Title of Unit; Unit 1 – Exploring Outdoor Experiences

Area of Study; 2: Experiencing outdoor environments

Key Knowledge point;

The factors that affect access to and kinds of outdoor experiences, including socioeconomic status,

cultural background, age, gender and physical ability

The content knowledge required to teach to the key knowledge point;

This section contains the conceptual overview of key principles, practices or information relevant to

the bullet point.

You have to make a judgement about the depth of knowledge teachers would require to be able to

teach a particular key knowledge area. In general knowledge required should be a conceptual

overview. The resource should provide a novice teacher with the bulk of background information

they need to know to teach the key knowledge area.

Prezi Link

- This document links directly to a prezi presentation that can be accessed by going to the

following web link. This prezi has all the information required to teach this key knowledge

point to your class and has useful and handy resources throughout. If required the Prezi can

be downloaded and altered on the Prezi webpage without altering the original copy. To use

prezi use the arrow keys.

- www.accesstooutdoorexperiences.tk

o (Access to Outdoor Experiences)

Socioeconomic Status

Socioeconomic Status (SES) is a sociological and economic total measure of a person’s work

experience and also of an individual’s or family’s economic and social position in relation to others

based upon education, income and also occupation. A person or family can be categorised into 3 SES

categories, they are low (SES), Middle (SES) or high (SES). Each category has certain indicators.

People in the category of Low (SES are more likely to have low income, little education and will have

strong predictors of a range of physical and mental problems. People in the category of middle (SES)

encompass the most of any category of Australian people. People in the category of high (SES) are

associated with high income, high education and are considered healthy and strong.

How Does SES affect access to and kinds of outdoor experiences

Most students will have quite a good understanding of how socioeconomic status can affect access

to the outdoors as most students will have wanted to do some adventure type activity but due to

money it could not happen. In reference to Australian outdoor experiences Australia is ranked as

one of the most expensive places to adventure activities Etc Rock climbing, Surfing, paragliding etc.

Although Australia as a country has a lot of beaches, forests, state and national parks where outdoor

experiences are free. On the Prezi slide there is a detailed example of how socioeconomic status can

affect a surfing experience. Socioeconomic Status affects not only the type of activities that a person

can do but it also affects what one can do within a given activity. For example within the Prezi slides

there are 2 people surfing and they could have vastly different experiences depending on their

socioeconomic status. One person might have a new surfboard, a jet ski to tow them into waves,

they could have a top of the line wetsuit, compare this to a person of low socioeconomic status they

might not have any of the above except an old surfboard. This could vastly affect the kinds of

experiences these 2 surfers have. You need to state to the students that having varying experiences

does not mean one is necessarily better than the other. A person that goes to the beach for a swim

and then leaves 15 minutes later could have a better experience than a person on a jet ski for 2

hours.

Cultural background

Cultural background is the context of one’s life experience as shaped by membership in groups

based on ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, relgion, sexual

orientation and geographical area. Cultural background is a large and diverse topic and you could

teach this topic for a long time therefore this is just a short sharp introduction in cultural

background. Each country in the world has a culture and this culture has a background, when

someone moves somewhere or has been brought up in a culture they will often take this culture

with them when they move. For example the Australian culture is very diverse as Australia has a lot

of immigration. The Census revealed that over a quarter (26%) of Australia's population was born

overseas and a further one fifth (20%) had at least one overseas-born parent therefore Australia as a

multicultural background. Compare this to Islamic culture where for one example females cannot

swim in front of males as it’s against their cultures rules.

How Does Cultural Background affect access to and kinds of outdoor experiences

As each culture has its own rules and regulations to abide by it is a common barrier to outdoor

experiences. Within the Australian culture there is no negative or positive affect that our culture has

on our access to outdoor experiences, although it is in the Australian culture to be in the outdoors

therefore cultural background is not a real negative in reference to accessing outdoor experiences.

Australia is different to a lot of other countries, it is found that a lot of women from Islamic and the

Middle East are severely hampered in relation to accessing and the type of outdoor experiences they

can have. (Refer to prezi for a clip on Islamic culture and the effects of trying to swim) In most

Middle Eastern cultures females are not allowed to swim in front of males and in some cases they

must were their traditional Burkas at all times whilst in a hot climate, this is a major barrier to

accessing the outdoor experiences and also what activities they can do due to their clothing that

they must wear.

- You need to irreate to students that again being from different cultures doesn’t mean they

cannot do certain types of activities

Age

Age is stated in chronological time. It is defined as the length of time someone or something has

lived for.

How Does Age affect access to and kinds of outdoor experiences

Age is possibly one of the biggest things that will affect access to and the kinds of outdoor

experiences that a person can undertake, It is accepted that as we age we will become weaker and

weaker after hitting our suggested peak of fitness by the time we are 27. Therefore it is common to

hear people say im too old to do that as there body would not be able to cope with the demand that

is set upon them although there is always some that break the mould Etc Tommy Hafey Ex Afl Player.

Age does not only affect the types of activity someone can do but also the intensity of the activity

etc bushwalking for 6 days for a 20 year old could be the equivalent of bushwalking for 1 day for a 60

year old as they could both have the same output. Age can have a positive factor on accessing

different types of outdoor experiences, For example for someone that is 17 living in the middle of

Victoria there chance of getting to have a surf is minimal but with increased age (18) they can drive

themselves to the beach therefore age is having a positive effect.

Need to ensure you cover both positive and negative.

Gender

Gender is a range of physical, mental, and behavioural characteristics distinguishing between

masculinity and femininity and in this case referring to sex (Male and female). This is not taking into

account gender identity.

How does gender affect access to and kinds of outdoor experiences?

