Wetlands Outdoor Education

1. What do you remember best from Outdoor Ed this year? The thing I remember best from outdoor ed this year is the canoe trip that our class took on the river. I remember this the best because I learnt the most during this trip. I learnt how to work as a team as we were tested with the strong winds, heat, and rapids. I learnt to communicate with my team and tell the stern if I see any rocks, strainers or sweepers. I also learnt how to tell which is the best path by locating a v created by the water. This v shows a safe path for the canoe to travel through. This trip taught me many lessons such as; trips don’t always go to plan, how to persevere, and how to improve based on my mistakes. 2. What challenged you the most from this past year in Outdoor Ed? What challenged me the most during this year was organizing the “Frostbite Games” at the beginning of the year. The “Frostbite Games” was a mini Olympic Games that we set up for the Grade 7 and 8s. This challenged me the most becau

A) What I did well One thing I did notice I did well was that I persevered and kept hopeful throughout the day even when I was tired and aching from paddling. I also improved my j-stroke throughout the day and learned how to help the stern stir the canoe. I also did a good job of spotting the hazards and communicating with my partners. B)  What I need to improve I need to improve rafting up and slowing down. At some times we had a hard time stoping at the side of the bank and turning back into the current. C) What I really enjoyed I really enjoyed seeing the beautiful sand banks that reached up very high. I also enjoyed taking breaks and talking with my canoeing parteners and classmates about the rapids and the scenery. D) What I found difficult and why I found the length of the trip difficult because it got me really tired and exhausted. This made it difficult to stay positive and have the strength to paddle on. E) Would I recommend canoe excursions in the future? Why

On June 8th our class is taking a 6 hour canoe trip. We should bring: - shoes (ones that will stay on your feet and protect your feet) - windbreaker jacket (to keep us warm) - sunscreen (more than SPF 25) - bug spray - hat - sunglasses (make sure to strap them around your neck/head) - change of clothes/towel (in case you fall in) - water bottle - food/snacks (make sure to put in ziplock bag) - bail bucket - rope - whistle

1. What worked in my station? -What really worked at my station was the repetition of questions. This reminded the students of the main points and helped it stick in their heads. The games also gave the students a picture of what we were talking about. The activity where we put the tarp over the children really gave them a picture of what the earth would be like if lots of greenhouse gases were in the air. 2. What didn’t work at my station? -The only one problem we had at our station was that the kids didn’t remember the names of the gases or where the gases came from. 3. What was a difficulty I didn’t expect? -I didn’t expect that the kids would be so distracted after lunch. At some points it was hard to keep them from wondering around and talking. 4. Were there outstanding students at my station? Why? -Yes there some outstanding students. I think that was because they were more interested in the wetlands and about learning and teaching more. 5. What could we do be