Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

CHAPTER 1-3

Reading Check

1. While living in Minnesota, what are the practical reasons that Paulsen runs sled dogs?

2. What are the names of the 3 dogs Paulsen purchases in Canada?

3. Paulsen uses a bicycle and a tricycle-type contraption to train his dogs. What sort of rig does Paulsen next upgrade to in his training ?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Paulsen is stunned to discover that he suddenly has nine dogs on his team, even though he only brought eight dogs on a trip. What is the explanation for this?

2. Why does Paulsen’s wife ask him to sleep outside for a few nights during training for the race?

Paired Resource

“Inside the 51st Iditarod: The Meaning Behind the ‘Last Great Race on Earth’”

• Straight Arrow News provides an 8-minute overview on this legendary 1,000-mile dog sled race, which begins in Anchorage and ends in Nome. Information regards the 2023 race. (Content Warning: The interview includes discussion on the controversy surrounding sled dog care and sled dog death associated with the race; the video includes potentially disturbing imagery of sick, injured, and dead dogs in media from animal rights activist groups.)
• The video provides imagery of the Alaskan wilderness and connects to the theme of Nature as Challenger and Comforter.
• What do you think of Brent Sass’s assertion that sled dogs who participate in the Iditarod are “living the dream”? Do you think Paulsen would agree?

CHAPTERS 4-7

Reading Check

1. What does Devil do that indicates he is warming up to Paulsen?

2. How long does it take Paulsen and Ruth to reach Anchorage from their home in Minnesota?

3. What is the nickname for the stretch of the Iditarod Trail that is 100 snowless miles with non-stop wind, often regarded as the most grueling part of the trail?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does sleeping with the dogs benefit Paulsen, in terms of his preparation for the race?

2. How does Murphy save Devil’s life, much to Paulsen’s amazement?

Paired Resource

“Gary Paulsen Discusses the Iditarod”

• In this NPR interview from 1994, around the time when Winterdance was first published, Marty Moss-Coane interviews Paulsen about the book and his experience preparing for the brutal Arctic terrain during the race.
• Parts of the interview emphasize the danger and excitement of the Iditarod Trail, connecting with the theme of Nature as Challenger and Comforter.
• How does Paulsen’s tone as an interview subject on this topic compare to the tone established in the narrative?

CHAPTERS 8-10

Reading Check

1. How long does it take Paulsen and his team to arrive at Eagle River, the first checkpoint in the race in suburban Anchorage?

2. What type of vehicle created tracks that confuse Cookie, which leads her and 27 other dog teams off the trail?

3. What kind of animal attacks both Paulsen and another team’s lead dog?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Paulsen make the last-minute decision to switch Cookie out as the lead dog? Who does Paulsen replace her with and why?

2. Despite Cookie’s mistake that leads her team off course, she nonetheless proves herself as a true pack leader. How does she subsequently redeem herself in this section?

CHAPTERS 11-13

Reading Check

1. How high is the cliff that Paulsen and his dog team tumble down in traversing Rainy Pass?

2. What part of the trail causes Paulsen to consider quitting the race altogether?

3. How many servings of ham, eggs, and hash browns does Paulsen order in a café in a McGrath?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Paulsen decide to continue on with the race after seriously considering quitting?

2. How might “falling” be a motif in the sections regarding the early part of the race?

Paired Resource

“Q&A with Gary Paulsen”

• In this Publishers Weekly interview from 2020, Paulsen discusses his recently published memoir (Gone to the Woods), the books that have shaped his life, and his current projects.
• Paulsen notes his lifelong love and respect for nature, connecting to the theme of Nature as Challenger and Comforter.
• Why do you think Paulsen chose to end his memoir at the moment he began writing?

CHAPTERS 14-16

Reading Check

1. What must Paulsen clean off his sled’s runners after leaving McGrath?

2. What name is used for the old trapper’s hut where Paulsen and his team stop although it is not an official checkpoint?  

3. In Shageluk, what kind of food does a nine-year-old boy bring Paulsen?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Paulsen react to seeing a man kick a dog to death? What action does Paulsen take?

2. Does Paulsen still entertain thoughts of quitting the race at this stage? Why or why not?

CHAPTERS 17-19

Reading Check

1. What physical ailment must Paulsen look for in the dogs on the Yukon River leg of the trail?

2. In what town does Paulsen run into a lot of intoxicated villagers, who are mainly interested in partying and petting the dogs?

3. How does Cookie alert Paulsen that something is amiss at Norton Sound?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Paulsen run alongside his sled during the part of the race along the Yukon River?

2. What is the danger to which Cookie alerts Paulsen?

Paired Resource

“Iditarod Sled Dogs: Facts to Know”

• This 3-minute FOX Weather clip presents 5 incredible facts about sled dogs like Cookie, Devil, and Murphy.
• This resource connects to the theme of Cross-Species Relationships: The Good and Bad and provides a chance to discuss how the more Paulsen comes to learn about his sled dogs, the more intimate their relationship becomes.
• Which of the 5 facts did you find the most impressive? Were any of these facts referenced directly or indirectly in Winterdance?

CHAPTERS 20-21

Reading Check

1. What noise alerts racers when they cross the finish line into Nome?

2. How long does it take Paulsen to complete the Iditarod?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. At the end of the book, why does Paulsen reluctantly give his dogs (minus Cookie) away to a musher friend? How does this act, ironically, represent kindness to the dogs?

Recommended Next Reads 

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

• Set in the Canadian wilderness, Hatchet is the story of 13-year-old Brian, who is the sole survivor of a plane crash en route to visit his father. 
• Paulsen’s descriptions of the wilds of Canada emphasize Nature as Challenger and Comforter.
• Survival skills and self-sufficiency help the central figures to navigate challenges in both Hatchet and Winterdance.
• Hatchet on SuperSummary

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

• Set during the 1890s during the Klondike Gold Rush, The Call of the Wild is a classic wilderness adventure by American author Jack London. The book is told from the perspective of Buck, a sled dog on a perilous trip through the frozen Arctic. 
• The perspective of The Call of the Wild places major emphasis on Humanizing the Animals.
• Like Winterdance, The Call of the Wild explores the wild, rugged, and sometimes treacherous world of dog sledding.
• Call of the Wild on SuperSummary