Quality Lesson Plans for Outdoor Education

Unit 1. Core Camping Skills Rolf Kraiker, Deborah Kraiker, and Andrew Foran Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1. Campsite Selection Lesson 2. Knots and Ropes Lesson 3. Tents, Shelters, and Sleeping Bags and Pads Lesson 4. Backpacks Lesson 5. Stoves Lesson 6. Fires Lesson 7. Food Preparation and Menu Planning Lesson 8. Knives, Saws, and Hatchets Lesson 9. Checklists and Specialized Kits References and Resources Unit 2. Navigation Sean Dwyer Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1. Compass Parts and Use Lesson 2. Components of a Topographic Map Lesson 3. Using Map and Compass Together Lesson 4. GPS (Part 1) Lesson 5. GPS (Part 2) Lesson 6. Using GPS and Map Together Lesson 7. Route Planning Lesson 8. Route Selection and Finding Lesson 9. Geocaching References and Resources Unit 3. Environmental Ethics: Caring for Resources Andrew Foran Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1. Connecting to the Natural World Lesson 2. Trail Impact Lesson 3. Campsite Selection Lesson 4. Human Waste Management Lesson 5. Cleaning Dishes in the Backcountry Lesson 6. Campfires Lesson 7. Environmental In-Camp Practices References and Resources Unit 4. Hiking and Backpacking Sean Dwyer Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1. Hiking and Backpacking Equipment Lesson 2. Ethical Practices in the Wilderness Lesson 3. Day Hike Lesson 4. Fire-Building and Lighting Techniques Lesson 5. Footwear and Foot Care Lesson 6. Backpacks Lesson 7. Maintaining Comfort and Safety in Camp and on the Trail Lesson 8. Backpacking Expedition References and Resources Unit 5. Rock Climbing Darlene Thomasina Pidgeon Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1. Introduction and Preparation Lesson 2. Top Rope and Belaying Lesson 3. Belaying Review and Climbing Technique Lesson 4. Bouldering and Games References and Resources Unit 6. Mountain Biking Amanda Stanec Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1. Bike Safety and Sizing Your Bike Lesson 2. Identifying Bike Parts and Bike Maintenance Lesson 3. ABC Check, Gear Changing, and Pedaling Technique Lesson 4. Ascending and Descending Hills Without Obstacles Lesson 5. Environmental Awareness and Maneuvering Around Obstacles Lesson 6. Ascending and Descending Hills With Obstacles Lesson 7. Hopping Logs and Other Obstacles Lesson 8. Small-Group Ride and Etiquette References and Resources Unit 7. Flatwater Canoeing Kevin Redmond Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1. Equipment Fitting, Entries, and Exits Lesson 2. Getting Wet to Get Comfortable Lesson 3. Balancing, Jumping Out, and Climbing In Lesson 4. Rescues Lesson 5. Introductory Turns, Pivots Spins, and Sideways Displacement Lesson 6. Paddling Circles and Straight Lines References and Resources Unit 8. Whitewater Canoeing Kevin Redmond Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1. Gearing Up and Rescues Lesson 2. Basic Whitewater Strokes and Maneuvers Lesson 3. Intermediate Whitewater Strokes and Maneuvers Lesson 4. Introduction to the River Lesson 5. River Running References and Resources Unit 9. Sea Kayaking Mark Dykeman and Kevin Redmond Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1. Getting Started Lesson 2. Kayak Feel, Tilt, and Strokes Lesson 3. Kayak Rolling Lesson 4. Paddle Strokes Lesson 5. Sea Kayak Tour References and Resources Unit 10. Nordic Skiing Sean Dwyer Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1. Fitting Participants for Nordic Ski Gear Lesson 2. Introductory Skills and Classic Ski Technique (Diagonal Stride) Lesson 3. Classic Ski Technique (Diagonal Stride) Lesson 4. Double Pole and Kick Double Pole Lesson 5. Putting It All Together Lesson 6. Endurance Ski Using Classic Ski Technique Lesson 7. Ascending and Descending Hills Lesson 8. Skate Skiing-Two-Skate Technique Lesson 9. Skate Skiing-One-Skate Technique and Skate Turning Lesson 10. Relay