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Home > Student Program > Classes by Topic > Course Descriptions by Topic
Course Units
To help you plan the schedule for your program, course units are listed after each course title. A day unit (listed only as “unit”) is 75 minutes and an evening unit is 60 minutes.
Grade Level
Next to each course title you will see a grade level. This gives you a guideline for the appropriate grade level, based on our experience of physical, emotional, and cognitive development required to most successfully experience that course.
Additional Course Information
A course description may also tell you if a course is available only at a specific location, has a prerequisite, or has an additional fee.
Progressive Programming
We try to imagine a community where all children attend programs like Pathfinder's year after year. In recent years there has been recognition of the benefit of repeated experiences to enhance learning and we are committed to long-range program decisions and focus on progressive programming. Thus, progression ranges from discovery (k-3rd grade), to immersion (4th-6th grade), to challenge (5th-8th grade), and then leadership (9th-12th grade).
Curriculum Descriptions
AVIAN ADVENTURE – 1 unit / Grades 2–6
Learn to recognize how birds’ diverse characteristics applied within their ecological niche help them to succeed. Activities include interactive games and observation of local birds.
THE BEAST – 1 unit / Grade 5 – Adult
Boost skills of observation, listening, and communication while your team tries to accurately replicate a pre-constructed "beast" made of toys or clay. The catch? Only one team member actually sees the beast even though all team members' roles contribute to the solution.
BUCKY'S BUNGALOW – 1 unit / Grades 4 – 8
Using principals of architecture, mathematics and rope work, small teams cooperate to construct a recognizable geodesic dome durable enough to support their weight.
CAMPFIRE & S'MORES – 1/2 to 1 unit / All ages
Campfires are the ideal setting for camaraderie, fellowship and togetherness. Relax on benches surrounding a large communal fire with stories, songs, and s'mores. When chosen, S’mores are provided at no extra charge.
CANOE EXPLORER – 2 to 4 units / Grade 5 – Adult
Practice cooperation and communication as teams of two or three canoe while learning about the environment and each other. Each site offers a unique paddling opportunity!
CHALLENGE COURSE – 2 to 4 units / Grade 5 – Adult
Tackle a series of physical, mental, and emotional challenges (with safety rules and facilitator monitoring) in small groups that will increase identification of group strengths, practice group problem-solving, and develop leadership as well as collaboration.
DEVELOPER'S DILEMMA – 1 unit / Grades 4 to 8
Decision-making, effective communication, understanding another’s perspective, problem-solving, and gaining knowledge of the real compromises inherent in land development engage all participants in this true-to-life simulation of a Mayor and a visiting developer presenting a project at a town meeting. Participants are residents of the area, such as biologists, bankers, even animal inhabitants. A dialogue is facilitated, ending in a motion regarding the outcome of the project.
DRUMS AS LANGUAGE – 1 unit or 1 evening unit / Grade 3 to Adult Play with African, Afro–Cuban, and Native American drums and learn how they are used as a method of communication. Many percussion instruments are demonstrated as participants find their own percussive voice and learn to communicate as a team.
ENCHANTED FOREST – 1 unit / Grades 2 to 6
Explore local ecosystems through discovery, inquiry and investigation and discover amazing plants and animals on this enchanted nature walk.
ETHICAL DECISION MAKING – 2 units / Grade 7 to Adult
Help recognize motivating factors behind choices, consider options, and make proactive decisions based on principle. Through a series of interactive activities, participants identify, examine, and develop the ethical principles to make everyday decisions.
ESTUARY EXPLORER – 1 unit / Grade 4 to Adult
Use dip and seine netting to examine, discover, and learn about an estuarine ecosystem and its essential role as a natural resource. (Available at DaySpring).
EYE OPENER – 15-30 minutes / Free for all groups
An energetic opening that combines an orientation along with small and whole–group activities that set the tone for your program. Participants create a foundation to work cooperatively as well as learn important safety and site information.
FIRE QUEST – 1 unit / Grade 3 to Adult
Participants cooperate in small groups to build their own controlled campfires after learning about fire safety, the fire triangle, and low-impact techniques.
FLORIDA COUNTRY – 2 units / Grades 4 to 8
Cooperation and teamwork are tested as participant "families" are challenged to “survive” in this re-creation of Florida pioneer life in the mid-1800’s. Time is precious as families try to get all the necessities of life through mock hunting, trading, staking land, and negotiating with the sometimes shady characters they meet.
GLOW IN THE DARK SCAVENGER HUNT – 1 evening unit / Grades 4 to 8
Follow clues to find all your team’s glow-in-the-dark mascots scattered throughout the site. Teams will need to be clever, coordinated and cooperative to solve all these riddles in time!
GOLD RUSH – 1 evening unit / Grades 4 to 6
With problem solving and teamwork, participants follow coded clues that lead to the “Mother Lode” of gold stolen by bandits from the Wild West in this activity with a pioneer old west theme.
