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Monday, January 18th, 1999
Alaska GIF

Happy Birthday, Alaska!


It's been 40 years 40 years of statehood for Alaska, America's 49th -- and largest -- state!



Sometimes referred to as the Last Frontier, Alaska gets its name from its earliest native peoples; the Aleuts called their land alayeksa, which means "great land." The Great Land is noted for its wealth of natural resources. For hundreds of years, adventuresome people have traveled to Alaska in search of furs, gold, and -- most recently -- oil.

Today, one of Alaska's largest industries is tourism. Each year, thousands of visitors travel to Alaska to learn about its history and explore its natural beauty.

This week, Education World offers students around the globe an opportunity to "travel" to Alaska via the World Wide Web. Come, explore a wealth of excellent Alaska resources on this virtual tour. Learn what all the hubbub's about! Check out two of this week's stories on the pages of Education World

  • On our CURRICULUM page Happy Birthday, Alaska! As winter deepens, invite students to go on a WWW tour of the nation's largest state. What better way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Alaskan statehood?
  • And, on our LESSON PLANNING page Explore Alaska: Three Scavenger Hunts Education World celebrates Alaska's 40th anniversary with three scavenger hunts for students across the grades. Students explore an "Alaska" Web site in search of answers to ten grade-appropriate questions.