Canoeing

Date October 22, 2022

Lesson Title Canoeing Day 1

Age Level 8-13

Location QL Beach

Competencies Physical Education (Elementary) Competencies 1, 2 and 3

Learning Intentions To learn the basics of safe lake canoeing and gain proficiency in
maneuvering the canoe.

Essential Knowledge - Basic water safety

- Basic canoe etiquette
- The parts of the canoe and paddle
- Basic roles whether in bow or stern
- Basic strokes for lake canoeing

Required Resources Lifejackets, paddles, canoes, ball, whistle

Procedures (15m) Head down to the beach ready to get wet. Water shoes
preferred, but not necessary. Bring towel etc.
Time Frame: 2 hours
(5m) Begin with a short get-to-know you game. Stand in a circle and
pass the ball from person to person until the ball has been passed to
everyone. When someone has the ball, they say their name, why
they chose the canoeing option and something funny/cool about
themselves.

(10m) Explain the basic rules of lifejackets. Explain how to tell if a

lifejacket fits properly. Everyone must always wear a lifejacket when
on the water. Explain how to choose a paddle that’s appropriate for
your size. Fit everyone for a lifejacket and paddle.

(10m) Take one canoe out and stand around it. Name and point at
the different parts of the canoe and paddle. Explain the terms ‘port’,
‘starboard’, ‘bow’ and ‘stern’. Give a little pop quiz by pointing at
something and asking the kids to name it. Repeat until they are
familiar with the terms.

(20m) Take the kids knee-deep into the water with their paddles.
Demonstrate and explain the purpose of the different strokes (front,
back, brace, c, j, pry and draw). Once demonstrated, call out the
different strokes randomly and have the kids do them until they are
 familiar with them. Explain the roles of sitting in the bow or the
stern. The bow is the ‘captain’, the stern is the ‘engine’, it’s best to
have the heaviest person in the stern etc.

(15m) Get the kids to pair off. Explain how to carry the canoe
properly for a short distance. Explain what portaging is (the kids are
likely too small to do it themselves). Explain how to enter a canoe
properly when in the water. Explain rafting up. Have them paddle
out around the end of the dock and raft up.

(30m) Have the kids play canoe tag with the ball to practice their
skills. The aim of the game is to stay within the boundaries (square:
buoy and tree are corners) and hit the other canoes and tag them
with the ball. If tagged, you must tag someone else. The ball may be
carried in the canoe and thrown by hand.

(15m) Put everything away and return to the lodge and change.

Assessment Periodic informal assessments are given throughout as explained

above.

Resources http://www.education.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/site_web/documents/edu
cation/jeunes/pfeq/PDA_PFEQ_education-physique-
primaire_2009_EN.pdf

Date October 24, 2022

Lesson Title Canoeing Day 2

Age Level 8-13

Location QL Beach

Competencies TBD

Learning Intentions To practice T-rescues and develop canoeing skills.

Essential Knowledge - How to do a T-rescue

Required Resources Lifejackets, paddles, canoes, whistle

Procedures (15m) Head down to the beach ready to get wet. Water shoes
preferred, but not necessary. Bring towel etc.
Time Frame: 2 hours
 (10m) Create a team name and chant.

(10m) Review strokes, parts of the canoe and direction terminology.

(15m) Take two canoes in the shallow end and demonstrate how to
do a T-rescue.

(15m) Get in the water and raft up near the end of the dock. Paddle
around the buoy and back. Paddle backwards around the buoy and
back.

(30m) Take turns (one at a time) capsizing and getting rescued.

Everyone does each role once.

(10m) Play canoe tag with the same boundaries as yesterday.

Instead of using a ball, use your paddle to tag. No tag-backs.

(15m) Put everything away and return to the lodge and change.

Assessment Periodic informal assessments are given throughout as explained

above.

Resources TBA

Date October 31, 2022

Lesson Title Canoeing Day 3

Age Level 8-13

Location QL Beach

Competencies TBD

Learning Intentions To practice canoeing skills on a short trip.

Essential Knowledge - None

Required Resources Lifejackets, paddles, canoes, whistle

Procedures (15m) Head down to the beach ready to get wet. Water shoes
preferred, but not necessary. Bring towel etc. Bring special snack
Time Frame: 2 hours and water bottle.

(30m) Team chant. Jump in canoes and head across lake to Ethan’s
Beach..

(30m) Snack, short free swim.

 (30m) Head back to QL.

(15m) Put everything away and return to the lodge and change.

Assessment None.

Resources TBA

Date November 1, 2022

Lesson Title Canoeing Day 4

Age Level 8-13

Location QL Beach

Competencies TBD

Learning Intentions To learn about river canoeing safety, river canoeing strokes and to
plan a short river canoeing trip.

Essential Knowledge - Basic river canoeing safety

- Basic river canoeing strokes
- How to plan a river canoeing trip
- Leave No Trace principles

Required Resources Lifejackets, paddles, canoes, whistle, snack, water

Procedures (15m) Head down to the beach ready to get wet. Water shoes
preferred, but not necessary. Bring towel etc.
Time Frame: 2 hours
(20m) Team chant. Go over river canoeing safety measures in detail.
Explain current, eddies, rapids, sweepers and other dangers. Explain
overall how the day will go tomorrow. Do quick reminder quiz on
the roles and basic canoeing strokes.

(5m) Everyone hops in the water up to their knees. Demonstrate and

explain the new stroke and maneuver (cross bow draw, eddy curl).

(20m) Get in the canoes and raft up near the end of the dock. Warm
up with ‘canoe ballet’. With the canoes and just using strokes, make
a square, line, ‘x’ and arrow shape.

(15m) Practice the cross bow draw and eddy curl by getting some
speed and attempting to swing the canoe 180 degrees with a cross
bow draw. Switch roles in canoe and repeat.
 (20m) Put canoes away and go over Leave No Trace principles for
the lunch that will be had on the river tomorrow.

(10m) Team chant. Ask the group if there are any questions and get
them to take you through how the day will tomorrow themselves.

(15m) Put everything away and return to the lodge and change.
Bring everything up that is needed for canoe trip.

Assessment Periodic informal assessments are given throughout as explained

above.

Resources https://paddling.com/learn/river-hazards

Date November 2, 2022

Lesson Title Canoeing Day 5

Age Level 8-13

Location Massawippi River

Competencies TBD

Learning Intentions To successfully complete a river canoeing trip.

Essential Knowledge - None

Required Resources Lifejackets, paddles, canoes, whistle, lunch, water

Procedures (20m) Team chant. Go over river canoeing safety measures in detail.
Explain current, eddies, rapids, sweepers and other dangers. Explain
Time Frame: Full day overall how the day will go. Do quick reminder quiz on the roles
and basic canoeing strokes. Remind kids of Leave No Trace
principles.

(20m) Pack a lunch for those who do not already have one. Make
sure all equipment needed is accounted for.

(30m) Head to entry point on Massawippi River and unload.

(10m) Remind kids of river safety and ask if there any questions.

(~45m) Enter river and head down to lunch spot.

(30m) Lunch, free swim.

 (~1.5h) Head down river to Lennoxville.

(20m) Land at Optimist Park. Load up canoes and equipment.

(~30m) Head back to QL.

(15m) Debrief, unpack and ask kids what the favorite part of their
trip was.

Assessment None.

Resources https://paddling.com/learn/river-hazards