Planning

Lesson Objectives:  Students will understand how to plan a day hike.


Instant Activity:  Stop'N Sport
Grade Level: K-5
Equipment: Cones to mark off activity area
Directions: After the students arrive have them spread out safely in the general space you have defined by the cones. On your signal their task is to move throughout the general space using a locomotor movement of your choice. Change those patterns throughout this activity.
On the stop signal (drum, clap, whistle, voice) students are to stop and using SLOW MOTION act out an activity that is a part of a sport of their choice. For example, if they chose baseball as their sport then they can choose to act out the batting movement. This must be in very slow motion as your task is to try to guess a few while you are moving around.
After a minute of them demonstrating in slow motion, their job is to begin moving throughout general space again on your signal. On the next stop signal, have them choose a different activity in a sport to slow motion. Repeat and use the variations listed below to add excitement.
Variations:
Have them move in pairs and then they are to freeze and act out the activity with each other.
Call out the sport or activity so they don't have choices.
Write down what sports you see and tell them at the end. Encourage them to choose activities or sports that you may not
know so they try to "fool" the teacher. Swimming, ballroom dancing, ice skating, may be some choices.
Have the whole group freeze, have half the class on one side of the room stand and their task is to watch the other half doing their slow motion sport movements. Have them keep their guesses to themselves and then switch sides.
Submitted by Mark Manross who is a doctoral student in the Health and PE Program at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA.

Lesson:
    * location of hike
    * reading a map
    * date and times
    * weather conditions
    * who is going
Instructions to Class:
    The first thing that you need to do when planning a hike is decide where you are going to go.  Look at possible locations in an area near to you, or somewhere you are familiar with.  There are many good hiking books out there with details about hikes.  REI is a good place, or another outdoor or book store in your area.

    Map reading is also and essential component of day hiking.  If you are going to an unfamiliar area it is important that you look at your map and understand your surroundings so you are comfortable with your environment.  Green Trails have a good selection of maps of all areas that you can purchase at most outdoor stores.
    If you are going in a group, three is a good number, you need to plan on a date and time that everyone can go.  Find out what time the sun comes up and goes down so you can plan your pace of the hike and leave at an appropriate time to get back to car by dark.
    It is always a good idea to check the weather forecast and predictions before heading out. This will also help you in deciding what type of clothing you will need to take with you.  Depending on the snow conditions and freezing level, as well as avalanche conditions.
    It is important to know who is going.  If you are going with a club then there will be a leader, but if it is just a group of friends, there may not be a designated leader.  It is important to keep the group together and not let it get split up.  The group will only travel as fast as the slowest person.  This way if anything happens or someone gets hurt there will be plenty of resources and help available.


Assessment:
    At the close of this lesson students will ge given a work sheet with some questions to check if they understand some of the more major points made in the lesson.  These questions will be short answer, true/false, and multiple choice.

Equipment:
    The instructor will bring some sample books to show them some possible resoures they can use.  A map will also be presented to the class.  Each student will get a chance to look at it to get an idea about how to read it.

Class rules and consequences:
    First offense: verbal warning
    Second offense: sit out or sent out of the room until teacher can go and talk with student about their disruptive behavior.
    Third offense:  sent to the office for further punishment.

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