This document provides information about teaching orienteering to students. It begins with an introduction to orienteering as a navigation sport and competitive activity. It then provides details on sample curriculum that focuses on team navigation, including classroom lectures, homework assignments, field trips, and reflections. Variations for different grade levels and locations are also described. The goal is to help students learn important map reading and navigation skills while having fun through outdoor activities and teamwork.

1. A7: Map Navigation: Teaching
Orienteering
Barbara Bryant
New England Orienteering Club

2. Today’s workshop
• What is orienteering?
• Sample curriculum: team navigation
• Variations on the theme
• Orienteering exercise
• Resources for educators

3. What is orienteering?
• A navigation sport
• A treasure hunt with a map

4. Orienteering
is a
competitive
sport

5. Orienteering
helps kids learn
things they
need to know

6. Orienteering Adventure
September, 2010
6

7. Components of Orienteering Activities
Map Navigation Teamwork
Learn
Plan
Execute
Reflect
Developed over several years in collaboration with teachers

8. Junior High Orienteering
Map Navigation Teamwork
(1) Classroom lecture. (1) Make team ground rules
Learn (2) Homework. (2) Role-play potentially difficult
(3) Test. situations
Plan Teams plan routes. Distribute tasks.
(1) Slow map walk to relate map to woods.
Execute (2) Teams collect tickets at controls.
(3) Tickets can be spent on prizes.
Reflect How did we do? What did we learn?

9. Calendar
Mon 9/13 Tue 9/14 Wed 9/15 Thu 9/16 Fri 9/18
Lecture. Homework due Teams plan routes
Start homework in
Lab
Mon 9/20 Tue 9/21 Wed 9/22 Thu 9/23 Fri 9/24
Licensing Exam Team dynamics Last minute Field trip
questions in
Home Room
Fri 10/1
Rain date for
field trip
9

10. Classroom Lecture
• Team challenge goal
• Reading a map
• Navigating with a map
• Field trip information
– Schedule
– Team mission rules
– What to bring
– Safety
• Homework: Planning a route
10

11. Team Challenge Goal
• Using a map and compass, and working as a
team, find controls in the woods.
– Each team will get tickets for finding controls.
– The tickets can be exchanged for prizes.
11

12. Reading the Map
12

13. Sea level
http://raider.muc.edu/~mcnaugma/Topographic%20Maps/contour.htm 13

14. 10 feet
14

15. 20 feet
15

16. 20 feet
16

17. Elevation
17

18. Find some hilltops
18

19. Hilltops
19

20. Find saddles
20

21. Saddles
21

22. Water
22

23. Man-made Symbols
23

24. Rock
24

25. Vegetation
(White) Forest
25

26. Estimating distance
• 1:10,000 scale: One centimeter on the map is
10,000 centimeters (___ meters) on the
ground.
– Hint: 100 centimeters = 1 meter
• A pace is two steps. Roughly how many of
your paces make 100 meters?
26

27. NORTH
Directions of the EAST
WEST
compass
SOUTH
27

28. Telling someone where you are on the
North
map
East
West
250m 28
South

29. Navigating with the map
29

30. Orienting the
map
30

31. Orienting the
map
31

32. Orienting the
map
32

33. Orienting the
map
33

34. Ways of orienting the map
• Match features around you
• Use your compass
• Use the sun (the sun is to the south of us in
the middle of the day, if we are in the
northern hemisphere)
34

35. When to orient the map
• Orient the map at every control to make sure you
head in the right direction.
• Try to keep your map oriented at all times.
• “Thumb” the map as you walk: keep your thumb
roughly pointing to where you are on the map.
35

36. Field trip schedule
• 8:45 Take bus to Middlesex Fells
• 9:30 Training map.
• 10:30 TEAM CHALLENGE.
• 12:30 Deadline to return to Finish
• 12:45 Return to buses.
• 1:00 Return to school
36

