Day 5

Goals:

1. Students actively participate in means of transportation used by the early inhabitants of the Caribbean region.

2. Students learn the teamwork that is needed in canoeing and the skills used in transportation in the Caribbean.

3. To have fun and have a break from the classroom.

4. As a group, students work to help each other out with the day's activities.

Time:

3 to 4 hours, afternoon field trip

Resources/Materials:

beach, permission slips saying that students are allowed to go, transportation (buses), chaperones/teachers, instructors on windsurfing and/or canoeing to demonstrate to students, canoes, paddles, windsurfing boards and sails

Procedure:

1. Leave the afternoon open for this lesson's activities.

2. Take the students to a local beach or recreation area where windsurfing and canoeing can be practiced and instructors can be there to advise. Canoeing is intended to be connected to the early means of transportation by the inhabitants of the Caribbean. Discuss with the students that canoeing was the only way of transportation in the early Caribbean for the Arawak and Carib. Windsurfing was probably not used, but is used in this lesson just as another example of water transport and is an option for this field trip.

3. Upon arrival, explain to the students that those who do not want to swim, or are not comfortable with the intended activities, do not have to participate, but they are still expected to listen to what the instructor says and what the teacher might mention about the use of canoeing in the Caribbean.

4. Have the instructor(s) show the students how to begin windsurfing with proper techniques and precautions. Students should practice the methods on land before they head into the water. The students who are not planning to go into the water should still demonstrate their understanding of the methods of windsurfing on land. The teacher should observe the students here and make sure they are trying to follow what the instructor is telling them to do.

5. Send the students into the water to practice windsurfing. Keep them in the shallower part of the beach.

6. Have the students come back in to dry off and listen to simple instructions on canoeing. Instruct the students on how to make turns and how to avoid capsizing. Again, make sure that students follow instructions and practice on land before going into the water, even for those who are not going into the water.

7. Before sending the students into the water, briefly explain to them that this is how the Arawak and Carib people traveled from island to island when they alone inhabited much of the Caribbean.

8. Send the students into the water to practice canoeing, and again make sure that they stay at the shallow end of the beach.

9. After the day's activities, ask the students what they thought the benefits were of doing a field trip like this.

Assessment:

Assess the students in this lesson by how actively they got involved in the activities. If they didn't go into the water, assess how genuine their efforts were in practicing.

4 The student actively faciliates the identification of the group goal, which is to experiment with windsurfing and canoeing.

3 The student communicates commitment to the group's activities and carries out what is assigned to him/her.

2 The student communicates a commitment to the group, but does not necessarily carry out what is assigned to him/her.

1 The student does not work as part of the group, or actively works against the group.

(Adopted from Green Bay Area Public Schools)

Curricular Strands:

Physical Education - canoeing and windsurfing

Self-Exploration - active participation in transportation methods used by original inhabitants

History - method of moving across water

Extensions:

Have students in competition in canoeing, races for prizes - rotate partners for canoeing for cooperative learning

Carribean Unit - written by Trina Collins, Richard Wheeler, & Daniel Shimek

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