Orienteering Teacher Resources

Equip young campers with the tips and strategies for a safe trip to the outdoors with a series of lessons. They learn how to start fires with and without firewood, keep warm in snowy weather, and purify water to make it safe for drinking.

Welcome to the Orienteering lesson plans page. There is a short introduction to the topic and links to the ten lessons in this unit. There is also a linkto the unit home page. This orienteering unit is worth taking a look at.

Students explore orienteering and how to use a compass. They explore the importance of forests and identify some of the trees in a local forest.

Students use a map to locate six specific landmarks on a course using a map. They identify how maps can help us and write a paragraph describing how to get from one landmark to another on the map.

Sixth graders mark activity stations and locations of important buildings on a grid map of an outdoor education school. This is a practical application for the skill of graphing points in the four quadrants of the coordinate plane.

Students discover orienteering. In this orienteering lesson, students search for six specific landmarks. Students brainstorm how maps and landmarks are helpful.

Students investigate the concept of a compass and it has been used in the past and in modern times. They practice using it in the wilderness in order to test its importance in various exploring activities. Each activity is accompanied by...

Use technology when preparing to get back to nature! If you lead outdoors education, camping, or backpacking field trips, here is a tool that will help you gather the necessary supplies. It is a collection of modifiable materials lists,...

For some, building a campfire is the best part about going backpacking. Learn what it takes to build a good campfire. Read the regulations about having campfire outdoors and make sure to follow the safety tips to prevent forest...

Students increase their awareness of their natural environment. They engage in activities which emphasize the importance of conservation and create an interest in nature and conserving the natural environment.

A presentation designed for educators is here for you. In it, a scientific program is laid out in great detail. The emphasis is on teaching kids about the outdoors by giving them many opportunities to be out in nature performing hands-on...

Digital compass alignment enables navigation of the skies with true orientation at any time. Just point to the sky or "aim for the stars!" This application acts as a virtual telescope, allowing you to zoom in on any object that is...

Did you ever play capture the flag? I did, and it was so much fun! Your learners with special needs, physical handicaps, or visual impairments can play a classic and highly engaging game with a few minor adaptations. The best part is,...

Young scholars complete various nature activities where they work together to create a butterfly garden, plant flowers, learn about nature survival, and more. In this nature lesson plan, students work together in groups and display...

Students participate in various outdoor activities to teach them about the environment. In this outdoor education lesson plan, students participate in activities such as compass direction, conservation, forestry, wildlife, and...

What are the essentials needed for a backpacking trip? What does minimum impact mean? What are some general safety tips? These are the things to think about when planning a backpacking trip. This instructional activity has handouts...

Go backpacking on Mt. Rainier! Use this backpacking lesson as the culminating activity of the unit. The class puts all that they have learned to practice in this three day trip to one of the most beautiful mountains in the U.S. There are...

Going on a backpacking trip? You need to plan your meals and your snacks for sustenance. Help guide your pupils in the planning of healthy foods to take, and to make sure there is just the right amount. Have students pair up to plan so...

Here is a great set of adaptations and modifications that will make your next game of disc golf accessible to all your pupils. Listed are several variations and ways you can modify the game for your learners with physical or visual...

Sometimes the best way to prevent forest fires is to create smaller fires. Explore forest management with an activity that explains the ways that controlled burns can keep unexpected fires from running amok in the wilderness and nearby...

Pupils complete activities where they compare hands on materials involving rocks, rain, wind, and shadows. In this outdoor lesson plan, students see how these materials change over a period of time by comparing them and learning how the...

Young scholars engage in a instructional activity that is about the mission of a community oriented education plan. The class has created a plan and each member of the class has responsibilities. They draw a shield and use it as a...

Students use a compass and their hands to find positions of stars and planets in the night sky or of the sun during the day.

Students reinforce the geographic location of the states of the U.S.A.