Race, Obstacle Course, or Ski Tour References and Resources Unit 11. Snowshoeing Sean Dwyer Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1. Equipment Selection and Walking Technique Lesson 2. Recognizing Hazards, Managing Hazards, and Finding Routes Lesson 3. Hill Ascending and Descending Techniques Lesson 4. Running in Snowshoes Lesson 5. Snowshoe Walk Through Nature Area References and Resources Unit 12. Archery Sean Dwyer Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1. Getting Ready Lesson 2. Shooting Technique Lesson 3. Aiming Lesson 4. Shooting Technique-Feedback and Self-Correction Lesson 5. Tournament Target Shooting Lesson 6. Archery Games References and Resources Unit 13. Fly Casting and Fly Fishing Len Rich and Kevin Redmond Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1. Yarn Casting Progressions Lesson 2. Fly-Fishing Equipment and Assembly Lesson 3. Attaching the Leader Lesson 4. Attaching the Tippet and Fly Lesson 5. Casting the Fly Rod Lesson 6. Applying Fly-Fishing Principles Lesson 7. Live-Release Fishing References and Resources Unit 14. Whitewater Kayaking Mark Dykeman and Kevin Redmond Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1 Getting Started Lesson 2 Kayak Feel, Tilt, and Strokes Lesson 3 Kayak Rolling Lesson 4 Paddle Strokes Lesson 5 Introduction to Moving Water Lesson 6 River Features and Surfing References and Resources Unit 15. Alpine Skiing David Chorney Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1 Getting Started Lesson 2 Flat-Surface Skiing Lesson 3 Working on the Bunny Hill Lesson 4 Moving Down the Bunny Hill Lesson 5 Introduction to Parallel Skiing and Stopping Lesson 6 Navigating Slopes References and Resources Unit 16. Telemark Skiing David Chorney Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1 Telemark Skills-Getting Started Lesson 2 Telemark Turning Lesson 3 The Backcountry-Avalanche Awareness Lesson 4 Setting Out for Backcountry Adventure Lesson 5 Backcountry Day Tour References and Resources Unit 17. Spin-Cast Fishing Tara Marshall Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1 Assembling the Rod Lesson 2 Attaching the Terminal Tackle Lesson 3 Casting Lesson 4 Catch-and-Keep Versus Catch-and-Release References and Resources Unit 18. Weather Justin Barlow, Kathlyn Harpman, and Matthew Ngo Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1 Determining Barometric Pressure Lesson 2 Determining Wind Direction Lesson 3 Determining Wind Speed Lesson 4 Constructing a Thermometer Lesson 5 Determining Evaporation Rate Lesson 6 Observing and Recording Cloud Types Lesson 7 Putting It All Together-Predicting the Weather Lesson 8 Other Methods of Weather Prediction References and Resources Unit 19. Staying Safe and Comfortable in the Outdoors Andrew Foran and Janel Swain Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1 Thermoregulation-Heat Loss Lesson 2 Thermoregulation-Heat Production Lesson 3 Consequences of Poor Thermoregulation Lesson 4 Controlling Thermoregulation Lesson 5 Alternative Strategies for Thermoregulation Lesson 6 Hydration Lesson 7 Water Purification Lesson 8 Energy Management-Caloric Intake Lesson 9 Foot, Skin, and Eye Care References and Resources Unit 20. Risk Management Blair Doyle Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1 Land Hazards Lesson 2 Moving-Water Hazards Lesson 3 Lake and Ocean Hazards Lesson 4 Rescues and Hypothermia Lesson 5 Weather Hazards Lesson 6 Applying Risk Models Lesson 7 Establishing a Risk Management Plan Lesson 8 Establishing Emergency Procedures Lesson 9 Case Comparison Lesson 10 Wilderness First Aid References and Resources Unit 21. Leadership and Group Development Zacchari Crouse Equipment Site Selection Social Skills and Etiquette Risk Management Unit Organization Lesson 1 Human Needs in the Outdoors Lesson 2 Icebreakers Lesson 3 Trust Activities Lesson 4 Situational Leadership Lesson 5 Group Development References and Resources