doing a navigation presentation

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
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for my nephews boyscout troop the average age is going to be 9-10 I don't want to go into too much detail that they'll lose interest but I want it to be informative..I'm told that at this point they have no map and compass skills..so I'm thinking basic "fred in the shed stuff and a brief explanation of topography, and a difference between true and magnetic North..any other ideas?
 
Field bearings vs map bearings, maybe.

Declination definitely.

Things that throw off a compass, probably.

What the lines on a topo map can tell you.
 
Can I come?! I have no idea how to navigate with a compass. I thought I kinda did, but then I found out about declination.:mad:
 
Here's a link to a PowerPoint I made for our SAR team.
It may be a bit much for kids, but you could take out the excess...

Cheers,
8

Vary your sources, practice your methods.
 
THanks guys... Great advice so far...Stingray did you move?? I thought you where an east coast guy...If you give me your addy I'll lend you a great book I have on the subject.
 
I have taught boy scouts, girl scouts, and their leaders. I also teach adults and kids orienteering as well as having taught land navigation in the army as a scout. I have also taught CERT teams and several fire departments including my own.

9 and 10 year olds I would only teach how to use magnetic bearings and let them learn what their steps are for 100 meters, at least to start. There is a lot you can do just with that. Just make them aware of what the limitations on that are.

Just my $.02,
KR
 
Teaching them how to find the North star might keep them interested looking up at night and finding the big and little dippers
 
years ago when my daughter was in girl scouts i taught a basic compass class for the girls. the high point was letting them run a very basic course and have them end up back where they started. they loved it. doesn't take long to set up and it points out how easy it is to take a heading and follow it.
 
RescueRiley said:
THanks guys... Great advice so far...Stingray did you move?? I thought you where an east coast guy...If you give me your addy I'll lend you a great book I have on the subject.
Click to expand...

No, no, I have been in California since I started on this forum. I did live in Ohio for 6 or 7 years before I came to this forum though.

Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I am much too busy with school right now, and I don't trust myself to get the book returned to you in a reasonable timeframe. Thanks again for the offer though.
 
I wouldn't advise triangulation with a group of 9-10 year olds. I think they'd tune out fast.

Could just be the 9-10 year olds I hang out with though. :D
 
9 or 10 years old ? I think I'd just stick to cardinal and intermediate points, forget bearings altogether. I think it's more important that they learn cardinal points really well first, but that's just my own .02
True/magnetic/grid north: definitely. I think they might be overwhelmed by the calculations involved at least to the point where they lose interest.

I've had good luck teaching(army cadets) through 'navenger hunts'. Each waypoint has a letter of a word. Pick uncommon words with common letters so it's tough to guess the word without every letter. Another thing that works well is to cache gear needed for the next exercise. Either way, they have a sense of accomplishment that keeps them stoked.

+1 on pacing as well.

Keep it simple keep it fun, even though they are 'knowledge sponges' !
 
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