Need creative, out-of-the-box, zany ideas on teaching a unit on SURVIVAL to Intermediate ELLs:)

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Permalink Reply by Jane Krauss on March 9, 2010 at 4:54pm

It might be too babyish for them but Tough Boy and Sister is a really good read!
Also, I can't see learning survival without experiencing something outside the classroom! Can you put together a survival day? Meet with a survival expert and have him or her lead kids through a scenario (plane crash landing or something) and actually try some survival techniques like making fire from flint and tinder, seeking shelter, heating water in a leaf vessel, estimating direction and time using natural signals, making smudge SOS signals, etc.

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Permalink Reply by Denise Stewart on March 9, 2010 at 6:46pm

I love your ideas! I think I can get the ELD science teacher to find an expert on surviving a natural disaster. The kids will love it. It will be an opportunity for them to see that this lesson is not just a movie theme!

Who is the author of Tough Boy and Sister? With my high school ELLs, I often pick books a couple of years below grade level. Illustrated books are often used to build background knowledge in come content areas such as science.

Thank you:)

Denise

www.ellteacherpros.com

www.teachingsuccesseswithells.blogspot.com

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Permalink Reply by Durff on March 9, 2010 at 8:23pm

Aren't those military types survival specialists who love to talk about what they do? Seems like a great idea for an anticipatory set / Skype video conference to me

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Permalink Reply by Denise Stewart on March 9, 2010 at 8:48pm

A Skype Video? Is that something easy to find? I am new to Skype.

Thanks:)

Denise

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Permalink Reply by John Altieri on March 9, 2010 at 9:04pm

Hi Denise,

I'm so glad I found your post. I have spent time working with students in the wilderness, teaching survival skills. I teach survival to children aged 4 to 17, and adults as well. I currently teach second grade in NJ.

Check out www.cotef.org. This organization does school visits and can teach the elements of shelter, fire, finding water, getting food, along with other skills that bring children closer to home when in the wilderness. Often life changing experiences for kids. Powerful stuff. And best of all, the language of the wilderness comes in signs and symbols! Something we all can understand.

There are some amazing awareness games, activities and experiences to offer - of course science can be linked through nature observation, P.E. through awareness and native games, storytelling related to outdoor experiences. Many of these can be found in this outdoor curriculum book: The Coyote's Guide.

Another book that might fit your unit idea is called: Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature and Survival for Children
http://www.trackerschool.com/store/store_books_detail.asp?pid=68
ISBN 9780425111062

In this book, ad others, Tom Brown Jr. shares stories of wilderness survival, including scout skills that can be retold with great effect. The scout stories in particular resonate with high school age kids. Check other books on the site for one that calls out to you.

Feel free to email me if you need help answering any other questions. There are connections to all curriculum areas... those connections are easy to make and I've spent time working on this as well.

Best to you and your students,
John Altieri
jpaltieri@gmail.com

http://willardgreen.ning.com
http://altierisclass.ning.com
http://opensourcereading.ning.com

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Permalink Reply by Denise Stewart on March 12, 2010 at 11:25pm

John,

You have given me some fantastic materials! I am going to talk to my principal on securing some funds to bring in speakers on this subject. People up here love to hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains and occasionally, hikers do get lost. This upcoming unit on survival will give me an opportunity to go beyond the book to living experts in the field. A visit from such a person will stay with my students longer than material from a book will.

Thank you once again!

Denise

www.ellteacherpros.com
www.teachingsuccesswithells.blogspot.com

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Permalink Reply by John Altieri on March 17, 2010 at 12:11pm

Hey Denise,

Hope the unit plan is going well. I have taken a survival class in the mountains near Santa Cruz! Beautiful banana slugs up there! And the trees!!! And of course, wild edible plants! Ever try miners lettuce?

I did a quick search and found that there is a primitive skills school about 2+ hours from Santa Cruz that might be able to help out.

http://www.back2earth.info/index.shtml

And if not them, I'm sure they could point you in the right direction. I totally agree that having someone come in would be quite powerful. Many of this stuff has a magic to it, and kids - I bet some in particular - will be drawn to it.

Have fun, and would love to hear how it goes.

Peace,
John

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Permalink Reply by Colette M Bennett on March 16, 2010 at 7:01pm

I teach Lord of the Flies. I developed many activities on a Wiki where each team would detail how they would survive/ work as a team etc. which yielded very creative responses. We called it Survivor or "The Island Game"-there are many suggestions for this on the web.
One great introduction activity was having teams taking the Coast Guard survival test:
http://www.pressanykey.com/cgi-bin/survival.cgi
Another great interactive site was
Discovery Education
http://dsc.discovery.com/survival/how-to-survive/how-to-survive-tip...
These are very engaging and spur a great deal of conversation.

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Permalink Reply by Denise Stewart on March 17, 2010 at 11:54am

Colette,

Thank you so much for your sites. I explored the first one and found out that I would die:( Students will have a great time here. I will have them explain their choices BEFORE they click submit!

Denise

www.ellteacherpros.com
www.teachingsuccesseswithells.blogspot.com

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