following questions:
•
•
•
What animals are especially humanlike?
•
What, if anything, do you think humans have to learn
In what ways do people act like animals?
What do people mean when they say someone is acting
like an animal?
from animals?
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MATERIALS
Iditarod Investigation
books with photos
about the Iditarod,
racing dogs, and Alaska
(option 1)
30–40 minutes (20–30 minutes research, additional time for sharing)
(Ask your local
librarian to help you
identify sources.)
Alaska race known as the Iditarod. To fully appreciate Paulsen's life,
computer with Internet
access (option 2)
lined paper and pencils
Introduction: Explain that the kids will hear about the life of author
Gary Paulsen, who spent years training and racing dogs in the crossthey need to know something about the race and the land where it
takes place.
Research: Have the kids work in pairs or trios. You may want to
divide the research task into the following topics: history of the
race, the race course (location, climate, and terrain), sled race dogs
(breeds, physical characteristics), and sled race equipment. Allow
about 20–30 minutes for research.
Share: Ask one member of each team to share with the whole group
the most interesting facts, essential information, and photos related
to their topic.
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Chilled to the Bone
15–20 minutes
Partner Share: Tell the kids that they will hear about the life of an
author who lives in northern Minnesota, a land of extremely cold
winters. If possible, locate both Minnesota and Alaska on a map.
To help the kids imagine conditions in Minnesota (especially if they
haven’t experienced cold winters), ask them to recall some occasion
when they felt very cold, or “chilled to the bone.” The air may not have
been that cold, but they felt cold. Encourage them to remember the
sensations they experienced. If the kids have never experienced cold,
ask them to imagine being in a cold place. Have them describe the
occasion to a partner, including as much information as possible about
the sensations they experienced. Allow about 10 minutes for the sharing.
You may want to start them off by sharing your own experience.
Group Share: Briefly discuss what might be enjoyable about life
in an extremely cold and snowy environment and what might be
difficult. How would their daily life be different if they lived in
subzero conditions? Record their ideas on butcher paper or the
chalkboard and look at them again after you’ve read the book.
Option: Show pictures of Alaska or Minnesota if you have assembled
photo albums.
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Read Aloud! For Adults Reading to Kids
Use this section only if you are reading aloud to the whole
group. For kids reading with kids, use the Read On! pages
at the back of this guide.
Note: You may want to introduce “Cool Words” before reading.
Reading 1
30–40 minutes
Read pages 1–40 aloud to your group, pausing occasionally for
the kids’ comments and questions about the story or any words
they don’t know.
NOTE
Read only as long
as the kids are
engaged. You may
need to break
this reading, and
the next one, into
shorter chunks.
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Talk It Over
Give the kids a chance to react to the reading and then ask some of
the questions suggested below. As needed, follow up with “Why do
you think that?” or “Tell us more.”
Begin with an open-ended question, such as:
•
What do you think about Gary Paulsen’s relationship with
Cookie and his other dogs?
Then have a discussion to explore his views about the dogs. Ask
some of the following:
See Quick Tip #3,
“Discussion Strategies.”
•
What surprises you about Gary Paulsen’s interactions
•
How do you think he views his dogs?
with Cookie?
— What makes you say that?
•
•
•
How does Paulsen show respect for his dogs?
What do you think he likes about dogs?
Why do people talk to animals?
— Why do you think Paulsen talks to Cookie?
— Do you ever talk to animals? Why, or why not?
— Do you think animals really understand people when
they talk? Why?
•
© Developmental Studies Center
What do you think Paulsen learns from his dogs?
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Try This!
Choose one
Racing Dog Fact Poster
Ask the kids to create posters featuring facts about racing sled dogs
that they learn from the book and other sources. Each poster should
include a drawing of a sled dog and at least three written facts.
Provide the kids with books that illustrate and describe racing dogs,
and have them work in pairs to create their posters. If possible, have
some kids search for information on the Internet. Encourage the
kids to add information to their posters after they hear the rest of
the book.
Doin’ the Dog
Point out that Paulsen attributes great intelligence and understanding
to his dogs. Ask small groups to act out one of the following events—
from a dog’s point of view:
•
•
•
•
•
Cookie discovers that one of her puppies is missing.
Charlie tolerates the climbing games of the puppies.
Sarah attempts to nurse the puppies.
Carlisle hides items for the puppies to find.
