Teaching Navigation - tips needed

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 Hans 12 Nov 2014
All,

I have a class of students who I need to teach navigation to. They are year 9 pupils, and it needs to be exciting. I recently got my ML, and shortly after managed to get a job in a school where I help out with Outdoor Ed. I am lacking any good ideas really. I know the old knuckle trick, but that is only one lesson's worth of material. I have them one hour per week...

Any tips, resources, etc most welcomed.
 Tony the Blade 12 Nov 2014
In reply to Hans:

Hi,

Have you looked at the Ordnance Survey website? They have lots of resources that you can use.

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/education-research/teaching-resources/index...
 Paul at work 12 Nov 2014
In reply to Hans:

Get this book - http://www.harveymaps.co.uk/acatalog/Outdoor-Navigation--Handbook-for-Tutor...

Loads of resources for Orienteering around, use those.

 annieman 12 Nov 2014
In reply to Hans:

Contours: Find a long rope - any design. Find an interesting piece of land with a slope and other interesting shapes. ask the students to lie the rope accross this shape where the rope is at the same height all the way along. Then get a second rope and continue.
OP Hans 12 Nov 2014
In reply to annieman:

That is quite a genius idea you have there...
In reply to Hans:

I wrote a few notes following attending a MTA training day on teaching nav. a few years ago. Send me a PM through the site (email link on my message's header) and I'll happily send you a copy. It was not focused on teaching youngsters as such but may have some useful pointers?
 Jamie Wakeham 12 Nov 2014
In reply to Hans:

School field - lots of cones - teach how to use a compass to triangulate their position onto a 'map' that you've made of the layout. Somewhat weather dependent, of course.

An indoor lesson might be for them to make their own map - with contour lines and accurate bearings - of a landscape you've made for them. I'm imagining something made of lots of hills cut from expanded polystyrene?
In reply to Hans:

It might be helpful to know why they're learning navigation; is it for practical use in the outdoors (e.g. DofE), or is it for academic purposes?

I think that, by year 9, most kids have already acquired most of the mental tools they need for outdoor navigation, only they don't realise it. So my introduction would be to ask them the different ways in which they find their way around school, and around town (e.g. giving instructions to a stranger). This will bring up many of the techniques:

by landmark (topographic) - 'go through the first door, then go as far as the water cooler, then go up the stairs'
by junction tree (topologic) - 'take the 2nd left turning'
by distance/bearing - compass & ruler, left/right/straight on & pace counting
by following signs - fire exit, road signs
by breadcrumb trail - e.g. paper chase games
by leading - 'follow me'

Pick some points in the school, break them into teams and have them create instructions based on the different techniques. Then get them to use each others' instructions.

Then get them to relate these techniques to the outdoors.

That's one hour filled...
 JamButty 12 Nov 2014
In reply to Hans:

I always liked the pacing exercise, where you put a box over someones head and they navigate a square of say 50 paces, changing bearings 90 deg each time to in theory arrive back at your starting point.
Need a guide but then you swap

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