Camp Safety - Outcome D (10-30)-5

Give the students appropriate instruction to prepare for a camp, participate in an overnight camp and receive/give feedback in order to analyze the completed activity.

During preparation for the trip, teach the students about clothing, equipment, food, shelter, safety considerations, and fire starting. Hand out a "camp assignment" during the preparation phase so the students know what to look for and think about while they participate in the camp. Students must complete the preparation portion of the camp assignment so the teacher can ensure that they are including everything they will need for a safe camping experience. Hand this assignment back to the students before they go to camp.

During the camp, students should demonstrate their knowledge of all the safety issues taught earlier. They will do this by performing tasks such as cooking and fire-starting, eating appropriate foods and disposing of garbage properly, dressing appropriately for the weather and activity, setting up their shelter properly, and carrying first aid kits for minor problems.

Students must keep a logbook of their camp experience. They should note any item they forgot to bring, or anything they should have done differently. They can also note any safety hazards or potential hazards they noticed while at camp and how they would handle these on their next camping trip. This logbook will be their reference for part B of the written assignment.

When the students return from their trip a written assignment will be completed and handed in and/or presented to the rest of the class.

Written Assignment

Students should discuss the assignment sheet as well as the issues from their logbooks. They can choose how they wish to present their information. The presentations could include the following options:

• A poster on potential hazards and how they would handle them or prevent them from occurring.
• A photo display of the survival skills they performed while on the trip with comments to go with each picture.
• A written article about the trip for the local paper, including what they learned about survival.

Students form groups and make a poster or brainstorm a list regarding one aspect of what is required for a safe camp. The results are displayed so that others can learn from them.

After returning from camp the groups need to get together again to review the poster or list and add other ideas or concerns that should be addressed.

These are clues that you have reached the outcomes ...

Students demonstrate their awareness of safety concerns while participating in the trip.

Students identify potential hazards and deal with them effectively or report them.

The written portion of their assignment demonstrates an understanding of the importance of safety and survival considerations before, during, and after a trip.

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