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Thread: Planning a "survival" presentation For Young School goers

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    Senior Member Antonyraison's Avatar
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    Default Planning a "survival" presentation For Young School goers

    Many many years ago when I was in primary school, I believe you call it Grade school
    We where visited by many members of the community in different vocations,
    I really recall The police - the drug unit, and dog units and Firefighters, etc coming to our schools
    Giving us learners a good talk and presentation on what they do and what to look out for etc.
    I recall it made an impact even in a small way growing up and helped me feel at easy and know what it is to be careful of and built a good relationship and respect for those members of society. Also gave some decent insights to other careers,etc.

    With all the above being said, I have been recently approached by a teacher of a school (primary/grade school) here
    to give a presentation on what it is I do - Which Is survival (as that is what as been assigned this term; members of the community, people I know, careers,etc)
    And it long touches on a separate Idea I been having that goes hand in hand with this I will term that As "motivational" informative, and interesting.
    I have asked basically the age group of the children, they around the 4- 6 year old group, I would say Grade 1 or 2 learners.
    I dont want to give a very long and drawn out boring presentation, I also Do not want to be presenting things that they may want to replicate that might be dangerous... also I am a bit worried on bringing certain kit such as Knives or cutting tools either for show purpouses or demonstration.
    But what I have thought of is basically the following:
    Maybe a 30 -45min tops presentation about Wilderness survival
    the basics of what it is, why you would need to do it, and what you might need
    The basics of the most important things:
    Shelter - Have a simple shelter Built with a tarp As a visual
    Water, water purification, water finding
    Rescue
    Simple navigation ( a demonstration - shadow stick)
    Fire - perhaps A bow drill demonstration, as I highly doubt a young learner would be able to replicate this at home.
    Perhaps Food, as in wild foods, like perhaps bring some earth worms, and eat them for the kids amusement.
    Ask them some general questions, as to get participation, such as which direction the sun rises from kind of thing...
    And I suppose go over the rules of 3's
    I have also Thought Of bringing some photos, and video clips for the things which May take too much time to out right do and show
    and perhaps some examples of things and places I have been and done these things for them to see.

    In other words very basic survival 101 things but watered down that it is easy to absorb and entertaining..
    But also I am trying to think of things that can be hands on take home things that may help them or at least give them a bit of an interest in nature and reverence thereof I guess..

    Your inputs are greatly appreciated.. I have yet to formalize what exactly I want to do and how I want to structure it...
    I have a few weeks To prepare...
    Last edited by Antonyraison; 07-10-2017 at 08:41 AM.
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    Any aspect of educating children is high on my to do list. In my experience all kids love the hands on approach to learning.

    Some things I would do and not do.

    In this day and age the terms "survival", "survivalist", etc., conjures up in the mind a picture of something that isn't what you are trying to portray and do. Perhaps, "Emergency training" or simply "what to do when you're lost in the woods" or some acronym that sounds fun but stands for survival training.

    You should focus on what the child should do, if they are alone or with someone who is hurt, that will facilitate rescue. If a child is lost then there is likely going to be a large contingency searching for them. From what I have read, children often tend to hide, sometimes thwarting the efforts of rescuers in finding them. Shelter is of primary importance but it should be as contrasting to the landscape as possible and visible.

    You should hit on conservation of resources. Don't waste water if they have it and don't drink it all in the first hour. Concentrate on inventory of available resources and rationing.

    First aid. Basic first aid and resting out of the sun/elements.

    I would NOT include subjects calling for fire or knives. The average 4 - 6 year old is not capable of using either of those with consistent success. Rather concentrate on ways to stay warm/cool using the resources at hand (blankets, ground cover, snow caves, etc.) that will keep them alive until they are found.

    Throughout, remind them that someone will be looking for them. Someone will find them. I have only read about these things, never experienced them first hand or even talked to anyone who has. The recurring theme is that children (even some adults) tend to actually hide form their rescuers. The reasons for this are not fully understood. There must be some hardwired thing in human brains that cause them to do this. I've read that embarrassment at being lost is a possible reason. I don't know.

    I know that #3 son when talking to children will put on his bunker gear helmet and air mask to let children see what he looks like. He then explains that if they are in their house and see someone like that they should go to them and not hide.

    It is a good thing you are wanting to do.