William offers a lesson in licking a beaver skull.
Encourage them to have fun giving these dogs humanlike personalities,
voices, and observations.
Option: Some kids might also enjoy writing accounts in “dog talk.”
Ask them to write their accounts in the present tense, as if the action
is happening right now and the dog is offering live commentary.
Have them share their writing with a partner.
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Cool Words
Ask the kids if they remember any words that stood out in the
reading. Share the following list of Cool Words (or create your own)
and ask the kids what words are new to them. Help them figure
out what these words mean by rereading the original sentences and
talking about their context. Invite the kids to pick words they like or
want to remember and write them in the Cool Words collections in
their journals.
Iditarod (p. 1): annual dogsled race across Alaska
threw leaders (p. 1): gave birth to leaders
keening (p. 5): loud, wailing cry for the dead
mandatory (p. 5): required
din (p. 5): loud noise
cacophony (p. 5): unpleasant mixture of harsh sounds
See Quick Tip #6,
“What’s Cool About
Words?” for more
ideas on how to
use vocabulary.
gestation (p. 8): pregnancy
dubious (p. 14): doubtful
still-born (p. 16): dead at birth
abated (p. 20): became less intense
discomfited (p. 23): discouraged
weaned (p. 23): adapted a child to food other than mother’s milk
slurry (p. 23): mixture of liquid and solid food
trundle (p. 23): move in a rolling motion
sphinx (p. 26): imaginary ancient Egyptian creature with the head of
a man and the body of a lion
consummate (p. 30): complete or perfect
perfunctory (p. 30): performed with little interest or care
staid (p. 32): dignified
chauvinistic (p. 35): convinced of the superiority of one’s own kind
caterwaul (p. 39): loud, high-pitched cry
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Reading 2
30–40 minutes
Read pages 41–85 aloud to your group, pausing occasionally for the
kids’ comments and questions about the story or any words they
don’t know. You may want to break this reading into smaller chunks.
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Talk It Over
Give the kids a chance to react to the reading and then ask some of
the questions suggested below. As needed, follow up with “Why do
you think that?” or “Tell us more.”
Begin with an open-ended question, such as:
•
How does the expression “It’s a dog’s life” fit the lives of the dogs
in this story?
Then have a discussion about different aspects of Paulsen’s life with
his dogs. Ask such questions as:
•
How are Paulsen’s racing dogs different from pets?
— How is his family’s interaction with the dogs similar to or
different from your family’s interactions with pets?
— What ideas or attitudes toward the dogs do you think
Paulsen’s family members must share?
•
What do you think attracted Paulsen to dogsled racing?
— What personal qualities made him a good dog trainer?
© Developmental Studies Center
•
•
In what ways do you think Paulsen ”became a dog”?
•
How do you think Paulsen and Cookie continued to grow
How is the northern Minnesota environment part of this family’s
daily life?
together after they stopped sled running?
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Try This!
Choose one
In the News
Have the kids create a live news broadcast describing a huge Arctic
storm and some of its impacts. The broadcast might include onthe-scene reports and/or interviews featuring the woman who was
too frozen for a needle to penetrate (but thawed and survived), the
man who died in his warm car from inhaling carbon monoxide, and
Paulsen’s accident on the trestle. A weather portion of the program
could include details about temperature extremes and their effects on
people and the landscape. For inspiration, have the kids review pages
9 and 70–71. Depending on the size of the group, you may want to
have two teams prepare different programs. Some kids might want to
create an advertisement for sled equipment, sled dog food, or some
other product related to the story.
Beyond the Bridge
Ask the kids to imagine what happened to Paulsen’s dogs after he
released them on the railroad trestle. Have them describe the action
in writing, making the scene come alive with details that appeal to
the various senses. Have them share their descriptions with a partner.
Ruth and Jim Speak
Remind the kids that breeding sled dogs at the Paulsen’s was a family
affair. Ask the kids to write about the life of a sled dog breeder from
Ruth or Jim’s perspective. Neither ran the teams. What did they
observe, experience, and feel as they helped care for the dogs? What
do they think of Paulsen’s involvement with the dogs?
