2024 Grades 6-8 at Pierce School in Brookline

Curriculum for Grades 6-8 at Pierce School in Brookline, MA, using the Fisher Hill map by the Orienteering USA Youth Mapping Project

Overview

There are four lessons, taught over a couple of weeks in real time.

Lesson 1: Orienting the Map and Electronic Timing: Geometric-O

Materials:

1. SportIdent kit (boxes, finger sticks, mini-reader, computer with EasyGec)

2. Cones and cone toppers

3. NG kit with Animal-O and Geometric-O laminated materials

Set-up: 

1. Insert the cone toppers into the 13 orange cones. (31-40 plus Clear, Start, Finish)

2. Insert the SportIdent timing boxes into the cone toppers.

3. Place the cones in the configuration shown in the Setup Map.

4. Attach the Mini-Reader to the computer via the USB cable.

5. Turn on the computer; open the EasyGecNG (or EasyGec) application.

6. Within EasyGec, open the correct EasyGec file (often called "Animal-O_new.egc"; available for download here); switch to "Face" mode; ensure the COM port is connected; start EasyGec listening for data. For instructions, see the EasyGec Electronic Timing Tutorial

Note: if you are not using electronic timing, only step #3 must be done.

Instruction:

1. Warm up with Animal-O. This gives practice in using the electronic timing system, and becoming familiar with the layout of the cones.

2. Move on to Geometric-O

3. If this is the last class of the day, have the students pick up the materials

Additional activity:

• Score-O (same setup as Lesson 2). Set up using the Score-O Set-Up map; students get copies of the Score-O map; answers ("Score-O").

Lesson 2: Map Symbols and Careful Map Reading: Poison Score-O

Materials:

1. Checkpoint markers (eg streamers)

2. Set-Up map

3. Poison Score-O map for students: Poison 1, Poison 2, Poison 3, Poison 4 from this folder

4. Index cards and pencils for writing down the checkpoint codes

5. Correct answers

Set-up:

• Place the checkpoint markers at the locations shown on the Set-Up map

Instruction:

• Poison Score-O

Extension:

• Time the teams to see who is fastest. Scoring: first by number correct, then by time.

Lesson 3: Navigating with the Map: Star Orienteering

Materials:

• Checkpoint markers

• Set-Up Map

• Student maps (TBD - Evalin is prepping these)

Set-Up

• Hang checkpoint markers as shown in the Set-Up Map

Instruction:

• Star Orienteering

Lesson 4: Putting it all together: Races with Electronic Timing

Materials:

• SportIdent kit (cones, cone toppers, SI boxes, SI finger sticks, mini-reader, computer)

• Set-Up Map

• Student maps

Set-Up

• Place checkpoints as shown in the Set-Up Map

Instruction

• Races

Schedule