Reindeer and caribou share the same species
name, Rangifer tarandus. Reindeer are a
semi-domesticated subspecies of Rangifer.
They were probably domesticated along the
Russia-Mongolian border five to seven thousand years ago,
and might have been first used as decoys to help hunters
catch wild game.
Once domesticated by the nomadic tribes of
this region, they pulled sleds and supplied meat, clothing,
and milk.
Their domestication spread throughout Russia
and Scandinavia, where raising and herding reindeer is still
a way of life today.
Reindeer did not arrive in North America
until the 1890's.
History
Of Reindeer In Alaska
In the late 1880s,
there were reports of starving Alaska Native
populations in western Alaska due to the decimation
of marine mammals from the whaling industry and
scarce numbers of caribou.
Dr. Sheldon Jackson,
a U.S. general agent for education and Presbyterian
missionary lobbied for federal monies to assist
Alaska Natives. He built mission schools and
in the late 1880s introduced reindeer into Alaska
from Russia, as a source of protein and revenue.
Reindeer were brought
to Alaska on Captain Healy's U.S. Revenue Cutter,
the Bear.
Siberian herders and
then Saami herders were brought to western Alaska to
teach Alaska Natives how to herd reindeer.
The reindeer industry
grew until there were over 600,000 reindeer in the
1930s. Mismanagement and losses to wolves and
caribou caused the reindeer population to drop to
only 50,000 reindeer by the 1950s.
The Reindeer Act of
1937 allows only Alaska Natives to own reindeer.
Today there are
30,000 reindeer in Alaska, with 20,000 of them
living in western Alaska, mainly on the Seward
peninsula and in island herds.
Elsa the Reindeer visits
a kindergarten
in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Mary Antisarlook, known
as The Reindeer Queen, was the first Native Alaskan
woman to own reindeer.
Reindeer cow and her new
calf at the Fairbanks Experiment Farm.
MORE FACTS
* Reindeer lose their antlers every
spring.
Please visit my other online
Winter Themes:
these links will open in a new
window
17
illustrated
Christmas songs & poems in 2 sizes, 3 new Emergent Readers, Poetry Writing
Frames, reproducible masters for Class Books, Standards-Based
Learning
Games, including: Christmas Bingo,
Christmas
Zip Around, Alphabet Flash Cards, Illustrated Vocabulary Cards,
Christmas
Tree Math Workjob, a TLC "Santa" directed art project, and much more.
$20.00
Christmas Theme
Emergent Reader Set
Emergent
Reader Sets
include reproducible blackline
masters for three titles, in two sizes: Big
Book/Shared Reading size and Student Book/Guided Reading
size.
“The
Christmas Tree”
“Look At Santa”
“Santa Song” ~ Big Book Only
$15.00
Ready-to-use
reproducible masters for Song & Poetry Cards, Emergent
Readers, Winter Bingo, Snowman Bingo & Snowman Math
Workjob, Gingerbread Man Shapes Zip Around Game,
Interactive Pocket Chart Sets, Flash Cards, writing
activities, and TLC art projects, plus
valuable information
on creating and managing a Balanced Literacy Classroom.
Winter, Snow, Gingerbread,
Penguins, and Mittens.
$35.00
Winter Theme
Emergent Reader Set
Emergent
Reader Sets
include reproducible blackline
masters for six titles, in two sizes each: Big
Book/Shared Reading size and Student Book/Guided Reading
size. Themes in this set are:
Winter ~ Snow ~ Gingerbread
Penguins ~ Mittens
$25.00
Ten Little
Reindeer
Tune: Ten Little Indians variation
By Victoria Smith
Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid and Donder and Blitzen,
And Rudolph with his nose so bright
Lead Santa’s sleigh through the cold starry night
I'm A Little Reindeer
Tune: I'm A Little Teapot
I’m a little reindeer, ready to fly.
I’ll pull Santa’s sleigh high up in the sky.
Christmas is here; we can’t be late.
All the children just cannot wait!
Rudolph's Light
Tune: Camptown Races
Reindeer pull on Santa's sleigh
Ho-ho, ho-ho.
Rudolph's leading all the way
Ho-ho, ho-ho.
Gonna ride all day.
Gonna ride all night.
We'll be riding through the sky
Using Rudolph's light!
