Lessons Plans

WILDERNESS SURVIVAL MERIT BADGE LESSON PLAN

MONDAY

Objective: Cover wilderness first aid requirements. Discuss and teach with scouts how to prevent and treat backcountry injuries or illnesses such hypothermia, heat reactions, frostbite, dehydration, blisters, insect stings, tick bites, and snake bites. Refer to merit badge pamphlet for information. 

Method: For each ailment, one volunteer pretends he is afflicted. Another volunteer is called upon to aid the ailed. Correct his mistakes if he makes any. 

Objective: Discuss and teach the 'seven priorities' for survival.

Method: Straight-up tell the scouts what these are. For each, ask one scout why he thinks this may be important, and if he's wrong, or a little off, reiterate what he said that is correct, then follow up with a complete explanation.

Objective: Discuss how to maintain a high morale when lost.

Method: First, explain what it means to have high morale. Connect back to the 'we feel good, oh we feel so good' chant. Explain how having high morale makes it easier to find solutions. Then,everyone participates in a sudden, impromtu skit in which the WS class has found itself lost in the middle of the Congo. Formerly despondent scouts spontaneously do things to brighten the atmosphere until everyone is ready to work on getting out of this fix. 

Objective: Remind each scout to bring his complete survival kit for tuesday. 

TUESDAY

Objective: Teach and discuss you would take to survive in the conditions of 1) cold and snowy 2) wet forest 3) hot and dry desert 4) windy mountains or plains 5) water ocean lake or river

Method: Let the scouts take guesses as to the correct procedure for each one. Remind them we are looking for the general problem with each scenario, as well as the general solution. If no guesses hit on the right problem/solution pair, straight up teach.

Objective: Create a personal survival kit and explain the purposes of each element. This should include pocketknife, first aid kit, extra clothing, rain gear, water bottle, flashlight, matches/other fire starters, sun protection, map and compass and optional duct tape, whistle, signal mirror, thin wire, garbage bag, fishing line/hooks, mobile phones/GPS.

Method: Unless you have your own, borrow a kit from a scout who is sure he has everything, with his permission, of course. Take out each element one by one and explain/discuss the importance of each. 

Objective: Explain why it is usually not wise to eat edible wild plants or wildlife in a survival situation. 

Method: This is easy enough. Just explain that of millions of plant species, only a tiny fraction are suitable for human consumption. It is also not wise to eat wild animals, because they can have diseases. 

WEDNESDAY

Objective: Show five different ways to attract attention when lost. Demonstrate how to use a signal mirror. Describe from memory five ground to air signals and tell what they mean. 

Method: Go over each way to attract attention. Let a volunteer demonstrate how to use a signal mirror, then pass the mirror around. Go over the five ground to air signals with the expectation that the scouts must know them by thursday. You will find the information in the pamphlet.

Objective: Go over three ways to treat water so it is suitable to drink.

Method: Get a hold of some water. Go over with scouts each way to make water potable, and practice as many of these ways as resources allow for. 

Objective: Go over three ways to create fire in the wilderness. 

Method: Teach each of these. Practice as many of these as possible based on available resources.

Objective: Remind scouts to memorize their ground to air signals for individual recitation the next day. 

THURSDAY

Objective: Ground to air signals memory recitation.

Method: All scouts line up. As quickly as possible, each scout recites each ground to air communication method. 

Objective: Show how to protect yourself from insects, reptiles, and bears. 

Method: Depending on time, either discuss this as a group or straight up explain it. 

Objective: Go over examples of a natural shelter, then as a group, create a natural shelter in the woods nearby. 

Method. Explain each type, then allow scouts to work as a whole or in groups to use the surrounding sticks to create a shelter. You will find the information in the pamphlet. 

Objective: Show how to wear the proper clothing overnight in extremely hot or cold weather. 

Method: Quickly discuss as a group what is appropriate for either situation. You will find the information in the pamphlet. 

FRIDAY

Objective: Whatever it is.

Method: Whatever it takes.