Teaching Recreation and Environmental Education- Curriculum
Teaching Recreational and Environmental Education to future generations is essential to the preservation and enjoyment of our natural world. This page can be utilized as a curriculum, a supplement or a resource and is flexible enough to adapt to any educational need.
Unit: A Long Walk in the Woods
The beginning of any journey begins with the first step, yet even more specific, it begins with the choice to take that first step. These choices later tell each of our unique stories and become memories that solidify a choice once made. Our lives are littered with choices- each choice contributing to a first step towards a new adventure.
This unit fosters connections between long-distance hiking, self-realization and the concept of "the personal journey." Students will utilize a variety of media, including excerpts from text, essays, news and informative articles. Students will use self-reflection to make connections between the selections and the theme and then connect the theme to them personally.
The focus of the unit is inward, towards self-preservation and reflection. Students will be exposed to various healthy practices for both the mind and body. For example, students will learn meditation and yoga practices and collaboratively choreograph a class yoga session. Additionally, students will monitor their wellness habits and asses their wellness standards. The unit's culminating assessment is a student developed community wellness program. Students will be asked to research a long-distance trail and create a community wellness program that tracks mileage/activity and offers milestones and testaments to healthy living.
This unit fosters connections between long-distance hiking, self-realization and the concept of "the personal journey." Students will utilize a variety of media, including excerpts from text, essays, news and informative articles. Students will use self-reflection to make connections between the selections and the theme and then connect the theme to them personally.
The focus of the unit is inward, towards self-preservation and reflection. Students will be exposed to various healthy practices for both the mind and body. For example, students will learn meditation and yoga practices and collaboratively choreograph a class yoga session. Additionally, students will monitor their wellness habits and asses their wellness standards. The unit's culminating assessment is a student developed community wellness program. Students will be asked to research a long-distance trail and create a community wellness program that tracks mileage/activity and offers milestones and testaments to healthy living.
Unit: Tinkering with Eden
This unit focuses on invasive species and their effects, as a result of their introduction. Students will use a variety of media, including excerpts from text, essays, news and informative articles. After a solid foundation of understanding is developed, students will explore examples and create claims supported by what they've learned.
Students will participate in a field experience that offers a first-hand experience identifying and eradicating invasive species within the community. This field excursion offers an authentic application of the concepts discussed in class, allowing students to put their learning into practice.
As a summative assessment, students will advocate for the protection of our native wildlife and raise awareness of threatening, invasive species in a media-rich presentation/format.
Students will participate in a field experience that offers a first-hand experience identifying and eradicating invasive species within the community. This field excursion offers an authentic application of the concepts discussed in class, allowing students to put their learning into practice.
As a summative assessment, students will advocate for the protection of our native wildlife and raise awareness of threatening, invasive species in a media-rich presentation/format.
Unit: Dying for Everest
This unit focuses on several issues the revolve around the tallest place on Earth: Mt. Everest. The unit begins with a reinterpretation of "team work," showing how cooperation and dependency in the efforts to maintain a common goal is a concept applied to more than just conventional sports but also to unconventional recreation.
Students will gain an understanding of the culture, and the surrounding influences that often impose themselves, to determine what separates the exploration of Everest from the exploitation of Everest. Students will consider the quality of life offered to the Sherpas, the politics and policies that surround the Everest region, the commercialization and financial gain derived by the large expedition groups that make a living from profiting off the mountain and the potential dangers and/or hazards created by each.
Students will consider the moral issues apparent in partaking in such a feat as submitting the world's tallest mountain and will make comparisons to the topics discussed in class to the community, cultural heritage and natural surroundings of the area. Students will participate in authentic application by learning appropriate belaying and climbing practices and will demonstrate their skills in a controlled, safe environment.
Students will gain an understanding of the culture, and the surrounding influences that often impose themselves, to determine what separates the exploration of Everest from the exploitation of Everest. Students will consider the quality of life offered to the Sherpas, the politics and policies that surround the Everest region, the commercialization and financial gain derived by the large expedition groups that make a living from profiting off the mountain and the potential dangers and/or hazards created by each.
