Sustainability Camp Curriculum

WELCOME TO SUSTAINABILITY

Time: 90 min (1/2 block; follow with Spaceship Earth)
Place: Tofino Botanical Gardens, outdoors or indoors

Overview

The beginning of any educational program or camp is both exciting and scary for participants. The Welcoming block is designed to introduce students and teachers to the program, The Ecolodge, and their facilitators. It is designed to begin the program by creating a sense of community and teamwork within the group. A sense of participation and responsibility to community is a key aspect of creating ecological sustainability and social equity. A community functions well when there is trust, communication, cooperation and support. Students will engage in activities that seek to build these elements of a healthy community. The Welcoming session will also introduce the importance of personal reflection by inviting students to use a journal. Building community, contributing to community, and journaling are on-going themes and of essence in the activities throughout the camp.

Prescribed Learning Outcomes

1. Grade 6 and 7 Physical Education: Participate safely in activities in a natural or alternative setting; an outdoor experience; Follow rules, routines and procedures of safety in a variety of activities; Identify and demonstrate positive behaviours that show respect for individuals’ potential, interests and cultural backgrounds; Select and assume responsibility for assigned roles while participating in a physical activity.
2. Grade 6 Language Arts: Demonstrate a willingness to assume a variety of roles in group interactions.
3. Grade 7 Language Arts: Create a written communication to record their views, opinions, values and beliefs; Encourage others to participate; Develop strategies for resolving conflict and solving problems.
4. Grade 6 Personal Planning: Encourage others to contribute to a safe school and community.
5. Grade 7 Fine Arts: Demonstrate leadership and responsibility within a group.

Objectives

1. Students will understand the concepts of teamwork and community, and be active, respectful, and responsible members of their class community.
2. Students will have fun and work together as a team, which will help them learn about themselves, each other, and strengthen their sense of community as a class.
3. Students will know the ground rules of the program and The Ecolodge.
4. Students will be introduced to the concept of reflection and be able to use a journal to record their own thoughts and ideas.

Materials

1. Team building activity materials
1. Beat the Clock: a watch with a second hand
2. Electric Fence: 4m long rope, 6-8 bells that can be tied or clipped to rope (twist ties work well), 6 blindfolds, stuff sack to hold equipment
2. Journals for each participant
3. Samples of journals to demonstrate to participants
4. Collection of various pens, pencils, felts etc.

Procedure

PART 1 – Introductions (20 min)

1. Ask participants to gather in a circle. Welcome students and teachers. Introduce facilitators and instructors, and explain why students are at The Ecolodge.
2. Name game (include everyone - teachers, students, parent chaperones, instructors and facilitators): Invite participants, one at a time around the circle, to introduce themselves by stepping forward in the circle saying his/her name while making a motion that shows how s/he feels. It could be a wave, a skip, or a movement that expresses excitement, sadness, worry, or anything else. It should not be a motion like a flip or cartwheel though because after each person introduces themselves, everyone else will step forward and repeat the person’s name and motion. Continue around the circle.
3. Explain that this circle is our community for the next week. Ask: What is community? Why is community important to you? Talk about how they have a community in their classroom, a community of friends, a community of people, a community they live in (they may share views, values, interests, activities with their communities ie. church, hockey, music).
4. Explain that the place for our community for this week is The Ecolodge and the gardens. Explain rules that the community must respect, and expectations facilitators have of students (ie. be on time, participate, etc). Ask students if they have expectations of each other.
5. Explain that community is a key theme during this week, and that later in the week we will actually be going out into the greater community to do some neat projects that you (students) will come up with!

PART 2 – Community Building Activities (55 min)

Key concepts in building a team, or community: CATS - cooperation, appropriate communication, trust, and support. The following four activities can be completed in sequence, emphasizing each concept with each activity. Be sure to introduce each activity and the key concept, and conduct a debrief at the end of each activity. Then conduct a debrief at the end of all four activities. Focus on what participants learn about themselves and their group, the idea of community and teamwork, and the four key concepts. Help them become community CATS!

Beat the Clock (cooperation, 10-15 minutes)

This activity is excellent for bonding the students as a group, and requires a physical teamwork challenge, demonstrating the importance of cooperation.

1. Start by asking participants to form a circle shoulder-to-shoulder, holding hands.
2. Ask everyone to take 2 steps backwards.
3. Tell the group their challenge is to “Beat the Clock”. “Pretend you are a big clock. In front of me is 12 o’clock. You must move clockwise all the way around the circle until you are back at your original position. The record is the same number of seconds as there are participants (eg. If you have 22 people, the record is 22 seconds). Remember if you break the circle, you must stop, join hands again, and then start again. Let’s see how much you can beat the record by. Ready, set, go!” (remember to time the group)

Variations:

1. Have the group go counter-clockwise to see if they can beat the record set in the clockwise direction.
2. Have the group go around twice or three times and time them.
3. To challenge a group that has completed variations 1 and 2, have them face outwards. You can now challenge them again doing the same “Beat the Clock” challenges.

Electric Fence (appropriate communication, 15-20 minutes)

This activity allows participants to learn about self, others, and teams. Every group requires a team at one time or another. Good communication (respectful language, active listening, sharing air time, clear communication) is essential to accomplishing challenging tasks.

