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Lesson 1: Animal-O

"In orienteering, you find checkpoints in order using clue sheets"

Time	45-60 minutes
Space	Schoolyard, local park, or camp area
Materials	Checkpoints (cones with animal pictures), Clue sheets, Start/finish markers
Setup	Place animal checkpoints around the area; mark the start/finish
Vocabulary	Checkpoint, Clue sheet, Boundary

Activities

core

Animal-O

Use clue sheets to find animal checkpoints in order.

Goals

Orienteering Goals

• Identify the boundary of the activity area
• Use a clue sheet to find checkpoints in order
• Check the animal picture at each checkpoint to confirm the right one
• Build spatial memory by repeating courses
• Work with a partner

Delivery

1. Safety briefing (5 min): walk the boundary together. Point out what is in bounds and what is off limits. Establish the gathering signal: when you hear it, return to the start immediately.
2. Explore (5 min): let campers explore the area freely. How many animal checkpoints can they find? Return on the gathering signal and report what they saw.
3. Animal-O (30-40 min): hand out clue sheets. Find the animal checkpoints in the order shown on the clue sheet. At each checkpoint, check the animal picture to confirm you are at the right one.
   • Start with a 5-animal clue sheet
   • Try a different 5-animal clue sheet
   • Try a different clue sheet with a different order
   • Repeat from memory: one partner navigates while the other holds the clue sheet and confirms each animal
   • Repeat for a faster time
4. Wrap-up (5 min): how did you find them faster the second time? What helped you remember where the animals were?

Reflection

• How did you know you were at the correct checkpoint?
• What helped you get faster?
• How did you remember where the animals were?
• How did you work with your partner?

Extensions

• Move checkpoints to new locations and start over
• Have campers draw a map of the area showing checkpoint locations
• Animal Relay: take turns running to animal checkpoints