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Cool Words
Share the following list of Cool Words from pages 41–85 or create
your own list. Use the ideas described in the Reading 1 section of
this guide (see p. 11).
errant (p. 43): aimless
forged (p. 43): moved ahead steadily
horde of huns (p. 44): group of destructive people (The Huns, led by
their king, Attila, destroyed much of Europe in the fifth century.)
leper colony (p. 45): place where people with leprosy, a contagious
disease, lived
callous (p. 47): unfeeling
“logging” (p. 50): training a sled dog to pull by having him drag a
piece of wood
See Quick Tip #6,
“What’s Cool About
Words?” for more
ideas on how to
use vocabulary.
skittered (p. 53): skipped quickly
untenable (p. 55): indefensible
semblance (p. 56): small amount
trestles (p. 59): bridges made of horizontal beams
transpired (p. 68): happened
scourge (p. 70): affliction or calamity
monotonous (p. 76): repetitious
stubble (p. 80): short, stiff stalks that remain on a field after harvesting
tundra (p. 82): treeless area of land in the northern arctic regions
wheeled (p. 83): turned around
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Read On! For Kids Reading with Kids
For partner reading, cross-age buddy reading,
or book clubs.
Directions to the Leader
1. Introduce the story (see page 2 of this guide).
Read Quick Tip #8,
“Independent and
Partner Reading,”
before leading a
Read On! session
for the first time.
2. Group the kids in twos or threes with one book per group.
Consider starting with cross-age buddy reading—a great way for
older kids to practice reading while helping younger ones.
3. Photocopy the Read On! pages that follow and give a set to each
child or partnership. Explain how partners will use the pages to
guide them.
4. Circulate as the kids read and talk, helping to refocus any who are
struggling or off task as you go.
5. Reassemble the partners into one group and lead a discussion
about the book and what it’s like to work in partnership.
6. Lead a Connection and Wrap It Up! activity.
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Reading 1
30–40 minutes
Read pages 1–40 together. If you come across words
that are new to you, talk about their meaning together
or ask a friend or leader for help. Look up the words
in a dictionary if one is available.
Talk
• What does Paulsen learn from his dogs?
• Why do you think Paulsen talks to Cookie?
• Do you ever talk to animals? Why or why not?
• Why do people talk to animals?
• Do you think animals really understand people
when they talk? What makes you think that?
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o
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C
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!
Gary Paulsen has great respect for his dogs and
refers to them as “people.” List the behaviors that
Paulsen observes that make him believe that dogs
are like people.
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Try This!
ol
!
Choose one
Racing-Dog Fact Poster
Look through some books that illustrate and
describe racing sled dogs. With a partner, make
an informational poster about them. Include at
least one drawing of a sled dog and three written
facts. If possible, search for additional information
on the Internet. Add to your poster when you finish
the book.
o
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Doin’ the Dog
Gary Paulsen believes that his dogs are intelligent
and wise, with their own view of events. Describe to
your partner one of the following events, from a dog’s
point of view:
20
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is missing.
!
• Cookie discovers that one of her puppies
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• Charlie tolerates the climbing games of
the puppies.
• Sarah attempts to nurse the puppies.
• Carlisle hides items for the puppies to find.
• William offers a lesson in licking a beaver skull.
Have fun giving these dogs humanlike voices
and observations.
Option: Write your description in dog talk. Write in
the present tense, as if the action is happening now
and the dog is offering live commentary.
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Cool Words
ol
!
What words do you like and want to remember?
Write them down in your journal or here.
o
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30–40 minutes
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!
Read pages 41–85 together. Remember that you can
talk about new words together, ask for help, or look
up the words in a dictionary.
ad Re
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• What would you enjoy about living the life of a
race dog breeding family? What would be hard
for you?
• How are Paulsen’s racing dogs different from pets?
• How is the family’s interaction with the dogs
similar to or different from your family’s interactions with pets?
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Get It Down!
ol
!
Gary Paulsen describes Minnesota as an extreme but
spectacular environment. Make a list of the features of
the landscape and the weather that impressed you.
o
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Choose one
!
Human in the Harness
Imagine the scene when Paulsen is pulling the sled
after the accident on the trestle. Draw how he must
have looked to Cookie and the other dogs when they
returned. To get an idea of the load he pulled, have
your partner sit on a blanket or sheet. Tie two corners
of the blanket around your hips and try to pull the load.
24
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Beyond the Bridge
Talk with your partner about what you think
happened to Paulsen’s dog team after he released
them on the railroad trestle. Describe the action in
writing, making the scene come alive with details that
appeal to various senses. Share your descriptions.