GREAT ESCAPE – 1/2 to 1 evening unit / Grades 4 to 8
Become a wolf seeking habitat in a park during a simulation that will deepen your understanding of perceptions of wolves and the role of wolves in an ecosystem.
FOOD WASTE – during mealtimes / Grade K – Adult
(Previously known as ZERO FOOD WASTE). Improve health and environmental awareness at meals through dialogue about choices to make to reduce food waste. Keep track during your stay to watch the improvement!
HIGH ROPES COURSE: DYNAMIC – 2 to 4 units / Grade 7 – Adult Prerequisite: Incredible Journey or Challenge Course.
Begin with your small group in ground school to learn safety procedures and then climb on your own on a static belay to practice taking healthy risks, achieving individual goals, and having fun during this challenge! (Additional fee required.)
HOOTENANNY– 1 to 1 1/2 evening units / Grade 6 – Adult
Have a foot-stomping good time with folk and square-dancing while raising the heart rate through a physically challenging program.
INCREDIBLE JOURNEY I, II & III – 1 to 2 units / Grade K – Adult
Journey as a group through a series of initiatives where you'll be challenged to use the skills necessary to work as a team. Each person in the group will be vital and responsible for potentially incredible outcomes. Progressive levels provide for harder challenges and may be as complex as a Challenge Course.
KALEIDOSCOPE – 2 units / Grade 7 – Adult
Discover the leadership style(s) and strengths of your group through a brief assessment, small group leadership challenges, and meaningful dialoque, all of which help focus the kaleidoscope of possibilities.
MANATEE ON THE MOVE – 1 unit / Grade 4 – Adult
Assemble a manatee’s skeleton bones and learn a bit of forensic science as you piece together clues from anatomy, physiology, & ecology to determine this manatee’s cause of death.
MEMORY CAMPFIRE – 1 evening unit / Grade K – Adult
Close with a campfire that solidifies togetherness, fellowship and powerful memories on the final night. Relax on benches surrounding a large communal fire as each member of your group adds a stick to the campfire while relating a memorable experience from your program.
MISSION SURVIVOR – 1 unit / Grade 7 – Adult
Prerequisite: Outdoor Living Skills
Prioritize with a team to respond to a simulated accident, including treating the injured, finding help, acquiring food and water, and preparing for an overnight stay in the wilderness.
NATIVE AMERICAN LIFE – 2 units / Grades 2 – 7
Experience historical Native American activities such as trading, hunting and trapping, sign language, and games of skill and chance. Activities and discussion increase appreciation of cultural influences and the challenge of living off the land.
NIGHT HIKE – 1/2 to 1 evening unit / Grade K – Adult
Explore the dark through interactive activities that help increase comfort in the outdoors and encourage exciting shared adventure.
ODYSSEY – 1 unit or 1 evening unit / Grade 5 – Adult
Creativity, teamwork, critical thinking and a sense of humor are exercised and rewarded through this zany scavenger hunt, where groups accumulate points in a variety of ways that include everything from word scrambles to complex puzzles made of wood, cables and boards.
ORIENTEERING: I (Basic) – 1 unit / Grades 4 – 8
Try this introduction to using a compass, which includes cardinal directions, simple field math, pacing and dead reckoning, while finding your way through an arranged course.
ORIENTEERING: II (Explorer's) – 1 unit / Grade 8 – Adult
Try this introduction to using a compass, which includes cardinal directions, simple field math, pacing and dead reckoning, while finding your way through a challenging course requiring true teamwork and communication.
OREINETEERING: III (Advanced) – 2 units / Grade 8 – Adult
Prerequisite: Orienteering Step Up or Orienteering Step Out
Choose the challenge of an extended orienteering course in a simulated multi-day back country trip, including using skills such as tracking, extended dead reckoning, recognizing landscape features, and map reading in conjunction with compass use.
OUTDOOR GOURMET – 1 unit + lunch / Grades 4 – 7
Prepare a meal over a fire while practicing following directions, implementing outdoor fire building, and working cooperatively to create a meal. Recommended during the cooler months of Oct-Apr.
OUTDOOR LIVING SKILLS – 2 units / Grades 5 – 9
“Leave-no-trace” as you enjoy the outdoors safely and responsibly by learning preventive first aid, shelter building, knot tying, low-impact fire building, basic direction-finding, effective packing for daytrips, and rudimentary animal tracking.
OUTDOOR SURVIVAL SKILLS – 2 units / Grade 7 – Adult
Learn about living off the land and surviving in emergency wilderness situations. Triage and respond to practice emergencies in activities that might include stabilizing and transporting the injured, natural fiber rope-making, net weaving, safe water collection, making fires without matches, or signaling for help.
PIG POSSE – during mealtimes / Grade K – Adult
Ham it up! To help encourage participants to lower their food waste, they can dress as the Pig Posse to weigh the wasted food, perform skits about food waste, and then tell pig jokes if the waste decreases.
