History

1. Students should note that two key events in the Allies' war against Nazi Germany -- the Second Battle of El Alamein in North Africa and the Battle of Stalingrad in the Soviet Union -- occurred around the time the Alaska Highway was being completed.

   A good starting point for this activity would be to read President Franklin Roosevelt's December 8, 1941 speech regarding the Pearl Harbor attack.

2. Information on one of these topics -- what soldiers ate -- can be found at the Web sites of the U.S. Army Quartermaster and the Defense Logistics Agency.

Economics

1. A useful source of relevant information is Alaska's Web site, including the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

2. For the Bush administration's position on A.N.W.R., students can perform a keyword search at the White House Web site. For congressional debate on A.N.W.R., students can search the Congressional Record. Two non-profit groups working on the issue are Arctic Power and the Sierra Club.

Civics

1. For example, a student writing about the Tuskegee Airmen might describe a scene of aerial combat between one of the airmen and an enemy plane; a student writing about black Medal of Honor winners might give an overview of the number of medal winners and the wars they fought in; and a student writing about Colin Powell might imagine Powell looking back on his life thus far as he announces his resignation as secretary of state. Students should understand that the introduction does not need to summarize the topic but instead can focus on one specific (but important) piece of that topic.

2. You might introduce this activity by holding a class discussion on the similarities and differences between the threats faced by the United States following Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 attacks.

Geography

1. To get a better sense of the highway today, students might want to view photos taken by the filmmakers and read about driving the Highway today.

2. Many of London's works, such as "To Build a Fire," are available online.