Survival Lesson

Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources - Survival Lesson (Ideal in Winter)

The Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources Survival Lesson provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to engage with and survive in outdoor scenarios. Students will be able to learn about various survival skills and have the chance to apply their knowledge through engaging in a variety of activities, including building a shelter and fire in nature. Students will also have the chance to learn about the spread and symptoms of Lyme and Rabies and how to protect themselves from these diseases.

Learning Objectives:

After this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Explain their basic survival needs and determine which are most important.
2. Feel confident in their ability to engage with nature and natural resources.
3. Work with a variety of tools in an outdoor, wooded setting.
4. Explain how they can protect themselves from Lyme and Rabies.

Learning Standards:

Observe familiar plants and animals (including humans) and describe what they need to survive.

Overview of Activities (All Ages):

This brief overview of the various activities that can be completed for this lesson is split by activity. Each activity is given a time estimate and description. For more detailed information, click here. Note that all groups will have the chance to tour the Extension Learning Farm and eat a lunch (not provided) while visiting.

Outdoor Survival Lesson (30 Minutes):

• 7 Basic Survival Needs: 
  • Students will learn in-depth about their 7 basic survival needs through an interactive activity. They will be able to determine which are most important and why.
• #1 STOP: 
  • Students will learn about what the acronym "#1 STOP" means, and how this can be applied to their experiences in nature.
• Firewood Lesson: 
  • Students will learn about what material is best for creating fires.
• Shelter Activity: 
  • Students will learn about how to use their surroundings to make a shelter out of natural resources.

Ticks and Lyme Disease Lesson (30 Minutes):

• What are Ticks?: 
  • Students will learn about what ticks look like and their life cycle. They will have the chance to see example ticks and practice classifying ticks.
• Lyme Disease: 
  • Students will learn about how Lyme disease is spread from the tick into the human body and about the symptoms associated with Lyme disease.
• Preventing Lyme Disease: 
  • Students will learn about what they can do to prevent ticks and lyme disease, including using bug spray, practicing tick checks, wearing the proper clothing, and removing the tick.

Rabies Lesson (25 Minutes):

• What is Rabies?:
  • Students will learn about which animals are responsible for spreading rabies, and how it can be spread to people. Additionally, students will learn about the symptoms of rabies.
• Rabies Prevention:
  • Students will learn about how to prevent both themselves and their animals from getting rabies, including vaccinations and proper care.

Outdoor Survival Activity (1 Hour):

• Building Shelters and Fires:
  • Students will be reminded about how they should act in natural settings.
• Survival Activity Procedures:
  • Students will be given the chance to build a shelter and a fire in the wooded areas surrounding the CCE. The students will use both the natural resources around them and some classroom materials to create a standing shelter and a fire that can boil water.
• Reflection and Evaluation:
  • Students will be given the chance to reflect upon their activities and what they learned during the lessons through a series of questions.

Additional Activities:

• Scavenger Hunt (30 Minutes):
  • Students will be able to explore the CCE while searching for various natural items.
• Knotscraft (30 Minutes):
  • Students will learn about how to tie various knots.
• Backpacking Survival Items (30 Minutes):
  • Students will learn about what items are most important and necessary for surviving in nature.

Click Here for A Detailed Lesson Plan of this Program!

Last updated April 25, 2024