Prescribed Learning Outcomes:

It is expected that students will:
- Locate and describe major physical features on topographic and thematic maps.
- Interpret and use graphs, tables, aerial photos, scales, legends and various types of maps.
- Continue to develop life-long sports skills.

Objectives:

By the end of this lesson the students will:
- Be familiar with a simple map of the school grounds.
- Be able to orient the map properly, using terrain features.
- Be able to use a map to follow a course of 12 controls.
- Understand the basic principles of the sport of orienteering.

Introduction: (15 min) in class

We have 2 parent volunteers helping, introduce them to students.
Discuss what orienteering is. (using a map and a compass to find set controls) Explain that today we are going to study the map only (compasses will come in a later lesson).
Divide class into teams of 4 and one team of 5 (6 teams total) for the outside activities. Two teams will pair up to form a group, so that there will be one adult in charge of each group.
Proceed outside.

Body of Lesson: (90 min) outside

Organization: We are going to do 6 activities on using the map, with groups, spending 15 minutes at each activity. Students will work in their groups as they proceed from activity to activity. Parents and I have met previously to discuss activities and set up courses for activities 3 – 6. If time is an issue, you could do activities 1 –3 one day, then activities 4 – 6 another day.
(see map B for activity stations)

Activity 1: Map orientation

Equipment needed: Map A for each student.
Procedure:
- Hand out Map A of Jack Hulland School grounds. Have students identify the symbols on the map and what they represent. Show student how to orient map using the school building as the alignment feature. Also show students how to hold map correctly, level, at waist level, in front of body, with thumb just below their present position.
- Check that all are holding map in correct position.
- Follow up with any questions/discussion.

Activity 2: Map walk

Equipment needed: Map A for each student
Procedure:
- With students holding oriented map correctly, begin walk around school grounds, discussing features of the grounds as you walk. As the walk continues, have students identify features ahead from looking at their map.
- Follow up with any questions/discussion that arises from activity.

Activity 3: String O

Equipment needed: field has been set up with 6 markers and string connects one marker with the next.
Map C for each student. Pencils.
Procedure:
- Students form line at starting point. Orient map with string, then follow string to control 1.
- At control 1, copy control code into the corresponding box on the control card.
- Orient map with string, and proceed to control 2. Copy control code into the corresponding box.
- Continue until you have finished the course and have all 6 boxes filled in.
- Follow up with questions/discussion on use of control cards, control codes, orienting map and using thumb to follow direction of movement on map.

Activity 4: Memory O

Equipment needed: school grounds have been set up with 12 control sites, and paper control codes.
Need 2 copies of map D, 2 control cards and 2 pencils.
Procedure:
- Map D is placed on the ground in front of each team. The control card and pencil are with the map.
- One student from each team looks at the map, decides which control to locate, and runs off to find it. Controls can be found in any order.
- When the student finds the control, s/he memorizes the control code, returns to the team and copies the code on to the appropriate space on the control card.
- The next team member then looks at the map, decides on a control to locate, and runs off to find it.
- This is repeated until each team member has found 2 controls.
- Follow up with questions/discussion on difficulty of finding controls, having to memorize map, and remembering code on return.

Activity 5: Score O

Equipment needed: Map D, control card and pencil for each student
Procedure:
- Students have 5 minutes to find as many controls as they can.
- The controls can be found in any order, but the ones further away are worth more points then those close to area 5.
- Students need to put the correct code in the corresponding space on the control card.
- When you blow the whistle, all must return to the starting point.
- Follow up with questions/discussion on strategy used to find controls quickly.
- If time, students can calculate how many points they got for the correct controls or you can collect control cards and do this later in the classroom.

Activity 6: Star Relay

Equipment: one copy of Map D, a control card and a pencil for each team.
Procedure:
- There are 12 controls and 4 team members, so each team member must find 3 controls, in order.
- Give students 2 minutes to decide who will find which controls.
- At the start, the first runner for the team leaves and finds controls 1, 2 and 3, marking the control card as they find each control. S/he then returns to the team and hands over the map, control card and pencil to the second runner.
- The second runner now leaves to find controls 4,5,and 6, returning after to the team.
- The third runner leaves to find controls 7, 8 and 9, following the same procedure as above, and returning to the team when finished.
- The fourth runner finds controls 10, 11 and 12 and returns to the team.
- Follow up with questions/discussion on strategy used to find controls.

Closure: (10 minutes)
Have students go and collect all 12 markers from the school grounds as well as the string and markers from the field.
Perform cool down stretching as the class discusses the afternoon's activities.
Later we will evaluate the positives/negatives of each activity and discuss what has been learned about orienteering.

Notes to the teacher: This is just an introductory lesson – future lessons will include professional terrain maps of the school grounds and surrounding area so that students will become familiar with official orienteering symbols. They will learn the use of the compass, and we will eventually have a 3 – 5 km course set up in the adjoining woods to do our sessions. This will also be an added activity when we go camping, or cross-country skiing.
We will also have members of the local Orienteering Club in to talk about Orienteering and will try to take in evening or weekend events in the beginner category with the club.