Have you ever tried to follow a route that was made by one of your peers? The aim of tracking is to come up with natural signs that will help guide someone through your chosen path. This allows children to better understand how to create signs from natural materials and makes them aware of how many different signals there are.
Resources
- Natural Materials
- Tape Measure/Distance Measuring Wheel
Explanation
Get group to make a number of natural signs (left/right/forward/finish). Split group into two smaller groups, then get each of them to make a track using natural materials (sticks, leaves, grass etc).
Once both groups have made their tracks, make a prediction of how long the tracks are, then get each group to pick a measuring tool (pacing/foot/stick), then walk each others track. Take a record of the distance they have walked using their measuring tool. Once they have walked the track they should have a number in their heads, for example; 67 paces, 196 feet or 135 sticks. Was your prediction correct?
Using a tape measure, convert your number of paces, feet, sticks etc. into metres then calculate the distance to work out the length of the tracks.
Once you have worked out the length of the tracks, use the measuring tape on each track to find the exact measurement of them. How close were you?
Safety Tips
Keep your head up, looking out for sticks at face height.