Paulsen in a Pickle
Write what you imagine Gary Paulsen was thinking
when his dogs took off after the accident on the trestle.
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Cool Words
ol
!
What words do you like and want to remember?
Write them down in your journal or here.
o
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Connections Choose 1 or 2 Activities
Use connection activities after the reading to help the children take
a deeper look at the story’s content and themes, the characters’
actions and motives, and how the book relates to their own lives.
MATERIALS
sheets of 8½" x 11"
paper, cut in half
colored pencils
or markers
Paulsen Family Photo Album
30–40 minutes
Brainstorm: Invite the kids to imagine what pictures the Paulsen
family’s photo album might include. They can also imagine pictures
they would like to see, such as the scene when the puppies tore the
stapler
books with pictures
of sled dog teams and
drivers in action (Ask
your local librarian to
help you find them.)
covers off Ruth’s bed on a frigid morning. List their ideas on butcher
paper or the chalkboard and explain that they will make “photo”
drawings and create a “photo” album.
Draw: Distribute the drawing materials and ask the kids each to
draw at least one “photo.” They should orient their paper so their
picture is horizontal and leave a half-inch border on the left side
of the picture. Ask them to add a written caption at the bottom
identifying the scene. It’s fine if some kids draw the same scene.
Share: Arrange the drawings in chronological order (according to
the story), staple them along the left edge, and show the album to
the assembled group.
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Sled Dog Scenes
40–60 minutes (30-minute session to rehearse; 20 minutes
to perform)
Plan/Practice: Ask the kids to identify four or five entertaining
scenes in the book that they’d like to dramatize for younger kids in
your program. List the scenes and, with the kids, decide how many
and which kids will participate in each scene. Some kids may end
up acting in more than one scene. Identify and gather any props
they want to use. Give the kids the option of improvising dialogue
or miming the action while a narrator introduces the scene and
describes what’s happening. Allow time for each group to practice
their scene. Arrange with other leaders for the kids to perform on
another day.
Option: Have one or several older kids read aloud the scenes from
the book while the actors mime them.
Dramatize: Have the younger children sit in a semicircle facing a
stage area while the older kids act out each of the scenes.
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NOTE
You may want
to bring in the
obituary page
of your local
newspaper and
read examples
of obituaries.
28
Remembering Cookie
15–20 minutes
Writing: Tell kids that newspapers regularly publish obituaries—
articles that describe the lives, personalities, and accomplishments of
individuals after they die. Ask them to imagine what Gary Paulsen
would have written if he’d created an obituary honoring Cookie after
her death. Have them write obituaries for Cookie and share them
with a partner. Post them on a wall for all to see.
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Lessons Without Language
20–30 minutes (5 minutes one day; 25 minutes for teaching the next)
Introduction: Review with the kids how William taught the puppies
how to get to the tasty parts of the beaver skull by repeatedly
demonstrating his method. Ask them to think about a skill they
could teach other kids without speaking and then to prepare to teach
that skill to a partner. Give them a night to choose and prepare.
Teach: Have the kids pair up and teach their skills to one another
without speaking.
Discuss: After the teaching, discuss what other skills animal babies
learn from their parents. Ask if the kids can identify any skills that
human babies learn from nonverbal instruction by parents or other
humans. Examples might include smiling and waving.
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Wrap It Up! Bring Closure to Every Book
These short activities help the kids pull together and
extend their thinking and learning about the story, its
vocabulary, and its themes.
Raising Gary Paulsen
15–20 minutes
Write: Display the book cover and point out that the subtitle of
the book is Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs. Ask the
kids to think about this title and to write one example of how Gary
Paulsen was raised, trained, taken care of, or educated by his dogs.
Share: Ask the kids to read what they've written to the group.
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Siberian Sound and Motion Mix
10–15 minutes
Preparation: Write the following two lists of words on a large sheet
of butcher paper under the headings provided:
Sound Words
Movement Words
caterwaul
forged
yipping
skittered
whuff
trundle
bark
run
wheeze
tumble
growl
roll
scream
stream
bellow
squat
cry
barrel
sing
charge
howl
Write: Point out that Gary Paulsen uses many vivid verbs to describe
the movements of his dogs and puppies and the sounds they make.
Challenge the kids to write sentences in which they use both a sound
word and a movement word. They can use words from the list you
made or from their Cool Word lists.
Share: Have the kids share their completed sentences with the group.
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Notes
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