Iowa Chapman and The Last Dog
In an apocalyptic future where animals have disappeared from the face of the earth, 12-year-old Iowa Chapman finds what might be the last remaining dog.
IOWA CHAPMAN AND THE LAST DOG SYNOPSIS
In a distant future, climate change and overconsumption have made our planet a very different place. The seas have risen, resources are scarce…and animals have disappeared off the face of the earth. Most people believe they never existed at all. But 12-year-old Iowa Chapman is not ‘most people.’ She’s a “collector”, devoted to learning about the past, diving deep into lakes and rivers in search of ancient artifacts. And when she encounters what might be the last remaining dog, a hidden world of ancient and guarded secrets begins to reveal itself.
Pursued by Regulators, Iowa and Doggo set off on a journey across a strange and dangerous land in search of Haven, a legendary island where some believe animals might still be living. Along the way, they’ll encounter strange new societies built on fragments of the past, people surviving at the edge of civilization, and an altogether different world from the one we live in today. As Iowa pieces together clues about the past, listeners can inhabit an imaginary world that is both stark and terrible, yet filled with adventure and hope for a better future.
Stay tuned to the end of each episode, where hosts Jess Fisher and Nate DuFort talk to experts and educators about issues explored in this adventure. This podcast has been adopted by 6th to 8th grade classrooms as part of the ELA and Natural World curriculum.
Iowa Chapman and the Last Dog is also available as a single-episode 3-hour audio adventure in stereo as well as in Dolby Atmos surround-sound – a complete 3-D experience requiring headphones – for a more complete at-home listening experience (without the expert discussion at the end of each episode).
Genres: Adventure, Talk/Non-Fiction, Dystopia
Themes: Ecosystems, History, Dystopia, Mythology, Climate Change
Avg. Episode Length: 20-25 minutes
No. of Episodes: 14 episodes (5 hours)
OVERVIEW OF CLASSROOM MATERIALS
Hey Educators! You’re excited to use Iowa Chapman and the Last Dog in class, and maybe you’re asking yourself where do I start or what’s the best way to listen? The answer is that thousands of teachers across the United States and Canada use Gen-Z Media podcasts in dozens of different ways for multiple grade levels, classroom-wide, for breakout groups, to reward learning, and as homework. To the right, you’ll find customized materials that support a flexible and powerful staged approach to engaging with the podcast, which also aligns with common standards. And they’re free!
The Listening Guide offers a simple and effective way to guide your students through themes of story and character development, help guide their search for clues and evidence, and encourage their development of bigger ideas. It is available in both digital and printable versions, and is designed to be simple and intuitive to use. The accompanying video demonstrates ways to use the Listening Guide in more detail.
The Explore Board is a resource for students both before they start listening to the podcast and while listening. The Explore Board resource, customized to each podcast, introduces students to concepts, themes and topics of the podcast and helps them hone skills for deeper learning engagement with the podcast. Because you may have specific ideas you want your students to explore while listening, the Explore Board can be easily edited so that you can tailor it to fit student and classroom needs. A separate video, “Workflow Options,” and accompanying text instructions on the “Where Do I Start” page lays out the simple steps for modifying and sharing the Explore Board and other resources. Microsoft users, there are instructions in that video for you too, explaining how to convert these resources to OneDrive.
The Choice Board is a resource for students to use after they have finished listening to the podcast. The Choice Board, customized to each podcast, takes a deeper dive into major themes, concepts and topics introduced in the podcast. The Choice Board features a combination of anchor assignments and lighter exercises, so you’ll find helpful direction and support for every student. Like the paired Explore Board to support student engagement before and during listening, the Choice Board can also be easily edited so that you can tailor it to fit student and classroom needs. A separate video, “Workflow Options,” and accompanying text instructions on the “Where Do I Start” page lays out the simple steps for modifying and sharing the Choice Board and other resources. Microsoft users, there are instructions in that video for you too, explaining how to convert these resources to OneDrive.
Here is a handy link to a PDF of Standards associated with Six Minutes classroom engagement.
Iowa Chapman and the Last Dog is a thrilling and heartfelt audio adventure with the love story between a girl and a dog at its center.
In an apocalyptic future, climate change and overconsumption have made our planet a very different place. The seas have risen, resources are scarce…and animals have disappeared off the face of the earth. Most people believe they never existed at all. 12-year-old Iowa Chapman is not most people. And when she’s rescued by what might be the last remaining dog, she realizes the responsibility she has to keep this amazing creature safe. Pursued by the evil Regulators, Iowa and Doggo set off on a journey in search of Haven, a legendary island where some believe animals might still be living.
Stay tuned to the end of each episode, where hosts Jess Fisher and Nate DuFort talk to experts and educators about issues explored in this adventure.