37. Map Walk 1
37

38. TEAM CHALLENGE:
Landmark Controls
38

39. TEAM CHALLENGE:
Team Controls
(Envelopes are
marked with
team letter and
control number
so we can clean
up any
remaining
controls after
the event.)
39

40. Licensing
• Teams may choose to become Licensed to Navigate
• To become licensed, teams must demonstrate
– Knowledge of navigation (written test)
– A good plan for tackling the Team Challenge (individual homework and
team work in class)
– Trustworthiness and readiness (teacher assessment)
• Why be licensed?
– The glory, the fame
– Useful feedback on skills the team needs to work on.
– Can choose to go without an adult chaperone
– 1 bonus ticket/person for taking the test
40

41. Licensing exam

42. TEAM CHALLENGE:
Prizes
• Getting tickets
– 4 tickets at each team control
– 1 ticket for each landmark
control
– 1 ticket for each person taking
the Licensing exam
– 2 tickets for picking up garbage
in the woods
– 2 tickets for team prepared to
get on the bus
– 1 ticket for each person
completing a course at a local
NEOC orienteering meet
• Late penalty
– Lose 1 ticket for each minute
late
• Tickets can be exchanged for
prizes and snacks at the Finish
42

43. Bring to the woods:
• Watch (at least 1 per team)
• Cell phone (1 per team)
• Team packet (folder with maps, plan)
• Backpack
– Snack
– Lunch
– Water
• Suitable clothing
– Long-sleeved shirt; long pants
– Sweater, raincoat
• Insect repellant (optional)
43

44. Safety
• Teams carry cell phones. Numbers distributed to
all adults. Safety numbers (mine, 911, …)
• Safety bearing is west.
• Teams must always stay together.
• Return to the Finish location by 12:30 at the
latest.
• Watch where you step.
• Practice communicating location
• Preparation: route planning, team dynamics, …
44

45. Safety
Bearing
is
WEST to the
road, then
along the
road to the
parking lot.
45

46. Roving
Parents

47. Poison Ivy
• 3 leaves
• STAY AWAY!
47

48. Watch your step!
48

49. Calendar
Mon 9/13 Tue 9/14 Wed 9/15 Thu 9/16 Fri 9/18
Lecture. Homework due Teams plan routes
Start homework in
Lab
Mon 9/20 Tue 9/21 Wed 9/22 Thu 9/23 Fri 9/24
Licensing Exam Team dynamics Last minute Field trip
questions in
Home Room
Fri 10/1
Rain date for
field trip
49

50. ROUTE PLANNING
50

51. Route planning advice
• Use trails as much as possible
• Big trails are faster than little trails
• Use landmark controls
51

52. Plan route from 2 to 3
52

53. Straight Line distance from 2 to 3
53

54. Draw in a route from 2 to 3
Pick up landmark controls along the way. 54

55. Which landmark controls will you visit?
Answer: 120, 118, 117, 106
55

56. Which additional landmark controls can
you get if you have extra time?
What would be a good lunch spot?
56
How much time will you need to get from there to the finish?

57. Describe the route from 2 to 120
From To Description
2 120 Start by orienting the map and heading toward 120 (west).
Distance: 0.5 cm on the map = 50 m on the ground = 35 paces
Come down off the knoll.
Pass the cliff on the right.
The control feature is a trail junction.
57

58. Describe the route from 120 to 118
Distance = 2 cm = 200 m = 140 paces
Orient the map and head south toward 118 along the trail.
Make sure to take the left trail, not the one on the right.
Cross a trail at about 60 paces.
Pass a cliff on the right as we go up-hill.
The control feature is a trail junction
58

59. Describe the route from 118 to 117
Distance = 2 cm = 200 m = 140 paces
Orient the map and head west along the big trail.
Fence will be on our left.
Trail will bend to the right at about 70 paces.
At about 100 paces, there will be a large trail going off to the
right.
At the next trail junction, go right and we should see the
control.
The control is at a trail junction.
59

