Subject: Identifying walking paths.

An obstacle course is already set up when students enter class area.  A various amount and variety of equipment should be used.  Objective is for students to find their way through the course without stepping on anything or disturbing anything along the course.  The teacher may vary the course in many ways along with allowing students to build their own paths.

 Identifying Trails:
- Easily seen.
- Little to no living plants.
-Often established by outlining logs, signs, or other markings.
-Safe walking width.

Key Points for staying on trails and marked paths include:
- Safety
- Preserving wildlife
- Keeping from getting lost
- And any others that you would like to include.

Have students break into groups and make up their own portion of a long trail.  Let students establish what equipment is.  Examples: Poly spots can be plants, Hula Hoops can be trees, water, animals, animal shelters...
The object is to get the importance of staying on trails across to the students while still allowing them to have fun and be active throughout this lesson.  After all groups have completed their portion of the trail, the class can go through the trail as a whole.

Assessment:  Check  for understanding by observing the construction and maneuvering of trails.  Verbal questioning and discussion at closure of class.
 
 

When hiking in the outdoors, students will come across many plants and animals.  Some of these might be completely harmless yet some are very dangerous and poisonous.  It is very important for hikers to know the difference.  It is also nice to know some names and species of different plants and animals.

In a handout or displayed in front of the class have descriptions along with pictures of plants and animals.  Have students review these pictures and learn what each is.  As a class the students can group plants and animals/insects into poisonous and harmless.  Important methods of identification are to observe with eyes and not to touch.  When one does spot something it is nice to point them out to partners or students around them especially if they spot something poisonous.  This may prevent a possible accident.

Later in the lesson students can be led in a walk around the school area.  There should be a variety of plants and animals along the walk (the teacher will need to place these objects ahead of time).  At each station or stop students need to record what they think it is and if it is poisonous or not.  This can be done with pencil and paper and handed in at the end of the walk.  At the end of the walk go over what each item was and what its characteristics and identifiable markings are.

Be sure to go over wildlife familiar to the area which you plan to hike.  Examples might include Russian olive, mint, Cattails, Types of birds, bugs, or rodents.  Very important objects to identify in class might be poison ivy, poisonous spiders, stinging nettles, and other things that may be dangerous while on your hike.

Assessment:  Identification card from school walk.
 

Subject: Teaching outdoor first aid.

    In this lesson it is advisable to have the school nurse as a guest speaker.  He/she can come tell of how to deal with and treat minor injuries and what to do in case of a major injury.

Major points to go over may include:
-bandaging
-cleansing
-insect bite kits
-splinting

Methods of getting help for major injuries should be discussed and practiced.  Some of these might include: staying calm, stay where you are, yell for help or blow a whistle, cover with a blanket of some type of covering if needed.

Students can role play in groups and practice administering first aid to each other.

Assessment short verbal checking for understanding and send them home with a checklist of items to collect for a first aid kit.
 

Subject: 13 essentials for hiking outdoors.

In this lesson students will learn about the 13 essentials to hiking in the outdoors.

1. Extra Clothes
2. First Aid Kit
3. Flashlight
4. Map
5. Signaling device
6. Compass
7. Emergency Shelter, blanket, covering.
8. Water
9. Extra Food
10. Matches
11. Fire Starter
12. Knife
13. Sunglasses/Sunscreen

14. Toilet paper.

Class will discuss what each item is and the importance of each.  Then for activity there are all kinds of items spread into piles.  Groups will run to the different piles and find one of each of the 13 essentials and put them into their bag.  Added items that don't belong make this task harder.  This activity turns into a competition and at the end as a class they count and check off which essentials were collected.

Assessment:  Take home a list and with cooperation of the parents try to collect all of the 13 essentials and bring to class in a bag with your names on it.  This will be taken along on the final hike.
 

Subject: Safety procedures in the outdoors.

In this lesson students will learn what to do if someone is lost, ill, or hurt, along with many factors in preventing accidents.

Important key points to teach include:
-Proper footwear
- Buddy system
-Stay with the group
-Follow rules

In the case of an emergency or injury, students need to be taught to stay calm, stay with your buddy, and signal help.  Role playing is a good activity to get students involved with practicing what to do and getting them comfortable with safety procedures.  Active participation for the day can be students running holding hands with a partner to work on the buddy system, Students safely carrying another student pretending to be hurt, and students running supplies back and forth from a base spot to the scene of the accident.

Assessment:  On a blank sheet of paper have students write and or draw what they would do if their buddy  was unable to continue the hike because of an injury.
 

This lesson will be a field trip.  Students will be bussed to an appropriate hiking spot and will get to participate in a real life hike.   Buddies will be established before the day of the hike.  Students will each have a backpack with their 13 essentials in it along with hiking packet and pencil.  The teacher will lead the hike but allow students to be out on their own and hike at their own enjoyable pace.  Stopping points will be established along the trail when class comes to an identifiable object previously discussed in class.

Requirements to pass the hike portion of the unit include:
-Must stay on the trail.
-Must stay with your buddy at all times.
-Must follow all rules posted in your packet.
-Must complete and turn in your packet at the end of the hike.

This is a reward for the students at the end of the unit, it should be very fun and exciting.  It is the outdoors so allow students to be kids and yell and have fun as long as it is safe.  Have fun and let the students explore nature today.