Discussion: HS kids
in: BorisGr; BorisGr > 2021-05-12
May 12, 2021 2:11 PM
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Is this a random group like a PE class, or are these kids who signed up for some orienteering? If the former then be prepared for a wide range of motivation and enthusiasm.
We developed a high school orienteering curriculum at LS and ended up scrapping almost all of the serious, traditional orienteering for things that were “games with maps”. Capture the flag, poker-o, etc. The kids who weren’t so in to orienteering enjoyed that a lot more, not realizing that we tricked them into orienteering.
If these are kids who want to learn then be prepared for a wide range of skills and fitness rather than motivation. E.g., if they go on their own have small loops so the fast kids can do a bunch while the slow ones do one.
We developed a high school orienteering curriculum at LS and ended up scrapping almost all of the serious, traditional orienteering for things that were “games with maps”. Capture the flag, poker-o, etc. The kids who weren’t so in to orienteering enjoyed that a lot more, not realizing that we tricked them into orienteering.
If these are kids who want to learn then be prepared for a wide range of skills and fitness rather than motivation. E.g., if they go on their own have small loops so the fast kids can do a bunch while the slow ones do one.
May 12, 2021 3:05 PM
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This is a PE class, so definitely the former. This time it's a one-off lesson, but hoping to create a bigger unit for next year. What would you recommend doing with a one-off lesson? I am open to ideas and have most of the necessary equipment. We have an hour and fifteen minutes for each lesson.
May 13, 2021 8:58 AM
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If they're at the younger age, preface any instructions involving movement with: I am going to give you some instructions. Do not move until I tell you that I have finished giving instructions (or blow my whistle or whatever).
With younger kids, and I think it would work fine with adults too, I started with a discussion about direction and maps and which direction was the city centre, Paris, Barcelona etc. If outside, can one tell which way is north (sun, compass, lichen, stars etc). Show them a map of the terrain and explain a few features. If you have a map of the area and line it up with the terrain, you can use it.
Then we set up a grid (5*5?) of cones and did a orienteering courses just using it, so the map is just a bunch of dots. There were start boxes with maps to the 'south' of each column. Participants do a course, drop back the map, then queue up in the next column.
Some kids find it easy and go fast, others difficult, but better to start them on this than a serious map.
That might take 30-40 minutes if you set up the grid prior.
With younger kids, and I think it would work fine with adults too, I started with a discussion about direction and maps and which direction was the city centre, Paris, Barcelona etc. If outside, can one tell which way is north (sun, compass, lichen, stars etc). Show them a map of the terrain and explain a few features. If you have a map of the area and line it up with the terrain, you can use it.
Then we set up a grid (5*5?) of cones and did a orienteering courses just using it, so the map is just a bunch of dots. There were start boxes with maps to the 'south' of each column. Participants do a course, drop back the map, then queue up in the next column.
Some kids find it easy and go fast, others difficult, but better to start them on this than a serious map.
That might take 30-40 minutes if you set up the grid prior.
May 13, 2021 9:00 AM
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More complicated is gym-orienteering, where they put out benches and whatnot in the correct places on a pre-drawn map and then do a course around it.
May 13, 2021 7:23 PM
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Agreed with Neil that gym orienteering is an excellent introduction, though I personally have no experience with high school kids. Good luck! I look forward to your report.
May 14, 2021 3:16 PM
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Oh! Remembered that when I taught high school students in Maine I:
1. Walked with everyone to the start, pausing several times to check map orientation and if they could find something on the map in real life. I like your “mini map” idea better :)
2. Set a course that started really easy and got more difficult. This was knowing that I was only going to do the activity once so I wanted early success, but a small taste of it not just all being in trails. That said, having a sprint map and open park like you did is also better :)
1. Walked with everyone to the start, pausing several times to check map orientation and if they could find something on the map in real life. I like your “mini map” idea better :)
2. Set a course that started really easy and got more difficult. This was knowing that I was only going to do the activity once so I wanted early success, but a small taste of it not just all being in trails. That said, having a sprint map and open park like you did is also better :)
This discussion thread is closed.