Essential safety protocols, map reading, and compass navigation for wilderness environments. Strengthens group dynamics and problem-solving through structured outdoor team-building challenges.
A focus on the S.T.O.P. rule and 'Hug a Tree' protocol, teaching students how to signal for help and stay calm if separated from their group.
Students explore the importance of layering and fabric choice (avoiding cotton) to maintain body temperature in different environments.
An introduction to map symbols, legends, and basic navigation using a compass rose to build spatial awareness.
Learners identify outdoor risks like poisonous plants and weather changes, developing a 'Stop and Observe' routine to stay safe.
Students learn to identify the 'Ten Essentials' for a day hike, distinguishing between survival needs and luxury wants while practicing efficient packing.
A culminating navigation challenge where students apply all learned skills to find waypoints and solve a schoolyard mystery.
Students learn to measure distance without tools by calculating their personal pace count, bridging the gap between map scale and physical movement.
Focuses on the practical skill of orienting a map to match the real world using physical landmarks and 'thumbing' techniques.
Students decode the language of maps by learning standard orienteering symbols and creating their own map legends to represent physical objects.
A culminating inquiry-based activity where students use compass instructions to find hidden objects and solve a final puzzle.
Active relay races and challenges that reinforce rapid directional decision-making using compass skills.
Students practice setting simple bearings and using visual landmarks to maintain a straight line while walking.
Students inspect compasses, identify key parts, and learn the 'Red Fred in the Shed' technique for orienting to North.
Students learn the four cardinal points (N, S, E, W) using mnemonics and movement games, anchoring their understanding with natural cues like the sun.
Students explore the concept of a 'bird's eye view' by examining aerial photographs and creating simple maps of their immediate environment to understand scale and perspective.
A hands-on field simulation where students apply leadership theories, real-time navigation, and adaptive decision-making while managing group dynamics and 'inject' scenarios.
Developing robust Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) and understanding the ethical implications of Leave No Trace principles during crisis management.
A deep dive into objective and subjective hazards, focusing on the 'human factor' and heuristic traps that influence decision-making in high-risk environments.
A technical exploration of satellite navigation, coordinate systems (UTM vs. Lat/Long), and the strategic use of GPS units as a secondary tool to traditional map and compass.
Students master digital mapping tools to build detailed route plans, applying Naismith's Rule for travel time estimation and analyzing terrain features through elevation profiles.
An outdoor exploration where students discover the essential needs of human babies through a nature-themed scavenger hunt, connecting biological needs to environmental metaphors.
A culminating scavenger hunt where teams use all their learned skills to find map pieces and unlock a final treasure.
Students invent efficient ways to move equipment across a distance using a relay or passing system.
A challenge of patience and coordination where teams must lower a lightweight stick to the ground together.
Teams use limited 'magic rocks' to cross a lava river, requiring resource management and sequencing.
Students must work together to stay on a shrinking 'island' (tarp) as the tide comes in, practicing physical coordination and spatial awareness.
A final reflective walk where partners share positive feedback and appreciate the ways they helped each other stay safe throughout the sequence.
The whole class attempts to sit down simultaneously on the knees of the person behind them, creating a self-supporting human chair.
A communication-focused game where blindfolded students rely entirely on their partner's verbal cues to navigate an obstacle-filled field.
Groups work together to gently support a leaning classmate, simulating a tree swaying in the wind to build physical and emotional trust.
Students learn the 'spotter's stance' and the immense responsibility of watching over a partner's safety during balance activities.
Small groups collaborate while blindfolded to form geometric shapes with a rope, using only their voices to coordinate.
Groups practice coordinating their voices and timing to shout or make sounds simultaneously to achieve shared goals.
A physical version of 'Telephone' where students pass movement messages through a line, focusing on attention and replication.
Pairs work together to guide each other through obstacles using specific directional words, focusing on clarity and safety.
Students explore how to follow instructions and communicate using only hand signals and body language, practicing 'reading' their classmates' movements.
A culminating relay race where team tasks (like group high-fives) are the focus, emphasizing collective success over individual speed.
Students collaborate to build a structure using simple materials like boxes and blankets, focusing on assigning roles and working toward a common goal.
Small groups use a large sheet or tarp to transport a ball through a simple obstacle course, requiring synchronized movement and adjustments.
A physical puzzle where students untangle themselves from a group 'knot' without letting go of hands, practicing patience and verbal communication.
A lesson where students explore universal safety symbols and design their own tsunami evacuation signs and maps using visual communication strategies.
Students will learn to identify poison ivy in summer, fall, and winter through visual analysis, a science video, and an art-based coloring activity focused on the 'leaves of three' rule.
A multi-stage adventure course combining physical obstacles and logic puzzles where teams must pause, plan, and execute together.
A blindfold polygon challenge with rapidly changing leaders forces students to practice both leadership and followership roles.
Groups attempt the 'Tarp Flip' activity, using strategy huddles to discuss failures and try new approaches in a design thinking loop.
Students play 'River Crossing' using limited props, requiring them to calculate movement and equipment usage without touching the 'water'.
Students participate in micro-challenges to identify personal strengths and form diverse groups to complete a 'totem pole' physical support activity.
A culminating 'Spider Web' challenge that integrates all previous skills in planning, spotting, and safety management.
Applying logistics principles, teams use an iterative design cycle to optimize their performance in a synchronized movement course.