Rudolph The Red Nosed
Reindeer
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid and Donder and Blitzen.
But do you recall,
The most famous reindeer of all?
Rudolph the red nosed reindeer
Had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw it,
You would even say it glowed.
All of the other reindeer
Use to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games.
Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say:
"Rudolph with your nose so bright,
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then how the reindeer loved him,
As they shouted out with glee:
"Rudolph the red nosed reindeer,
You'll go down in history!"
Rudolph! Rudolph!
Rudolph! Rudolph!
What will you do?
You can't guide Santa
If your nose is blue!
Rudolph! Rudolph!
You're such a silly fellow.
Who will know it's you
If your nose is yellow!
Rudolph! Rudolph!
Your way cannot be seen
Through the wintry weather
If your nose is green!
Rudolph! Rudolph!
Santa gave a wink.
But what will Santa think
If your nose is pink?
Rudolph! Rudolph!
It's time to fly at night
But you're quite a sight
Cause your nose is white!
Rudolph! Rudolph!
It's time to go to town
But Santa's wearing a frown
Cause your nose is brown!
Rudolph! Rudolph!
Santa has his sack.
But you're not ready
If your nose is black!
Rudolph! Rudolph!
The children are in bed.
And now we know you're ready
'Cause your nose is red!
Draw your own reindeer head and hooves, or adapt a blackline
master from your files.
Stuff a lunch sack sized paper bag with newspaper and twist
top of the bag and close with a rubber band. Give each
student 4 pieces of brown construction paper to fold
accordion style for legs. Children color, cut, and paste
pieces to paper bag. To make reindeer into Rudolph,
put red glitter on his nose.
Hands-and-Footprint Reindeer From
Patty Hackett's class
This can be used as an ornament or a gift
tag.
This sample has antlers and ears that are
traced and cut,
but I prefer handprint antlers and a pompom
nose.
One more reindeer from Patty's class.
Reindeer Food: Mix
dried/uncooked oatmeal and red and green colored sugar to make
food for Santa's hungry reindeer. Place in decorated
baggie or paper bag, and attach the following poem:
Up on the rooftop
reindeer pause
And wait for jolly Santa Claus.
We left cookies and milk for Santa's tummy
And this special snack for his reindeer so hungry!
Students can sprinkle the snack outdoors on the ground (the
sparkly sugar attracts reindeer!), or they can leave their
reindeer food in the special bag next to Santa's cookies.
Reindeer Hay:
Another special treat for Santa's reindeer. Decorate a
brown or white paper lunch bag with handprint antlers, a red pom
pom nose, and wiggle eyes. Put hay (or strips of craft
raffia from the craft supply store) into bag and attach this
poem:
'Tis the night before Christmas.
Santa soon will be here!
This hay is a treat
For Santa's reindeer.
Reindeer "Count To 100" Snack Mix: Students
count out ten of each of the following items: raisins,
chocolate chips, peanuts, peanut butter chips, Froot Loops,
regular M&Ms, peanut or almond M&Ms, Reese's Pieces,
popcorn, goldfish crackers. Place in decorated baggies
or paper bags, and staple to bulletin board until your
classroom holiday party. We use our "100s Mats" for
counting: 12" x 18" sheets of construction paper with
ten 4" circles glued to the page, then laminated for
durability. The mats look like this:
Reindeer Toast: Toast one slice of
wheat bread and cut in half diagonally. Students
spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on toast and add
pretzel antlers, raisin eyes, and a cherry nose.
Reindeer Cookies: Provide each student with a Nutter Butter
cookie and chocolate frosting. Have them frost one side of
the cookie and add two small curled pretzels at the top for
antlers, two raisin eyes, and a red M&M for the nose.
Reindeer
Cookies: Students frost Nutter Butter Peanut
Butter cookies with chocolate frosting or peanut butter, and
add raisin eyes, a red Froot Loops or M&Ms nose, and pretzel
antlers.
Please
contact Kelly with all questions and concerns, as she is in the office
during posted office hours. If she can't assist you, she will
contact
Victoria for further assistance.
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Nothing
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with permission.
Please do not borrow graphics
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Reindeer Food: Mix
dried/uncooked oatmeal and red and green colored sugar to make
food for Santa's hungry reindeer. Place in decorated
baggie or paper bag, and attach the following poem:
