Snow Dogs

After watching a movie with your children or students, we encourage parents and teachers to look for education opportunities to teach with movies. Here are a few discussion topics that can help with lesson plans or teaching in the home.

Ted Brooks is devastated when he finds out he is adopted. What made his feelings change? How did both sets of parents show their love for Ted? Do you think his biological mother did the right thing? Should his adoptive parents have told Ted sooner about his past?

Without the safety nets of modern civilization, Ted had to learn to face his fears in the frozen north. Did Lucy’s commitment to “always finishing what she started” help Ted succeed in overcoming his worries? How did his mom, Mrs. Brooks, face her fears?

During one night scene, Ted drives his sled beneath the glow of the Northern Lights. For pictures and information on this amazing natural phenomenon, go to www.northern-lights.no

Similar to the Artic Challenge portrayed in the movie, the Iditarod is an annual sled dog race held in Alaska. It pits mushers (both men and women) and their dogs against the harsh reality of the wilderness. For more information on this challenging winter sport, visit the official race website at www.iditarod.com

To read the books that inspired this movie, check out Gary Paulsen’s books: Winterdance and Woodsong.