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Technical training / learning how to orienteer - Ideas Anyone?

Show Profile  Claire Paterson Posted: 31 July 2008, 9:46 AM  
Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone can think of some good technical training exercises, both for improving orienteering skills, and for teaching/learning how to orienteer for beginners.

For example, I remember one from a junior camp where we made sand landscapes and 'mapped' them on paper, and vice-versa - maing sand landscapes from a piece of map. This helped with contour reading and understanding ups and downs.

Anyone got some ideas/techniques? Preferably ones that do not require going outside, but some of those would be good too...

Cheers,
Claire.

Show Profile  Marquita G Posted: 31 July 2008, 12:12 PM  
A good indoor exercise I've used for kids was get them to make a map of their desk firstly, then one of the classroom/hall. It teaches them the concept of a map being an overhead representation of the ground below. They have to orientate their map, make up symbols and a legend. Then get them to set a course on their map using little stickers as controls inside the room. Swap maps and try to complete someone elses course.

Show Profile  agogo Posted: 1 August 2008, 2:24 PM  
When working with school groups I take a large piece of green material(old sheet works well), pillows, dulpo block house, blue paper cut into wiggley strips, plastic fences small twigs or cuttings off garden shrubs etc. Using the pillows for hills (under the sheet) we construct a scene and then make a map of it. Depending on the age of the participant it is sometimes good to get them drawing the map as you add the objects so things get drawn relative to each other. Later place on mini controls and talk about route choice over/round hills etc. Get the students to move the lego person between controls.


Also possible to draw lines on the sheet with a chalk or marker pen to explain contours.

For more advanced groups. Use a real map and get participants to create the topograpghy of the map using props. I know one junior elite who made the entire map with playdough to help him visulise it in 3D before an event.



Show Profile  Claire Paterson Posted: 2 August 2008, 2:52 PM  
Thanks... any more? I would be most keen for some paper-based ones that could be translated to a computer screen environment, but the suggestions so far are all good...

Show Profile  addison Posted: 3 August 2008, 2:55 AM  
http://orienteering.asn.au/promotion/devel/develcoach/
This has some good exercises

Show Profile  agogo Posted: 3 August 2008, 2:47 PM  
1)real maps and photos of the actual terrain and specific contour features and matching them up is a good indoor activity i.e. 10 photos and 10 spot locations on a map sort out which photos is which marked spot on the map.
2)simplification exercisies in pairs drawing each leg in a sketch form and partner has to follow sketch map and then draw in the control circle on the real map.

Show Profile  addison Posted: 4 August 2008, 3:03 AM  
I remember Darren (i think) doing a cool exercise where he had a map of One Tree Hill and an aerial photograph which was taken on an angle looking sort of down/to the side of the hill. This made it quite hard to judge distance etc and so he then made us identify certain points from the map onto the aerial photo. Was quite a cool exercise.

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