PIRATES' PLUNDER – 1 to 1 1/2 evening units / Grades K – 6
Prerequisite: Orienteering
Through shared fun, outdoor adventure and historical insight, experience a treasure hunt full of pirate’s lore, in which you'll use a compass, math skills, follow maps and cooperate to reach your destination.
PROJECT PLANET EARTH – 1 to 2 units / Grade 5 – Adult
Use cooperation and effective communication on an environmentally-themed challenge course, where activities and participants’ solutions are applied to the understanding of environmental problems on a more global scale. (See “Challenge Course” for more information.)
RAFA' RAFA' – 1 unit / Grades 4 – 6
Experience the issues surrounding cultural differences and cultural sensitivity through a role play of fictitious cultures. Watch and interpret the cultures, discuss differences and similarities, and identify the sources and pitfalls of stereotypes.
REPTILE REVIEW – 1 unit or 1 evening unit / Grade 4 – Adult
Hands-on experience with live reptiles generates interest in science and nature. Learn about exotic pets, animal handling and common fears about various reptiles. Herpetologist and Pathfinder Facilitator Lynn Marshall presents an exciting look at several species sure to delight, amaze, and inform learners of all ages. (Additional fee required. Available at DaySpring & Cedarkirk.)
ROUND AUCTION – 1 to 1 1/2 evening units / Grade 5 – Adult
Team skills, creativity, quick thinking and bonding are all results of this oftentimes hilarious evening program where small groups attempt to present requested “items” to a panel of attending adult “judges”. Most items are intangible, requiring imagination and persuasion to receive points from the judges.
SCAVENGER HUNT – 1 unit or 1 evening unit / Grades 2 – 8
Devise a strategy to collect or create all the items on a custom-made scavenger hunt list. This activity requires ingenuity and cooperation, while providing an opportunity to review key topics from your programs.
SOLO EXPERIENCE – 1 to 1 1/2 evening units / Grade 8 – Adult
This is a powerful opportunity to spend a few moments sitting comfortably alone on a dark stretch of path. Facilitators are nearby, but silent, as participants experience a sense of accomplishment by overcoming fears and reflecting on personal insights in a letter to themselves we will mail after the program.
SOLO WALK – 1 evening unit / Grade 6 – Adult
Increased comfort in the outdoors, feelings of success, and bonding among your group are accomplished through this rite of passage on a stretch of dark path.
TOTAL TEAM – 1/2 to 1 evening unit / Grade 3 – Adult
Apply whole group problem-solving skills in this totally fun, active, and energizing event. Challenges are progressively harder for older participants.
TREE-MENDOUS! – 1 unit / Grade 7 – Adult
Explore our magnificent resource, trees, from many perspectives: height, bark, “becoming” the essential parts of a tree, and characteristics to learn tree identification and a tree’s role in the ecosystem.
TREE CLIMBING– 1 to 2 units / Grade 7 – Adult
Dangle from the branches of a tree, safely tethered by ropes and harnesses, while improving health, learning about trees, and basking in the rewards of accomplishing a tall task. Plus, it’s fun! (Additional fee required. Available at DaySpring & Cedarkirk.)
TRIBAL COUNCIL – 1 evening unit / Grades 4 – 8
Experience the complex decision-making required in this re-creation of a late 1800’s Native American tribal council that is faced with a treaty agreement and must cast a vote for a decision that has profound historical impact.
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD – 1 1/2 evening units / Grade 2 – Adult
In small groups, participants are runaway slaves and conductors who attempt to reach safe houses and Jubilee along a simulated Underground Railroad. Experience the outdoors at night while working together in groups to gain insights about slavery and historical events in a truly unforgettable program.
VENTURE OUT – 1 to 2 units / Grades 4 – 6
Use cooperation and effective communication on a pioneer-themed challenge course where the activities and participants’ solutions deepen their understanding of pioneer life. (See “Challenge Course” for more information.)
VITAL SIGNS – 1 unit / Grades 2 – 6
Using keen observation to identify signs of life outdoors, participants become animals and track each other in a diminishing habitat to learn about adaptation, habitat, and human impacts on nature.
WALK A MILE – 2 units / Grade 5 – Adult
Through interactive experiences, participants discover and reflect on differences and similarities among group members to move beyond appreciation towards empathy. Understanding culture, stereotypes and the importance of allies are covered in depth.
WATER WORLD – 1 unit / Grades 4 – 7
Use field instruments to study water quality including salinity, temperature, and turbidity, while identifying organisms that live in water. Each site offers a unique opportunity either in a river, pond or lake, where concepts are practiced and applied.
WHAT DID YOU SAY? – 2 units / Grade 7 – Adult
Good communication is essential! Through initiative activities and directed problem solving, participants discover their communication strengths and practice new skills such as active listening, giving and receiving feedback, nonverbal communication and brainstorming.