Iowa’s parents are taken away by the Regulators, but not before revealing a wondrous secret. Years later, Iowa, now living with her Aunt Callie, searches for remnants of the world as it used to be…but not everyone wants her to find them. Keep listening for a discussion about climate change with Dr. Dalia Kirschbaum, Chief of the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
Suggested Links
For more great shows, visit GZMshows.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1 – The Collector
Keep listening for a discussion about climate change with Dr. Dalia Kirschbaum, Chief of the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
Suggested Link: https://climate.nasa.gov
Chapter 2 – The Monster
Listen afterward for a discussion about the conservation of rare and uncommon animal, plant, and natural communities with Nathan Shepard, Eastern Regional Field Biologist with the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. https://www.ncnhp.org
Suggested Links:
Search for the endangered species in your state: https://www.fws.gov/endangered
Endangered Species Day: https://www.endangered.org/campaigns/endangered-species-day
Chapter 3 – Cargo
Keep listening for a discussion about dogs, with Author, Naturalist, Journalist and dog expert Mark Derr.
Suggested Links:
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/video/brief-history-dogs
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/domestic-dog
Chapter 4 – Junktown
Stay tuned for a discussion about urbanization and the rise of cities with Dr. Luna Khirfan, Associate Professor at the School of Planning in the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment.
Suggested Links
Stream Daylighting: https://uwaterloo.ca/stream-daylighting/about
Urbanization: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/urbanization
Urbanization facts and figures: https://ourworldindata.org/urbanization
Chapter 5 – A Journey to the Sun
Stay tuned for a discussion about the effects of climate change on lakes and rivers with Dr. JT Reager (pron: Ray-ger), Scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Suggested Links:
Effects of climate change: https://climate.nasa.gov/effects
Climate change and our freshwater world: https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2880/nasa-explores-our-changing-freshwater-world
Chapter 6 – Doggo
Stay tuned for a discussion about a very specific type of grasshopper with Dr. Rick Overson, Research Scientist at Arizona State University and Co-Director of the Global Locust Initiative.
Suggested Links:
More facts about locusts: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/locusts
All about the work of the Global Locust Initiative: https://sustainability-innovation.asu.edu/global-locust-initiative/about
Chapter 7 – Mama Bee and the Boys
Stay tuned for a discussion about flammable, combustible, and explosive materials with Supervisory Special Agent and Certified Fire Investigator with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, James Panos.
Suggested Links:
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives: https://www.atf.gov
Certified Fire Investigators: https://www.atf.gov/careers/certified-fire-investigators
Chapter 8 – An Old Friend
Stay tuned for a discussion about modern farming practices is Dr. Estelí Jiménez-Soto, Professor of Nutrition & Food Studies at Syracuse University.
Suggested Links:
https://www.forteachersforstudents.com.au/site/themed-curriculum/organic-farming/facts
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/sustainable-agriculture
Chapter 9 – Aunt Callie
Keep listening after the episode to hear a discussion about desert ecology with David Mizejewski, Naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation.
Suggested Links:
Ranger Rick Magazine: https://rangerrick.org
The National Wildlife Federation: https://www.nwf.org
Desert Life: https://www.timeforkids.com/k1/desert
Chapter 10 – Lost Vegas
Keep listening for a discussion about the formation of Las Vegas with Dr. Diane Siebrandt, Historic Preservation Officer for the city of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Suggested Links:
Tule Springs Fossil Beds: https://www.nps.gov/tusk/index.htm
Nevada State Historic Preservation Office: https://shpo.nv.gov
Nevada Preservation Foundation: https://nevadapreservation.org
Springs Preserve: https://www.springspreserve.org
Old Mormon Fort: http://parks.nv.gov/parks/old-las-vegas-mormon-fort
Neon Museum: https://www.neonmuseum.org
Mob Museum: https://themobmuseum.org
Chapter 11 – The Wall
Listen afterward for a discussion about water drainage with Georgia McKeon, a Geographer working in Water Management in Australia.
Suggested Links:
https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school
https://water.unl.edu/article/stormwater-management/stormwater-education-kids
Chapter 12 – The Last Agent
Listen afterward for a discussion about dams with Professor of Coastal and Hydraulic Engineering and practicing Engineer, Dr. Ioan Nistor.
Suggested Links:
https://damsafety.org/kids#:~:text=Dams%20are%20structures%20that%20hold,help%20prevent%20droughts%20and%20floods
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/why-do-we-build-dams
Chapter 13 – Sacrifice
Listen afterward for a discussion about waterfalls with Dr. Joel Scheingross, Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada Reno.
Suggested Links:
https://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/how-are-waterfalls-formed
https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2019/waterfall-formation
Chapter 14 – Haven
Listen afterward for a discussion about what we can all be doing to fight climate change with Dr. Dalia Kirschbaum, Chief of the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
Suggested Links:
https://climate.nasa.gov
https://climatekids.nasa.gov/climate-change-meaning