60. Calendar
Mon 9/13 Tue 9/14 Wed 9/15 Thu 9/16 Fri 9/18
Lecture. Homework due Teams plan routes
Start homework in
Lab
Mon 9/20 Tue 9/21 Wed 9/22 Thu 9/23 Fri 9/24
Licensing Exam Team dynamics Last minute Field trip
questions in
Home Room
Fri 10/1
Rain date for
field trip
60

61. Working as a Team
61

62. Working as a Team: Ground Rules
• Make your own
• Examples
– One person speaks at a time, and the others listen
– We make decisions by consensus (everyone has to agree
on the decision)
– In discussions we do not have to agree - we want to hear
everyone's ideas
– We use respectful language with each other
– We value constructive feedback. We will avoid being
defensive and give feedback in a constructive manner.
62

63. Working as a Team: Goals
• Make your own
• Examples
– Everyone understands how to orient a map
– We will get all the team controls and 5 landmark
controls
– We will have fun
– We will work well together as a team
– Everyone gets a chance to navigate
63

64. Working as a Team: Possible Roles
• Possible Roles
– Navigation: reading contours, matching features
to the map, distance estimation, map orientation
– Teamwork: facilitator, timekeeper, route selection
– Garbage collector
64

65. Working as a Team: Dealing with
Problems
• What problems might come up?
• Role playing exercise
• Examples
– Disagreement about which way to go
– A team member wants to go faster; others do not
– A team member is disrespectful of another team
member
65

66. Calendar
Mon 9/13 Tue 9/14 Wed 9/15 Thu 9/16 Fri 9/18
Lecture. Homework due Teams plan routes
Start homework in
Lab
Mon 9/20 Tue 9/21 Wed 9/22 Thu 9/23 Fri 9/24
Licensing Exam Team dynamics Last minute Field trip
questions in
Home Room Reflections
Fri 10/1
Rain date for
field trip
66

67. What preparations did your team make that were
really important to your success on this trip?
• Teamwork.
• Listening.
• Planning our route. (Prevented arguments.)
• Marking the route on the map. Studying the map.
• Ground rules.
• Discussed what to do if one person got out of hand; if someone did not follow the rules.
• Assigning roles.
• Learning to orient the map. Practicing orienting the map.
• Acting out possible situations. Someone getting hurt. Someone not following the
ground rules.
• Having someone keep time.
• Agreed on how fast we would go.
• Planning what to wear. What to bring for food.
• Getting licensed.
• Orienteering homework packet was useful.

68. Students’ Personal High Points
• Finding team controls. Finding the first team • Knowing we were close to the finish.
control. • Finishing. Finishing on time.
• Starting off. Rush of excitement. • Socializing at the end. Socializing on the bus;
• Working hard. sharing stories of the day.
• Earning tickets. Getting prizes. Tickets • Working as a team. Coming together as a
showed how hard we worked. team over the course of the day.
• Sense of accomplishment. Pride. • Getting a high score.
• The views. Seeing a snake. Just going into • Bushwhacking.
the woods. • Having a license.
• Recovering from being lost. • Coming up with names for the team.
• Gaining confidence from finding the first • Realizing that the team controls were little
control; over time. envelopes.
• Learning more and more how to read the • Seeing who could find the envelope first
map over the course of the day. once we were in the area.
• Knowing where we were on the map and • Finding a control after looking for it for about
where we were going. Not getting lost. 20 minutes.
• Being on a roll finding controls. • Leading other groups to the finish; helping
• Cheering my teammates up. other groups.

