Night Hike

Class Description:

Students will hike a designated route, stopping at various points to do activities. These activities will lead to a better understanding of night time communications and senses. Students will have the opportunity to sit alone and experience the night environment.

Total time: 1 1/2 hours (flexible length)
Audience: 6-20 studetns, any age
Activity level: strenuous
Travel: 1 1/4 mile
Total uphill travel: 320 feet

Outcomes

Upon completion of the Night Hike evening activity class students will be able to:

Compare how use of our senses differs in the darkness and light.

Describe something about the night experience that was new and surprising.

Discuss how their emotions about the night have changed following the hike and activities.

Minnesota Graduation Standards

The Night Hike evening activity will provide students with guided practice, in an authentic setting, to support the following Graduations Standards. We have chosen one to three “major focus” standards per grade level. Due to the holistic nature of environmental education, several other standards, not listed here, are addressed as well.

H.S. Science: Biological Concepts Demonstrate understanding that scientific inquiries are performed to test ideas and predictions and to learn about the natural world.

6-8th Decision Making: Personal Health Demonstrate understanding of the basic structures of the human body.

6-8th Science: Living Systems Understand animal diversity and adaptation of organisms by (2) designing and conducting investigations and field studies.

4-5th Inquiry: Media, Observation and Investigation (A) Gather information from direct observations, identify patterns, compare individual findings to large group findings, and identify areas for further investigation.

4-5th Science: Living and Non-living Systems (A1) Understand characteristics of animals and (A2) the basic structures and functions of the human body. (B2) Make systematic observations of objects, events and/or phenomena.

Wolf Ridge Curriculum Concepts

• All living things acquire physical and behavioral adaptations to be successful in their environment.
• People can overcome their fear or discomfort of the darkness through knowledge of and familiarity with it.
• Humans learn about their world through their senses, investigation and experimention.

Classroom Connections*

• Journal page download
• Pre-visit activities
• Post-visit activities
• Links to Night Hike information and activities on the web

*requires Wolf Ridge password