Students will consider the moral issues apparent in partaking in such a feat as submitting the world's tallest mountain and will make comparisons to the topics discussed in class to the community, cultural heritage and natural surroundings of the area. Students will participate in authentic application by learning appropriate belaying and climbing practices and will demonstrate their skills in a controlled, safe environment.
Unit: Survival of the Smartest
This unit focuses on wilderness and urban preparedness. Students will analyze how pop-culture and media portray survival and readiness and evaluate the authenticity and accuracy of these portrayals. Students will additionally evaluate the skills, or lack of, apparent in classic and current literature and their relationship to survival and preparedness.
Through various exercises and demonstrations, students will develop hands-on skills that they can apply to various real-world scenarios. For example, students will learn wilderness survival skills like fire building and orienteering in addition to urban survival skills like self defense and basic first aide.
Students will demonstrate their overall knowledge through a summative project that requires the development and implementation of an appropriate survival kit for placement in their home, vehicle or community.
Through various exercises and demonstrations, students will develop hands-on skills that they can apply to various real-world scenarios. For example, students will learn wilderness survival skills like fire building and orienteering in addition to urban survival skills like self defense and basic first aide.
Students will demonstrate their overall knowledge through a summative project that requires the development and implementation of an appropriate survival kit for placement in their home, vehicle or community.
Unit: Better Than Bigfoot (LNT)
Students will be introduced to the 7 Leave No Trace Principles through the traditional format of hear, see, do. Students will receive an overview of the principles, research how each principle impacts their surroundings and then practice/utilize each principle in an authentic application. Students will then be expected to take what they've learned through exposure, research and practice and extend this knowledge to a younger generation.
Students will be expected to format a lesson for elementary level students following the model of hear, see, do, making presentation and practice relevant to grade level. Students will be assessed on the capacity of which their audience has mastered the objectives, ensuring that multiple generations promote and protect the natural world through LNT practices.
Students will be expected to format a lesson for elementary level students following the model of hear, see, do, making presentation and practice relevant to grade level. Students will be assessed on the capacity of which their audience has mastered the objectives, ensuring that multiple generations promote and protect the natural world through LNT practices.
Unit: Sustainability Superheros: Protectors of the Plant
This unit focuses on various sustainability issues that threaten our planet. Among some of the topics included are Chemical Exposure, Water Crisis, Deforestation, Overpopulation, and Climate Change. Students will look at studies facilitated by leading environmentalist, evidence of issues in current news related sources and appropriate documentaries in an effort to learn, understand and then advocate on our environment's behalf.
Students will become advocates for the environment through the research and development of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) to educate the community about an environmental issue. Students will become experts on their topics through extensive research and will then compile this knowledge in a way that educates and compels and audience to take action.
This Unit can be divided into multiple, smaller units to allow a more in-depth analysis. Smaller units are detailed below with possible field applications.
Students will become advocates for the environment through the research and development of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) to educate the community about an environmental issue. Students will become experts on their topics through extensive research and will then compile this knowledge in a way that educates and compels and audience to take action.
This Unit can be divided into multiple, smaller units to allow a more in-depth analysis. Smaller units are detailed below with possible field applications.
Unit: The Legacy Project
The Legacy Project is a service experience that is developed and executed by the student(s), whose foundation and outcome impact the well-being of the surrounding environment. The service should focus on the preservation, beautification, enhancement, re-establishment, avocation or conservation of an environmental factor. This project includes research, correspondence, service learning and community involvement.
This project is designed as a summation for an entire school year; however, it can be adjusted to fit the needs of most timelines. Students focus on the research corresponding with their service idea (ie. how is the idea beneficial, what does the service encompass, who will benefit and how may those benefits be quantitative, etc.) first and then compose a formal proposal to convey intentions. Students will then execute their service plans by participating in the requisite hours of service learning, documenting the process and outcomes of the project. Students will conclude their projects by creating self-promotion through their choice of media.
This project is designed as a summation for an entire school year; however, it can be adjusted to fit the needs of most timelines. Students focus on the research corresponding with their service idea (ie. how is the idea beneficial, what does the service encompass, who will benefit and how may those benefits be quantitative, etc.) first and then compose a formal proposal to convey intentions. Students will then execute their service plans by participating in the requisite hours of service learning, documenting the process and outcomes of the project. Students will conclude their projects by creating self-promotion through their choice of media.