Sample Lesson Plans: Outdoor Pursuits

This activity area comprises 15% (15 hours) of class time during the year. Orienteering lesson plans have been developed as an example of outdoor pursuits. They have been developed to illustrate how a series of lessons with different learning objectives can work to achieve common foundational objectives.

Orienteering is a versatile activity. It can be practised and refined in a variety of locations (such as in the gymnasium, playing field, park). The equipment needed is inexpensive. Students have the opportunity to view the school and community from a fresh perspective as they pay more attention to direction, detail, distance and so on .

Lesson Plan 1

Date:

Activity Area:
Outdoor Pursuits

Activity:
Orienteering

Foundational Objective: Students will develop skills related to the outdoors which will make them more comfortable in an outdoor environment.

Learning Objectives:

Students will display an understanding of the usefulness of a compass.
Students will display an understanding of the terminology that pertains to the parts of a compass.

Assessment:
See Skill Development

Evaluation: On-going, using checklists and anecdotal records. Include self-assessment, peer assessment and group assessment in the evaluation process.

Teacher Notes:

It's important that students learn early in this unit that the ability to use a compass properly for both direction finding and map work is worthwhile and useful.
During the warmup, older students may be able to understand and use directions like north east, south west.
The diagram of the compass found on page 170 has more parts listed than are asked for on the quiz. You will have to determine how many parts to teach at this time. The students should become most familiar with the parts they will be using to perform successfully during activities.

Personal Reflections:

Skills: Parts of a compass. Proper use of a compass.

Introduction: Discuss outdoor pursuits like hiking, camping, sailing and orienteering. Talk about safety and how people can minimize the risk of getting lost.

Equipment: 1 compass per student (ideal)

Warm up: Command style; initiate an activity with lots of movement (using the entire activity space) that requires the students to know which direction is north, south, etc. Include running, jumping, skipping, etc.

CELs

Skill Development:

Ask basic questions such as, "What is this?" "What is its purpose?" "When might you be in need of one?" Ensure that students understand (a) that the piece of equipment is a compass and (b) that a compass gives information about direction; it does not by itself tell a person where he or she is.
Have students brainstorm situations where a compass might be useful or where they would be able to practise with a compass(such as hiking, at the lake, in the bush, at the farm, hunting with an adult in the bush).
Use the diagram found at the end of the lesson to teach the students the parts of the compass. It is important that they begin using vocabulary related to the activity of orienteering.
Using a large diagram posted at the front of the room or an overhead transparency, review the parts of the compass with the students.
Have the students work in pairs in order to reinforce the vocabulary.

PSVS

CCT

Culminating Activity:

Give each student the quick review quiz found at the end of this lesson. Performance on this quiz will indicate if any reteaching needs to be done.

Closure: Explain to the students that the next class will involve learning how to use the compass to tell direction.

Orienteering - The Compass

Name: ___________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________________________________

1. Label the parts of this compass.

1. _______________________________

2. _______________________________

3. _______________________________

4. _______________________________

5. _______________________________

2. State one situation you might find yourself in where knowing how to use a compass properly might help. Explain why.

Lesson Plan 2

Date:

Activity Area:
Outdoor Pursuits

Activity:Orienteering

Foundational Objective: Students will develop skills related to the outdoors which will make them more comfortable in an outdoor environment.

Learning Objective:

Students will display an understanding of the use of compass directions.

Assessment:

See Culminating Activity.

Evaluation:

Teacher Notes: Wet or cold weather should not deter students from going outside. Orienteering activities are much more realistic to students when learned and practised outside. Part of the class may be held inside and part outside.

Personal Reflections:

Skills: Using the compass to determine direction

Introduction: Review the parts of the compass and directions.

Equipment: 1 compass per student (ideal)

Warm up: Place papers around the gym walls (or on the playground fence, backstop, etc. if outside) to indicate directions. Write words such as north and degrees like 80, 120, etc. on the papers. Shout commands and have the students run to the spot. Intermingle these commands with commands such as "Touch your toes!" "Jump twice in the air!"

CELs

Skill Development:

Quickly review the parts of the compass. Discuss the value of its use in this modern age.
Have the students take a close look at the papers with the direction words and degrees on them. Have them note that under the north sign, for instance, you placed 0° and 360°; under the northeast sign you put 45°.
Have them look at their compass dials and note the degrees, how they are labelled around the dial, and how they are related to North, South, East, and West.
Explain to the students what it means to set a bearing. Have the students set a bearing for a variety of directions.
Explain what it means to measure a bearing to some landmark they can see. Have the students measure their bearings in relation to the corner of the school, the slide, etc.
Now have the students attempt to use these two skills to follow a bearing using intermediate landmarks. Choose for them a final destination they cannot keep in sight. Have them use objects (such as swings, home plate, a tree) to keep them on track as they proceed to the final destination.
Give the students the chance to practise their skills by challenging them with several final destinations.

PSVS

CCT

Culminating Activity:

Have the students follow a bearing to a destination chosen by you. Ask them to report back to you the direction (that is the bearing) they followed and how close it came to getting them to this destination.

Closure: Ask the students to think of an instance when it would be helpful to be able to use a compass to reach a certain destination, especially when that destination sometimes disappears from view. Have students share their ideas.

Lesson Plan 3

Date:

Activity Area:
Outdoor Pursuits

Activity:Orienteering

Foundational Objective: Students will develop skills related to the outdoors which will make them more comfortable in an outdoor environment.