    Alan

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    Senior Member Antonyraison's Avatar
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    Thank you Alan,
    I find this actually quiet an honor to be in a position to do something like this, even if it is just once.
    I totally agree with you, I really want to stay away from Fire and knives especially at that age group, as the tendency might be to try replicate what they have seen.
    Hmmm you given me quiet a nice road map here, to impart something more into them than what I was thinking..
    yes I think staying safe in the wilderness, or what to do when your lost in the wilderness or even in general.
    Very good points Thank you again Alan.
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    You'r every welcome. My career was spent teaching and mentoring children. #1 wife did it for 32 years as teacher and Elementary School Principal. Kids have always been the focus of all we do.

    Learning about the outdoors is fun. When a child wants to learn something they will, by proxy, learn more of everything they are taught.

    When I was teaching I would begin my lessons by entertaining any questions the kids wanted to ask at the beginning of class. This is not according to the teaching model I was being evaluated on. But, the teaching model is flawed. It promotes "forced teaching" and "forced learning".

    When a student asks a question, any question, ALL of his/her classmates want to know the answer, they are interested. It was my job to answer that question and find a way to lead it into the lesson I wanted to teach that day. When I had their attention by validating their ideas and questions, I could teach them anything. I was a History teacher. Every so often when the weather was nice of when it was not, we would go outside. That's where History happened, outside. By being outside I could relate to the things out there that would bring my lesson into focus. If some battle occurred in the cold then a cold day is a great way to teach that. If there was a battlefield then being out on a large open place gave a better feeling of what it might have been like to have been there.

    Successful teaching is almost like slight of hand! The attention is captivated by one thing while the real purpose is being accomplished unseen.

    Again , good luck. Keep me posted on your progress. this could turn into something that others may want to do as well. Heck, I may even drag myself back up to the school in the fall.

    Alan

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    Yes, for kids that young, the focus should be on stay put, don't move. Everything else should focus on that. So, make a shelter, make noise, etc. For 8 and older, you can do a little fire building. But I would only teach them on how to start it with a match or lighter, or road flare.

    Show them what to put in a kit. Again, the kit should focus on staying put. So, whistles, mirrors, warm clothes, poncho, water, bright colors...etc.
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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    That's a great opportunity .......Be careful of perceptions at that age.

    For many years I did presentations at my kids school by demonstrating Mountain man stuff.....The focus wasn't that time period, as the study was early explorers of the west.
    Group age was maybe 5th grade......but older than 5-6 year old.

    My kids had brought pic's of them attending Rondy's a shoots....so was pressed into service.
    I would dress up in buckskins, bring hodes, and the rifle....knives and hawks, candle lanterns....etc.

    The point was to demonstrate the methods used and gear used to do the same things we do today.....

    I had to kinda skip past the way fur was gathered, (trapped for market)....as many kids would touch and feel different hides....but would ask....."Did you kill this to get the hide?".....Whoops....answer was "yes".......But tried to move on quickly.....
    Yup, got a call for the teacher as the little girl related to her parents....regarding killing animals.

    Another call was from a parent of a kid that had saved a couple of grains of black powder in a kleenex....I had given some kids a few grains to look at......She wanted to know why her son brought home a bomb...from school.

    You need to know how those little minds work.

    I think for that age group.....

    I would concentrate on being aware of surroundings...maybe what to do if lost/separated from the group.
    Stay put, carry whistle ....directions maybe a compass and what's around....Get back to car?
    Cell phone operation..(yeah I know they know more about phones than I do...but the 911 type drill)

    This was my own drill with may kids....Where is the car?....Which was are we going?...Where is the sun?

    Have a awareness of water, as in carrying you own...that age means..."Hey Mom....I'm thirsty"

    Dangers relating to bugs, animals, snakes ..and plants.......That may be harmful...where they are ...and how to stay away from them.

    Keep it short, fun....maybe give out a cheap whistle to each kid...and have them make a signal noise...(drive other adults crazy)

    You will find a few that will be real interested, few won't....everyone else will be in between.......That's the way it is...
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    Lots of good advice so far.

    Alan

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    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    If you are presenting to 1st grade students you are working with kids that have the attention span of a gnat!

    These kids have the year long goal of learning to count to 100, say all their letters, read words having five letters and get through the day without wetting their pants!

    If you give them three pieces of survival gear they will lose two and break the third.

    Most of what adults use often and repeatedly they are not allowed to touch.

    Shelter, water and food is the job of their parents. Navigation is remembering their address and phone number and not mixing up the boys' room and the girls' room.