69. Summary of Key Skills
• Map reading
– Topography
– Legend
– Describing where you are
– Planning a route
• Navigation
– Orienting the map
– Distance estimation
– Matching map features to terrain
– Recovering from errors
• Team work
– Including everyone
– Resolving disagreements
– Having fun

70. Working with Staff and Parents
• Staff
– Three before-school meetings with
staff
– Full partnership
• Parent chaperones
– Coordinator
– Recruitment, CORI forms,
communication
– Pre-reading
– Assigned roles
– Invited to classroom sessions
– Meeting at the woods before kids
arrive
– Debriefing afterwards

71. Variations on the theme
Map Navigation Teamwork
Learn
Plan
Execute
Reflect
Developed over several years in collaboration with teachers

72. Variation: 1st grade mix-in
72

73. Variation: 1st grade mix-in

74. Variation: 1st grade mix-in

75. Practice map
reading at
nearby parks

76. 5th Grade at Fresh Pond
Map Navigation Teamwork
Students specialize in distance
A team leader learns facilitation
Learn estimation, map features or
and role plays situations.
compass.
Plan Teams plan routes. Achieve consensus.
(1) Street orienteering to get to Fresh Pond.
Execute (2) Execute plan to collect controls.
(3) Put puzzle together to find the prize.
Reflect How did we do? What did we learn?

77. Variation: 5th grade
trip to Fresh Pond

78. Variation: 5th grade trip
to Fresh Pond
• Single-session training:
– (1) skills (2) team

79. Variation: Harbor Island Orienteering and
Citizen Science
Dr. Jessica Rykken

80. We learned about invertebrate
diversity at Harvard

81. 1st & 2nd graders

82. We
planned
our route
from school
to the T
station.

83. T

84. We colored the land and navigation buoys
in a harbor map.

85. Field trip!

86. On the boat

87. Biodiversity survey

88. Ant

89. Habitats

90. Classification

91. Ranger

92. Orienteering

93. Variation: 4th graders and science

94. 4th grade Fells Trip: Erosion

95. What shaped these rocks?

96. (But the living things were more
interesting!)

97. Variation: Scout-O
• See Dave’s writeup (handout)

98. Variation: Orienteering Meet
• See NEOC.org for upcoming schedule!

99. Resources for educators
• (SEE HANDOUT)
• www.neoc.org
• www.orienteeringusa.org

100. 100

101. 101

102. 102

103. Appendix: Learning Frameworks

104. Frameworks: Science
• Earth and Space Science Standard for K-2
– 1. Recognize that water, rocks, soil, and living organisms are found on
the earth’s surface.
• Life Science Standards
– PreK-2: Differentiate between living and nonliving things. Group both
living and nonliving things according to the characteristics that they
share.
– 3-5: Classify plants and animals according to the physical
characteristics that they share.
– 6-8: Classify organisms into the currently recognized kingdoms
according to characteristics that they share. Be familiar with organisms
from each kingdom.

105. Frameworks: Math
• Number sense standards from PreK-K
– K.M.2 Make and use estimates of measurements from everyday
experiences.
– K.M.3 Use nonstandard units to measure length, area, weight, and
capacity.
• Exploratory concepts and skills for 1-2 Geometry
– Create mental images of geometric shapes using spatial memory and
spatial visualization.
– Recognize geometric shapes and structures in the environment and
specify their location.
– Identify relative positions, e.g., closer, farther, higher, lower, etc.
– Find and name locations on maps and express simple relationships, e.g.,
near to, far away from.

106. Frameworks for 3-5
• Earth and Space Science
– 4. Explain and give examples of the ways in which
soil is formed (the weathering of rock by water
and wind and from the decomposition of plant
and animal remains).
– 12. Earth’s surface changes due to slow processes
such as erosion and weathering, and rapid
processes such as landslides, volcanic eruptions,
and earthquakes.

107. Frameworks for 6-8
• Learning Standard, Earth and Space Science
– Recognize, interpret, and be able to create models of the
earth’s common physical features in various mapping
representations, including contour maps.
• Learning Standards, Math
– 6.G.9 Match three-dimensional objects and their two-
dimensional representations
– 6.M.3 Solve problems involving proportional relationships
and units of measurement, e.g., same system unit
conversions, scale models, maps, and speed.