The MAPS In Schools Scheme
Introduction
The NZ Orienteering Federation has initiated a programme of providing
maps of schools for the purpose of introducing primary aged children throughout
New Zealand to the sport of orienteering.
As well as teaching important life skills and delivering curriculum objectives,
orienteering offers a creative but inexpensive outdoor activity on school
sites, parks and camps. However, busy teachers often see it as complicated,
time-consuming and difficult to set up. The Maps in Schools Scheme
establishes the basis for successful programmes by preparing maps, teaching
teachers and students the basic principles, and providing permanent courses
for ongoing use.
A Brief Outline of the Scheme:
Vision
To reach as many schools, teachers and children as possible in New Zealand
so as to:
- Provide a comprehensive resource kit and a full class set of laminated
orienteering maps, drawn to international standards.
- Conduct in-service training in teaching the basics of map reading to
teachers.
- Give school children a tantalising and realistic taste of the sport
of orienteering.
- Teach school children the basics of map reading.
- Promote the sport of orienteering in its various forms: foot, mountain
bike, ski, etc.
How the scheme works
- NZOF tutors make initial visits to discuss plans with teachers
- A full colour map of the school is surveyed and drawn, using OCAD,
and the school receives 10 colour masters, which can be photocopied and
laminated.
- The map making is free if the school buys the tutor in for a series
of 4-6 sessions. If fewer sessions are required a proportion of the map
cost is free.
- The school receives a free resource pack with future lesson ideas
and examples of gear needed to run a school based orienteering session.
- A tutor comes in to the school to run the work scheme which includes
in-service training for teachers to allow them to run the initial sessions
next time round
- The tutor is available to work with a range of age groups from
8-18 years old
- A final session is run on a park map and the school is given information
and a club contact for Saturday school grounds events and Sunday park
and forest events
- The tutor is available to do further work with school teams and
coaching.
Costs of the scheme
For each school that buys into the programme of tuition, funds from the
scheme are used to pay for the colour map produced for that school.
The average costs per map produced are:
- Fieldwork $150
- Cartography $ 50
A total of $200 per map.
Curriculum links
The Maps in Schools Scheme provides the following curriculum links:
- Physical Education/Health: provides a holistic development of
personal and social skills and encourages running for fitness, agility
running off track, and enables children to work independently without
constant instructor supervision.
- Maths: scales, angles, symbols, plans, time, distance, speed,
arithmetic, surveying.
- Geography: maps, contours, land forms, land use urban and rural
surveys.
- Opportunities for teaching in art and design, visual language
and social studies.
General benefits
Orienteering in schools provides the following general benefits:
- An ideal combination of skill development for health, fitness
and intellectual stimulation; fostering physical fitness, self reliance,
problem solving and observation skills.
- The development of map reading and diagram interpretation skills,
likely to be as essential as literacy and numeracy in the 21st century.
- A most successful way of introducing map reading concepts to people
of all ages and abilities.
- A particularly successful approach for visual and kinaesthetic
learners who may be unsuccessful with traditional school methods - catering
to a range of learning styles.
For more information, contact the
New Zealand Orienteering Federation
c/- 171A Fifield Terrace
Christchurch 8002
Phone: (03) 337 2275
Email: nzof@nzorienteering.com
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