1. Compass Treasure Hunt By Nancy Moore Walton Middle School 1.Allow class to experiment with the compass. See if they can discover and share the techniques for basic compass orienteering. Make sure students know how to orient themselves in a particular direction using a compass. If the student wants to go east, he should hold the compass parallel to the ground. Without moving the compass, he must pivot until the red arrow (the north-seeking arrow) points to “N.” Direct the student to locate a point that is due east. He now must walk toward that point the number of steps indicated. 2.Have class practice orienting themselves in a variety of directions. Have them stand with compass in hand. Say, “Find south.” Check to see that all students are facing the correct way. Do the same with east, west, and north. Depending upon the age and experience of students, you can also try to have them locate NW, SE, SW, NNE, ENE, etc. 3.Once students can orient themselves well, divide the class into groups of three or four. Give each group a task card. The students will follow directions and find their treasure. 1.Allow class to experiment with the compass. See if they can discover and share the techniques for basic compass orienteering. Make sure students know how to orient themselves in a particular direction using a compass. If the student wants to go east, he should hold the compass parallel to the ground. Without moving the compass, he must pivot until the red arrow (the north-seeking arrow) points to “N.” Direct the student to locate a point that is due east. He now must walk toward that point the number of steps indicated. 2.Have class practice orienting themselves in a variety of directions. Have them stand with compass in hand. Say, “Find south.” Check to see that all students are facing the correct way. Do the same with east, west, and north. Depending upon the age and experience of students, you can also try to have them locate NW, SE, SW, NNE, ENE, etc. 3.Once students can orient themselves well, divide the class into groups of three or four. Give each group a task card. The students will follow directions and find their treasure. Prior setup and one 40-minute period None listed Use a compass for orientation and to follow a course (For class of 30) Compasses (30 or 1 per group) Index cards with four directions on them (1 per group) Treasure bags (baggies with 1 treat per student) (For class of 30) Compasses (30 or 1 per group) Index cards with four directions on them (1 per group) Treasure bags (baggies with 1 treat per student) The students can be asked to stand and orient themselves in a particular direction. If you do this with individual students, the rest of the class can help you to evaluate by placing their compasses on the table with the north-seeking arrow pointing to “N” and checking to see that the individual student is facing the right way. None listed Make a set of task cards (one card per group of students), each card with a starting point (a desk, a tree, etc.) followed by four directions which include the number of paces to be taken in a particular direction. The course should have the students ending up at some object (tree, desk, etc.) None listed Objective Materials and Equipment Materials and Equipment Time Procedures Assessment Further Challenges Further Challenges Overview Teaching Suggestions Safety Note