1. Tie the 4 m long rope tightly between two trees. The rope should come up to the belly button of the average height of the group members. If you have a very athletic group the rope can be raised a few inches. If the group thinks watching TV sports is exhausting, the rope can be lowered. Clip or tie the 6 to 8 bells to the rope. Make sure any obstacles are removed so that both sides of the electric fence are clear. (you could set the rope up in advance)
2. Gather the group and tell them the story:
“Your group is being chased by a band of outer space pygmies who want to take over earth. They have set up this electric fence trap to catch you. Your group is on one side of the fence, and you must get your whole group over to the other side using only what you have on you. You cannot use any other equipment. Also, no part of your body, clothing, or equipment may touch the rope. If it does, the bell will ring and that person will be blindfolded and returned to the starting side to try again. Although you may step or stand underneath the electric fence, no person or equipment can be passed under the electric fence. The trees the rope is tied to is also electrified, and will cause you to be blindfolded. The area on the other side is also pressure sensitive therefore people must land lightly. Once a blindfolded person reaches the other side, the blindfold will be removed. Good luck with your challenge!”

Remind the group that communication is key. Encourage the group to hear everyone’s ideas for getting group members over. Ensure students are actively listening to one another and using appropriate language. Often, a few people take charge immediately with their own ideas. Challenge the group to consider all ideas, because they may need many different ways to get people over.

Wind in the Willows (trust, 10-15 minutes)

This is a short activity designed to build trust. It is essential that members of the team take their task seriously. There are safety concerns that facilitators must watch for. Each individual in the group becomes directly responsible for the safety and well being of the participant in the middle of the circle. Be sure to emphasize this to the group.

1. Break the group into smaller teams of 5 to 10 (might be best to allow kids to self select teams). Ask adults to be a facilitator for each team.
2. Have each team form a small circle, facing inward, where everyone is standing nearly shoulder-to-shoulder.
3. Invite one person to be the first “willow”, demonstrating and setting an example for the activity. Facilitators should be watching closely.
4. To be a “willow”: stand in the middle of the circle, with your feet close together, and hold your body stiff. Cross your arms on your chest. As the wind starts blowing through the willows they will start to sway. When the team is ready close your eyes and fall back, keeping your body stiff. The team members behind you in the circle will stop your fall after you have “swayed” back 30 to 60cm, and push you back up in another direction - this may be across the circle or to the right or left. Try to keep your eyes closed. Remind the team that the object is to build trust, not destroy it, so everyone must pay attention and do their job well.
5. After about one minute of swaying around the circle, have the “willow” open their eyes and stop. Now, someone else can be the “willow”. Continue until everyone has had an opportunity to be in the middle.

* Some students may not want to be in the middle of the circle. Encourage them to give it a try, but don’t push it. Tell them they can leave their eyes open. Have the group form a tighter circle so the “willow” won’t sway as far. The rest of the group will likely encourage their classmates as well.

Sitting Circle (support, 5 minutes)

This is a simple activity that illustrates how a team or community supports all members. When all members offer support, all members are supported.

1. Start by asking participants to form a circle shoulder-to-shoulder.
2. Ask everyone to take 1 step forward so they are snug together.
3. Ask everyone to turn to their left, so that each is facing the back of another.
4. Explain that they are now going to slowly sit down on the lap of the person behind them. Everyone must move slowly and be able to sit down with fair comfort. People can shift closer to each other if needed.
5. Allow the group to sit, supporting each other, for a few seconds.
6. Now ask: What do you think will happen if one person does not support the community? Try it, by asking one person to leave the sitting circle. Then you could ask another, and maybe one more. What is happening?
7. Ask the group to form the circle again on each others laps and give one big hoorah!

Debrief all four activities in a circle (5-10 minutes)
Use:

• WHAT? (What did you learn?)
• SO WHAT? (Why is this important or meaningful?)
• NOW WHAT? (What are you going to do now? How will you act on your learning?)
• Emphasize the four key concepts of community: CATS - cooperation, appropriate communication, trust, and support
• Reiterate the importance of citizen and community contribution – an ongoing theme in this camp.

PART 3 – Journaling (15 minutes)
Through the ages right into today’s creative world, journals have been the working-thinking place of great thinkers, inventors, and artists. Journal keeping is an activity that promotes reflection and invites students to “be with themselves”. It is a creative process that allows students to capture their own thoughts, reflections, and questions that arise through their learning experience. Much research and practice in environmental and sustainability education promotes the use of journals.

1. Ask the group if anyone keeps a journal? Why or why not? Explain how journals can be a useful tool for collecting thoughts, questions, and ideas. They are a place to reflect. Explore the concept of reflection.
2. Explain and demonstrate with existing journals (if possible) that each journal is unique, and shaped by its keeper. Not all journals are just writing. You can draw, doodle, write, paste things, paint in them… whatever you are inspired to do.
3. Explain that students are invited to use journals during their stay at The Ecolodge, and that they should bring their journals to all activities unless the facilitator says they don’t need it.
4. Hand out a journal to each participant.
5. Ask students to take 5 min to make their first journal entry. You might start with:

“Using whatever method you want (writing, drawing, etc) and using the pens and pencils I have here, on the first page of your journal I want you to reflect on the group activities we just did. What did you learn about how you can contribute to your classroom community?”

* You can also use any of the “Journal Entry Starter Actions” (pg. 4) listed in the printed facilitator handout. This handout is also useful for generating other journal activity ideas throughout the program.

NOTE:  if the team building exercises end up taking longer, you could opt to introduce journaling as an evening session.