Outdoor Education

In this unit students will be introduced to a variety of outdoor recreation and adventure programs, where “outdoor recreation programs involve only fun, with no deliberate seeking of risk, [and] outdoor adventure education is a structured outdoor experience that deliberately seeks to take its participants outside their own zones of comfort” (Hasties, 2003, p. 195). This unit will strive to give students a short overview of the possibilities for getting outdoors. The students will be directed through four different outdoor activities per week for the month of April with Friday being fitness training and reflection on the week. The class will be split into 2-3 groups, which will work together throughout the unit. Throughout May and June, the students will continue engaging in outdoor activities every Friday, (ideally they would be able to pick one of the four activities and build further; however, this may not be possible). The four outdoor programs will include, team building and ropes courses, hiking, rock climbing and canoeing. In Victoria, the YMCA-YWCA has some great program opportunities available including custom programming:  http://www.victoriay.com/campthunderbird/outdoor_ed.php

As stated by Hastie, the teacher should ensure students “attribute success to their own ability and not some external force” (2003, 196). In such environments, teacher’s must advise and direct as well as model. Outdoor recreation and adventure programs will likely be quite new to students, therefore, it is important to help them cope with sometimes stressful situations and ensure each student is committed to the tasks they will be taking on. Finally, a major component of outdoor education is building trust and cooperation within the whole class. Students must be committed to working together in a supportive and inclusive environment. The “Teamwork Learning Sequence” is a useful strategy for team building that includes discussion and reflection. To see a full description of each level click here.