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Howling Alarm Clock
Awooooo! You wake up to the sound of dogs howling. Who needs an alarm clock when your family owns sled dogs?
For dazzling footage of the northern lights, watch this 3-minute video from National Geographic.
jhorrocks/Getty Images (Reindeer); Shutterstock.com (Background)
Welcome to Alaska
Giant reindeer. Dazzling light shows. Sled rides to school. Find out what life could be like in a tiny Alaskan town.
By Tricia Culligan
From the December 2021/January 2022 Issue
Lexiles: 600-700L
Featured Skill:
Knowledge Building,
7:00 A.M.
7:30 A.M.
Jim McMahon/Mapman®
Bundle Up
It’s freezing again today, but that doesn’t bother you. Alaska is the farthest north of any state in the U.S. You’re used to winters that are long, cold, and windy. Sometimes the wind is so strong, your house shakes!
8:30 A.M.
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Stargaze with Hot Chocolate
You finish your gooseberry pancakes and step outside with some hot cocoa. It’s still completely dark out. In December, some days have only a few hours of sunlight. The plus side? You can see stars during the daytime!
9:00 A.M.
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Sled Ride to School
You hop onto your family sled, where your dad is waiting. Dogsled teams used to deliver supplies to faraway towns like yours. Today, dogsleds are still a great way to get around—including traveling to school!
9:30 A.M.
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Time for Class
Before school starts, you say the Pledge of Allegiance with your classmates. Hanging next to the American flag is the Alaska state flag. Alaska became a state in 1959. But the state flag was designed years earlier by a 13-year-old boy named Benny Benson. Seeing it reminds you that kids are an important part of your state’s history.
12:30 P.M.
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Lunch with your Best Friend
You wave to your best friend. “Waqaa (wahk-kah)?” she says. That means “What’s up?” in Yup’ik. She’s a member of the Yup’ik tribe, a group of Alaska Natives who have lived here for thousands of years. You talk about your weekend hiking plans. Alaska is filled with natural wonders like the Yukon River, the third-longest river in the U.S., and Denali, the highest peak in North America.
2:30 P.M.
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Snowy Ride Home
After school, your mom picks you up in a snowmobile. It’s another great way to get around town. If you want to visit another village or city in Alaska, you take a special airplane called a bush plane!
3:00 P.M.
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Ice Fishing
It’s time for your favorite activity: ice fishing! Your mom drives the snowmobile out onto the frozen Yukon River, where you meet your friends. She helps you drill a hole in the ice. Then you toss your line in the river and wait. Minutes later, you feel a tug. There’s a salmon on the line: tonight’s dinner!
5:00 P.M.
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Animal Neighbors Pass By
While dinner is cooking, you glance into the yard. There’s a family of reindeer outside your window! But you’re not surprised. Seeing wild animals is part of your daily life. In other parts of the state, you’ve seen 9-foot-tall polar bears!
8:00 P.M.
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Special Light Show
Before bed, your parents call you outside to see something special. You gasp as bright lights in green, purple, and pink dance around in the sky. This natural light display is called the northern lights. It’s just another reason why you love living in Alaska.
THINK AND WRITE
Imagine you’re visiting the Alaskan town described in this story. Using details from the article, write a letter to a friend about what you see and experience.
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Meet Alaska’s Wildlife
Share this 6-minute video from ViralBe to learn more about 10 of Alaska’s wild animals. Or visit World Atlas’s page, “What Animals Live in Alaska?”
Text-to-Speech