Students in a small rural county in Maryland are given one of the most memorable experiences during their public-school education – a week at Outdoor School! Sixth graders are given the special opportunity to stay 4 nights, sleep in bunk beds and spend most of their time outdoors hiking and learning about the environment through a variety of hands-on activities.
Preparation
My sixth-grade student attended Outdoor School the 3rd week of middle school! Her home language is Spanish, and this is how we engaged the family so they were confident that she would have a safe and rewarding experience:
- Sent home the information packet/permission slip in Spanish
- Reached out to the family with an interpreter to make sure they had the packet in Spanish and suggested a meeting with the Principal of Outdoor School, Orientation and Mobility Specialist
- Held a virtual meeting for the family so that they could have an overview of the procedures and instructional goals of Outdoor School that included an interpreter
- Provided a tour of Outdoor School for the family in which an Interpreter, Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments, and Orientation and Mobility Specialist attended
Attending Outdoor School was an excellent opportunity to work on Expanded Core Curriculum Skills.
At school we:
- Practiced traveling with a rolling suitcase and sleeping bag (stored in a bag) over her shoulder
- Brainstormed ways that she could identify her suitcase from others
- Provided the packing list in Braille and talked about the items on the list
- Explored a suitcase and practiced making outfits. Once the outfit was picked out, she practiced rolling the articles of clothing together to keep outfits organized
- Explored the different toiletries that you need to take on a trip and how they can come in various shapes and sizes
- Identified ways to distinguish the differences between shampoo and conditioner
Outdoor School
Students who attend Outdoor School participate in a variety of hands on, feet wet activities! She had the opportunity to:
- Hike many miles!
- Catch fish and crayfish in a stream
- Walk-in knee-deep mud!
- Plant trees
- Identify different types of raptors and tactually explore taxidermy of raptors
- Touch a snake
- Learn about the constellations
- Participate in a confidence course
- Roast marshmallows around a campfire
- Interact with peers in a nontraditional school setting
In addition, she had to help with meals and cabin clean up. For example, she:
- Swept the floor of the dining room and her cabin
- Set the table for her group during mealtimes
- Wiped off tables
Accommodations
Accommodations included:
- Access to adult support
- Access to a braille writer and tactile drawing board
- Early access and additional time for bedtime routines
- Additional time to participate in activities or exploration of activities in advance when possible
- Tactile examples of objects discussed as much as possible
- Facilitated peer to peer interactions
My hope is that this experience gives her and her family the confidence to have her participate in other camps like Camp Abilities. I learned during Outdoor School that she has a real knack for kicking a soccer ball!
