-- Summary Box --

Before your visit, please review with your students ...

• The basic parts of a compass
• How to read degrees and take a bearing
• How to pace off distances
• Unique aspects of orienteering
• Appropriate dress for the weather and conditions

At River Bend ...

• During the introduction we will review the above material as needed
• Discuss the details of River Bend's 17 orienteering courses
• Provide the students with the opportunity to challenge themselves on one or more courses. We will stress the importance of following directions, trusting one's own effort, working with their partner, and accomplishment through determination and initiative.
  
• In the closing we will discuss..
  • The life-long benefits of their orienteering skills
  • Who uses orienteering in their everyday lives
  • remind the students of their next visit
  • talk of upcoming events at River Bend
  • invite the students to return on their own with family and friends

Back in the classroom ...

• Review any pre-trip suggestions not yet completed
• Further explore how wintry conditions presented unique challenges but also opportunities for exploration and discovery.

State Grad Standards Emphasized

Math Applications -- Shape, Space and Measurement: concepts of space, solving problems in physical world
Math Applications -- Number Sense: Concepts, relationships, and computational procedures in problem solving
Scientific Applications – Physical Systems: Interactions between systems encountered in everyday life
Decision Making -- Physical Education: Activities, skills, and fitness

What will we do at River Bend?

While some orienteering activities involve the use of a map, this experience will only involve a compass and a data sheet. With a partner, you'll begin at the 'start' tag of one of our courses and, using the given direction and distance, find your way from one tag to another. Most courses have around a dozen or so tags, and you will likely get the chance to try more than one course.

Although this video was created for use in the classrooms with which we work, quite to our surprise we have had a number of requests for copies by other parties so we are now making it available for sale on this site for $8 to cover our costs +$3 s/h (still free for our teachers, however). When created it was never intended for the public market, but we feel it will work well for anyone wishing to teach the basic skills of using a compass.

Please note the following, however:

• It is only available in .mpg format on CD and will only play on a computer (as far as we know). Try the reduced-quality sample on the right to test your playback.
• The video teaches the parts of a compass, how to set a bearing, and how to follow that bearing on the landscape. It does not teach map work or other more advanced topics.

Click picture to play sample of video

Note that actual video on CD is quite a bit larger and of higher quality

• This video is intended for use by an instructor who is teaching a group of students. It could also be used by someone wishing to learn basic orienteering to later teach someone else.
• There are a few minutes of information towards the end that apply only to using a compass at River Bend Nature Center, but might also be helpful in generating ideas on setting up and running your own courses for students to follow.
• It is about 16 minutes long and was created in a school studio in 1991, not professionally produced.
• Refunds will only be available for disk problems not related to any of the points above. Please read these notes carefully and try the sample video above. If you can view that, you should be able to view the video on the CD.