Introduction

Researching Rivers

Group Presentations

Debate

Voting

Camping Etiquette

Troop set-up

Meal planning

Camp set-up

Canoeing

Clothing

Pre-trip check list

Trip Evaluation

Sources

 

Overview of the project:

A required field trip takes place at the end of the school year. The trip consists of students and faculty undertaking a three-day back country canoe and camping adventure. In the past faculty has planned the trip. This year students will be planning the trip. Using guided lesson plans, students will brain storm, research, plan, discuss, debate, analyze, synthesize and evaluate their three-day trip.

Goals:

1. Teach students how to plan and evaluate an activity.
2. Empower students to make informative decisions.
3. Foster teamwork and team building.
4. Students will support sound stewardship of the outdoor environment.

Objectives:

1. Provide students with a unique, challenging, and fun three day back country canoeing and camping trip.
2. Student will plan and purchase all meals for the trip based on back country camping strategies.
3. Students will learn different canoe strokes needed for maneuvering a canoe.
4. Students will appropriately pack clothing based on predicted weather.
5. Students will learn “leave no trace” camping etiquette.
6. Students will be able to set-up a back country campsite (tent, campfire, other?)
7. Students will form rules/guidelines for students concerning the trip.
8. Students will make to informative decisions, based on student research, as to where the trip will take place and where camping will take place.
9. Promote healthy life activities for students.

Assessment tools:

Students will use inspiration for brain storming and planning the trip.  The internet, DNR, county forestry departments and outfitter companies will be used for researching. Students will use worksheets for writing down pertinent research information. Food menus will be submitted for peer evaluation and then teacher approval. To discuss different travel possibilities, a round table format will be used to debate the pros and cons of the travel ideas. Based on a team debate, students will synthesis information, make a list of the pros and cons of the different points of interest and then vote on which trip will take place.  After the trip, students will evaluate different aspects of their trip writing an essay paper with the topic, “What you would do the same and what would you do differently when planning and participating in a back country canoe trip?”

When finished with introduction, go to Researching Rivers.