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A point-to-point course: visit the checkpoints in order

Point-to-Point — Activity (Orienteering Course)

Complete a course using an orienteering map

Time	30-60 minutes
Space	Schoolyard or local park
Materials	Orienteering maps with courses marked, Checkpoint markers (cones or flags) with codes, All-checkpoints map
Vocabulary	Orientation, Route choice, Relocation

"Today we will be doing a regular orienteering course using a map"

Students visit checkpoints in sequential order using a map. This is "real" orienteering. The primary challenges point-to-point orienteering introduces are route choice, relocation, and map reading. Students must orient the map, plan a route to each checkpoint, confirm they are at the correct location by checking the code, and decide what to do when they are not where they expected to be.

Learning Goals

Learning Goals

Students completing this activity will be able to:

• Orient a map and understand how it represents the real course
• Use the map to plan your route to each checkpoint
• Use simple strategies and tactics in following the course
• Move confidently and safely in open spaces
• Work cooperatively with and accept feedback from others

How to Run It

How to Run It

Setup

1. Place checkpoints (streamers, cones, or flags) at their corresponding locations on the all-checkpoints map
2. Make an answer key for each checkpoint and its code
3. Print maps with courses marked. Have multiple courses of varying difficulty if possible

Steps

1. Orient the map together. Hand out maps. Have students orient the map using landmarks:

• "Think of the map as an overhead view of the area, like you are floating in a hot air balloon looking straight down"
• "If something is behind you in real life, turn your map so it is behind you on the map as well"
• Walk around and check that everyone has oriented correctly

2. Connect the map to the environment. Ask students to point to features:

• "Point to where we are standing on the map"
• "If I want to go to checkpoint number 5, which direction should I go?"
• "What feature will checkpoint number 6 be next to?"

3. Explain the course rules.

• Visit checkpoints in order, from number 1 to number 2, from number 2 to number 3
• At each checkpoint, check the code to make sure it matches
• If the code does not match, you are at the wrong place: stop, orient your map, look around, find where you are, and go to the correct checkpoint

4. Plan with a partner. Students pair up, look at the map together, and plan their route to the first checkpoint before moving.

5. Run the course. Students visit checkpoints in order, confirming each code as they go. Remind them: going the right way is more important than going fast.

6. Repeat or try new courses. Students may repeat courses to improve their time, or try harder courses. Students who finish should help others by giving hints, not answers.

Differentiation

Ways to adapt the activity to meet the needs of your students: slow things down, increase the challenge, or adapt for different learners

• Pairs first: start with partner navigation so students can discuss map reading together
• Individual: once students are comfortable, try the course alone
• Reverse order: do the course backward for a new challenge
• From memory: try to reach three checkpoints in order without looking at the map
• Harder courses: courses that cross open areas or require more precise map reading

Tips

• Keep the first course short (4-5 checkpoints). Students can always do a second course
• Circulate during the activity and ask: "Is your map oriented? Where are you right now? Show me on the map"
• Students who finish early can help others, but should give hints ("Turn your map" or "Follow the path"), not answers
• Emphasize accuracy over speed. Going the right way matters more than going fast

Script

Script

Introducing Point-to-Point

"Today we are doing point-to-point orienteering. This is real orienteering. You will find the checkpoints in the order shown on the map."

"Your challenge is to visit all of the checkpoints marked on the map in order. Remember to keep your map oriented, and use landmarks to help you find your way."

Course Rules

"You will visit the checkpoints in order. From number 1 to number 2, from number 2 to number 3. At each checkpoint, there is a code. Check the code to make sure it matches. If the code does not match, what does that mean?"

(Students: "You are at the wrong place.")

"So what do you do? Stop. Look at your map. Look around you. Make sure your map is oriented. Find where you are on the map. Then go to the correct checkpoint."

Starting

"Find a partner. Look at the map together. Where is the first checkpoint? Which way will you go to get there? Before we start, make a plan. Think first. Then move."

Finishing

(As students complete the course and return.)

"Nice work. Did every code match? If you ended up at a wrong checkpoint, how did you figure out where you were?"

"Compare with your partner or another pair: where did you go between checkpoints 2 and 3? Did you take the same route? There is more than one good route. What made yours work?"

"If you want another challenge, try a harder course, or try this one again and see if you can do it more smoothly."

Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Orientation: Turning the map to match up with reality. The map should always match the real world around you.

Route choice: The path you decide to take to get from one checkpoint to the next. Good route choice considers distance, terrain, and landmarks.

Relocation: Figuring out where you are when you realize you are not where you expected to be. Stop, orient your map, look for landmarks, and find your position.

See the Glossary for all curriculum terms.

Related Activities

Related Activities

Relay Race (extension)

Teams compete in relay format. Each runner completes a course, then tags the next.

Divide the group into teams of 3 or 4. Each team member runs a short point-to-point course; when one finishes, the next starts. First team to finish with all codes correct wins. Use several similar courses of equal length so waiting time stays short and no one can just follow the runner ahead.

Time	20-40 minutes
Materials	Point-to-Point setup, with several short courses of similar length
How to run it	Teams line up at the start. Runner 1 completes a course and tags runner 2, and so on. A wrong code means the runner goes back to fix it. Emphasize encouraging teammates; the relay adds time pressure, so remind students that accuracy still wins races.

Memory-O (variation)

Navigate from memory instead of carrying the map.

Two formats:

1. Memorize a course. At the start, students study a short 3-checkpoint course, then run it without the map, verifying the code at each checkpoint. Works well with several short courses so students rotate through
2. Snippet to snippet. Students find one checkpoint at a time. At each checkpoint, a posted map snippet shows the way to the next one. Works best as a single course

Time	15-30 minutes
Materials	Point-to-Point setup, plus a posted master map (format 1) or a map snippet at each checkpoint (format 2)
How to run it	Same rules as Point-to-Point, but the map stays behind. Students who lose the thread return to the last map they saw. Builds spatial memory and rewards careful map study before moving.

Electronic timing optional

See Electronic Timing for setup instructions.