Expanding the Classroom Walls, Basecamp Northern Star

Basecamp Northern Star- BSA could be one of my favorite sites that we visited this last week.  This site was AWESOME with ropes courses, archery, and rock climbing.  I had a blast.  This was my kind of fun! I love playing and with peers or students, it can make the day memorable. 

I really liked the instructors at this site as well.  I learned that I'm left eye dominate.  Do you know how to figure that out?  I didn't but I do now.  Extend your hands in front of you placing your hands to make a triangle.  Look at an object in the distance in the triangle with both eyes open... now close one eye.  If the object stays in place, that is your dominate eye, if it moves that is NOT your dominate eye.  I was sure that I would be right because most of the group was except the participants that were left handed.  I was left eye dominate, I still tried to wing it with the right handed bow however... Next time I will try left.  They encouraged us at rock climbing.  Adam, our main instructor, said things like, "Challenge by Choice".  For one person your challenge might be to make it to the top and back down 3 times before your are done, the next might have more of a struggle getting half way to the top.  Both people challenged them self to their limits.  The other message that stood out to me was when Adam said, "Reach your goal by trying, not by your imagination."  Great message for all of us. So often we have peers or students who say, well I can't do that... without giving it a try.  It was exciting to hear the messages I often say in class reiterated in this activity.

Would I use this in my class?  I think I would certainly try to get a grade level to go to Basecamp.  I love the activities and think that our 5th grade would have a blast.  I could see our 6th grade have a blast with this two.  In our district/city this is when three elementary schools come into one large grade... our middle school is 6-8.  This would be a great way to get kids to get to know one another as we did in our class.  The primary way that I would like to use this site as a field trip is by visiting it as a staff.  This would be a blast!  It would be so much fun to see our teams give rock climbing a try and really fun to have it be so physical but adaptable. 

Check out more about our field trips by searching the #TCWALLSI on twitter.  There are also a lot of images and information on their Facebook page. I would love for you to send links to lesson plans that you think would help support these field trips I will be posting about as well. Have you had a program like this that you were able to support in your classroom?  Send me links, pictures, or stories in the comments.  Thanks!