Learning Objectives:

Students will display an understanding of the concepts and principles that apply to orienteering as an outdoor pursuit.
Students will display increased self-confidence and self-sufficiency.

Assessment:

Individual bearing sheet.

Pairs bearing sheet.

Evaluation:

Teacher Notes:

The pylon course is not to be seen as a race. Following a bearing requires concentration. The older students may be able to handle a longer pylon course.
For readings to be accurate, each student must start precisely on the X.
The majority of students will be busy practising most of the time if you have several starting points for them so that they can be broken up into smaller groups. This does mean more preparation on your part, but the results will be worthwhile.

Personal Reflections:

Skills:Following a bearing

Introduction: Review how the degrees are labelled round the compass dial and how they are related to North, South, East and West

Equipment: One compass per student (ideal), one activity sheet per student, one pencil or pen per student.

Warm up: Use the pylons which have been set up for the main activity. Have the students form a line and snake around the pylons beginning at #1, changing their method of movement as instructed (for example, walk on all fours, skip, walk beside someone).

CELs

Skill Development:

To allow students to practise skills related to following a compass bearing, set up a number of pylons around the activity area. Each pylon bears a number, beginning at #1 and progressing from there.

An X marks the starting point. The students are each given a copy of the sheet found at the end of this lesson. Students are directed to move from the X to pylon #1, then pylon #2 and so on, carrying their sheets and writing utensils with them. As they reach each pylon, they are to mark down the number of degrees indicated by their compasses.

Immediately after they have completed the pylon course, students are to bring their sheets to you.

PSVS

CCT

Culminating Activity:

Have the students work in pairs, completing the course one more time. They are to take turns being compass reader and recorder.

Closure: Return the individual sheets to the students. As you state the correct bearing for each pylon, have them check to see how close they came individually and in pairs. Have them suggest reasons for the similarities and differences.

Map Circuit

Use available equipment to set up stations around the activity area so that each station resembles somewhat the symbol it is to represent.

For example, a bench could serve as a trail; blue or grey mats could be a river or stream; climbing apparatus could be a hill or mountain.

To run a circuit, the students are divided so that approximately the same numbers begin the circuit at each station. Then, on the command to begin, the students perform the activity required at each station (such as crawl on their stomachs across the "river"), and proceed to the next station.

Lesson Plan 4

Date:

Activity Area:Outdoor Pursuits

Activity:Orienteering

Foundational Objective: Students will develop skills related to the outdoors which will make them more comfortable in an outdoor environment.

Learning Objective:

Students will display an understanding of the terminology and symbols used for a simple map.

Assessment:

Have each student write on a piece of paper each of the symbols found in the map circuit.

Evaluation:

Teacher Notes:

Feel free to add more activities to the circuit. Remember to include activities that involve running, climbing, crawling, etc. so that a maximum number of muscles must be used.

Personal Reflections:

Skill: Understanding the symbolism on a simple map.

Introduction: Review the skills related to following compass bearings.

Equipment: Several types of maps for display, posters showing various map symbols and what they mean.

Warm up:

CELs

Skill Development:

Explain to your students that maps come in a variety of types, depending on the purpose of each. Use your display to facilitate this explanation.
Explain that the type of map you and the class will be focussing on is a type similar to one they may need when touring a national park or backpacking on wilderness trails.
Use the posters displaying the map symbols to illustrate the fact that many of these types of maps use symbols to depict campsites, rivers, hills, etc. Coloured maps use specific colours for each symbol as well.
Use the map symbols circuit for two purposes:
a) to provide the students with a mini-fitness workout
b) to familiarize them with the map symbols and colours
See the information sheet at the end of this lesson for suggestions about the circuit.

PSVS

CCT

Culminating Activity:

Ask the students for suggestions of other symbols that might be found on a map; for example, on a map of a nearby lake, town and campsite. Make a list of these suggestions for use in the next lesson.

Closure: Review the reasons for the existence of different types of maps. Review the symbols learned in this class. Ask the students to bring coloured pencils to class next day.

Lesson Plan 5

Date:

Activity Area:Outdoor Pursuits

Activity:Orienteering

Foundational Objective: Students will develop skills related to the outdoors which will make them comfortable in an outdoor environment.

Learning Objective:

Students will display an understanding of basic symbols and terminology as they relate to simple map reading.

Assessment: Map creations

Evaluation:

Teacher Notes:

This class will have to be prefaced with preparatory work related to the suggestions made by the students in the previous class. It will be necessary to provide the class with appropriate symbols for some suggestions, while symbols may not exist for others.

Personal Reflections:

Skills:Simple map symbols

Equipment: Coloured pencils

Warm up: Divide the class into groups: into rivers, mountains, hills, cabins, etc. Have half the groups play dodgeball against the other half.

CELs

Skill Development:

Using the symbols and terminology used in the last class's circuit, have each student write the words and draw the symbols using the proper colour on a sheet of paper.

Write down, also, the suggestions that arose during the culminating activity of the previous lesson. Have the students design their own symbols where necessary.

Ask the students to draw their own lake, park and campsite, using a specific number of symbols, the number to be determined by you.

PSVS

CCT

Culminating Activity:

Ask the students to share their creations with one another.

Closure: Ask the students to suggest reasons why maps often use symbols rather than words. Discuss the merits of the suggestions, ensuring a positive atmosphere and encouragement.