    Survival for them is not wondering away from parents while walking through the woods, having their emergency whistle around their necks, staying put when they realize they are lost so the adults can find them, and not running and hiding from the "strangers" in the rescue group that are calling their names.

    I was told by a fire fighter tat they often have to hunt for children in burning buildings because the kids hide from the fire under beds and in closets and cover themselves with clothing or blankets and will not answer the calls of responders trying to rescue them.

    They are babies, keep it simple and do not expect too much in the way of attention to your program or remembering what you said.
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    Senior Member Antonyraison's Avatar
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    All such amazing good points by all.
    Certainly have a lot to think about.
    Everyone has made great points.
    I have a very good idea of more or less how I am going to approach this now..
    I will post up once I have something a bit formalised so that all can see and comment on what to change.. I be doing that in the next few days.
    Adding in the 911 drills etc parents names and phone numbers etc things that they should know and making it easy to recall.. or even something as simple as utilising a cell phone (u be surprised at kids knowledge on them) by sending a location or a simple text/sms distress can be added..
    Also making a simple sos or arrow with stone if they had to move to get a shelter or covering.
    Having bright colors knowing where vechile is or was.. or at least a main road or such..
    All very good things.. thank you all.
    I have experience teaching but only adults
    So I really appreciate the in put for toddlers!
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    Actually, after sitting with my grandkids 2 1/2, 6, 10 all day I'm thinking that gnats have really long attention spans. We have gone through about 200 activities today. I finally broke out the freeze pops for a little break. Saving the watermelon for later in the afternoon. The 10 year old is rather well grounded but the other two are here there and everywhere.

    Alan

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    Remember that there are three types of learners. 1. Visual - Those that have to see illustrations and drawings and are really drawn to color. 2. Auditory - They have to hear the information so stories will capture their attention. Finally, the third group is kinesthetic learners. They have to handle stuff. The ones that lost and broke the items that kyrat spoke about were the kinesthetic learners. When you hand out stuff watch to see who plays with it and who passes it on. The one that plays with it is a kinsthetic learner. The one that hits the others with it is the young serial killer. You might want to take things away from him. Just sayin'.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Bhohahaha.....No ship.
    Some kids, you can see it in their eyes....
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    Senior Member Antonyraison's Avatar
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    Well thankful All I am doing is going to go in there tell a bit about what I do,
    and then give them advice about being safe and what to do when lost,etc.
    Once I am done , they then the teachers problem again... hahaha
    But yeah I am seriously thinking of not bringing them whistles... Shame they probably annoy the teachers and classmates and eventually have them confiscated...
    But I will revert back to the teach soonish with full plan to her to review also.
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    Great initiative. It would be awesome if you could also record it and have it posted to youtube for others to benefit from it.

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    Senior Member Antonyraison's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pop Alexandra View Post
    Great initiative. It would be awesome if you could also record it and have it posted to youtube for others to benefit from it.
    I am certainly trying to arrange for exactly that, but has to be approved by the school 1st.
    BUT I am very hopeful that I will be able to.
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    Since you will be demonstrating to very young children, obviously keeping it simple is a must. Others have offered very sage advice. Additionally, if you "give them something to remember" then it is more likely that they will remember you and your lesson - maybe even wanting more. Start a fire with a bow drill (obviously the school will have to approve) - I believe they will think it is magic and want more.
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    Senior Member Antonyraison's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by crashdive123 View Post
    Since you will be demonstrating to very young children, obviously keeping it simple is a must. Others have offered very sage advice. Additionally, if you "give them something to remember" then it is more likely that they will remember you and your lesson - maybe even wanting more. Start a fire with a bow drill (obviously the school will have to approve) - I believe they will think it is magic and want more.
    That is what I want to do, just to draw in the attention, I don't feel that it would be dangerous, as they likely would not ever for many years be able to replicate that.
    So the rough plan is to give a short talk about what I do.. show a short video clip.. have a few things out to see, like a shelter a few things I have made
    Perhaps even eat some earth worms (i have to think entertaining as well as informative) also Giving them Valuable information to remember in a situation if they are lost either in a mall, or in a suburb or even in the wilderness.
    And then Talk and leave with them Good information of what to do if they find themselves lost basically anywhere.
    I am thinking that maybe there is something I could Give to them as well, the whistles maybe.. but I must think a bit more on that.
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