Hughes-Kohler-Suzuki

Lesson One - Fire Safety

Fire provides warmth, light and a power source to cook food. It is a necessity when camping. Campfires could also pose a threat if not created, maintained and put out appropriately. Within this module the learner will learn how to identify a safe place to build a fire, what elements are needed to start a fire, how to create a campfire that meets specific camping purposes and how to put the fire out without leaving a threat to the environment. In addition, the student will explore and reflect on the devastating effects of a forest fire. The learner will demonstrate their knowledge by creating and submitting a video showing how to start a fire using the provided safety precautions. The students will compile the steps on a wiki. The learner will also blog about documented forest fires by describing the environmental and economic impact of specific instances.

Lesson Two - Drinkable Water Safety

One of the most important things to know on a camping trip is how to get clean water. Unfortunately, when you are out in the wilderness what looks like drinkable water could actually contain bacteria or other foreign material that can make your dream camping trip turn into a nightmare. In this section of the course, YMCA trainees will learn about different methods and procedures for treating and purifying water. The module will also cover some tips on how to determine if a water source should or should not be used for drinking water. Trainees will read various articles about how to identify possible sources of water and take a quiz on the material to check for understanding. The trainees will then watch video demonstrations that cover the procedures for filtering and treating questionable water. After viewing the videos, trainees will write an essay that would describe the procedure for determining whether or not a water source is viable to drink from and how to go about purifying the water. The final assessment would include the trainee actually completing the purification process at home. The trainee will post a description about their experience completing the process and will also embed one picture into the post as evidence.

Lesson Three - Environmental Safety

Learners will study and evaluate the importance of three main physical components related to camping safety: climate, wilderness environment, and geographical surroundings. Students will be frontloaded glossary words for each category. They will then watch and take notes of three separate videos segments pertaining to each topic. In between each video segment will be a self-guided multiple choice quiz, reviewing the main ideas and key details. After they watch the videos, learners will be given a short-essay written assignment. They will be asked to respond to a typical camping scenario describing one or more problems involving climate, wilderness elements, or geographical features. Students are to explain what the camper(s) ought to do to solve the scenario. Answers should check for understanding based upon the educational videos and key vocabulary words.