Australia is a very lucky country as there is minimal gender discrimination in reference to accessing

the outdoors and the types of outdoor experiences. Although gender discrimination is still an

occurrence within Australia it does not severely hampen outdoor experiences. In Australia it is

considered normal for women and men to go bushwalking together or go the beach together,

whereas in many other countries women have their own beaches (Dubai for example) where

imprisonment will be enforced if males are found within the vicinity, This impacts both males and

females, For females the impact is due to they can only access one beach in the whole city if they

follow their religions guidelines therefore it is harder to get access to, for males this also cuts off the

beaches they can swim at. Overall there is no barrier that females cannot get over that males can

etc Climbing Everest done by both genders or surfing 50 foot waves both genders can do this. One of

the main barriers that is often faced in reference to gender and outdoor experiences is that of

perceptions of outdoor experiences and that some experiences are considered manly and some are

considered feminine therefore they have increased amounts of their respective gender within that

activity.

Gender can also link back to cultural background (For further information refer to cultural

background)

Physical ability

Physical ability is the ability to perform some physical act; contrasting with mental ability

Ability - the quality of being able to perform. This area of physical ability also incorporates many

learning disorders, Psychological inabilities or diseases all have some effect on someone’s physical

ability to do a task. Physical ability also has a strong link with age as the older you are the less

physical ability you have. Physical ability also incorporates physical fitness therefore is quite a large

category.

How does Physical Ability affect access to and kinds of outdoor experiences?

Physical ability has a huge impact on accessing outdoor experiences, Depending on the type of

physical ability some activities may be near impossible to complete due to safety or practicality.

Although a lot of outdoor experiences are now catering for people of a range of differing physical

abilities allowing them to have access to the outdoor enviroment etc disabled wheelchair swings,

wheelchairs that can go off-road etc. One of the large barriers that contrasts with physical ability is

that off socioeconomic status as often if someone is physical inable to do an activity they have costly

equipment etc wheelchairs therefore they are more likely to have a lower SES due to the increased

costs of living. Another thing with physical ability is that a lot of activities require a lot of practice or

expertise in a specific area therefore cutting out a lot of people due to a range of reasons

(Socioencomic status, don’t have the time etc) and some people may not have the capacity of

physical ability to practice for long periods of time etc – someone who has a heart condition may not

have the stamina to be able to practice surfing for 3 hours a day or the same with someone who is

obese they cannot go walking for a day instead they can only go for 1 hour.

Ideas on relevant school based learning activities;

1. The factors that affect access to and kinds of outdoor experiences (Prezi click 4)

- On a whiteboard / blackboard write “Barriers” then get students to suggest barriers / factors

that they think affect outdoor environment use.

- Put all responses on the board and once completed then talk through each one listed

- This is when you can take some off / add some in depending on what is written

- Listed below is a table including major key points, a brief example of each and also how this

affects access to outdoor experiences, This can be used as a resource for students. (As

attached) or as a teacher resource

2. Outdoor Experiences Low vs. High Case Study

- (After Students have gone through prezi Slides 8 – 21) There is a set of questions outlaid to

them to answer on the case study.

- Students are to

o Write down how these two surfers experiences would have differed

o How do you rate Surfer 1s (Low SES) experiences compared to surfer 2 (High SES)

o Can you think of any other situation where something like this may occur when

accessing the outdoors?

3. Cultural Backgrounds Video

o Students watch the Youtube clip on Prezi slide 25 (Youtube)

What are the main barriers to These East African women being in the outdoors

(Pools Etc?)

o What are some strategies that could make their life easier in reference to equal

access?

o Do you believe the Ymca In your local town does this? (Close early, have female only

life guards etc)

4. Physical Ability video

How did their physical ability affect their access to the outdoors?

a. Was it harder or easier than normal?

Name 1 thing that your school does to increase access to the outdoors for students with an

impaired physical ability

5. Physical Ability

Students answer the following questions after the Youtube clips on prezi slides 29,30 (only

need to watch 1)

a. How did their physical ability affect their access to the outdoors?

b. Was it harder or easier than normal?

c. Name 1 thing that your school does to increase access to the outdoors for students

with an impaired physical ability

6. Study Questions (Homework relating to this topic)

Name 3 Barriers that someone may face in regards to access to the outdoor enviroment

Describe one of these factors

For the factor you have described analyse how often this would be an occurrence in your

local community and ways that could be implemented to stop this barrier continuing.

Brief Example of Each of the barriers (Student Handout)

Factors Affecting access to outdoor experiences

What is it? How does this affect oe?

Socioeconomic Status Socioeconomic Status (SES) is a sociological and economic total measure of a person’s work experience and also of an individual’s or family’s economic and social position in relation to others based upon education, income and also occupation.

Socioencomic Status has no doubt one of the biggest factors that affect access to outdoor experiences as a lot of (Paid) outdoor experiences within Australia are not considered cheap. Within Australia there are a lot of outdoor experiences which are free but if you were to pay for an outdoor experience (Etc Rock climbing, skiing) Australia is very costly. Therefore Having a low socioeconomic status severely limits the range of experiences you can have in the outdoors (Although there is still plenty of free outdoor experiences available) (See example on Prezi slide 10-18 for detailed example)

Age Total age of a person (Chronological)

It is often said age is no barrier; this is not always true in reference to accessing outdoor experiences. Due to humans natural ageing some outdoor experiences are not nescaiirly intended for older adults use. Take for example bushwalking is an appropriate activity for all ages as it involves self-pacing, as many breaks as you wish & you can go as far as you want to but if you were 80 and wanted to do a 7 day walk through the Grampians it would be not advisable (Although depends on the individual) as they are at a greater risk of injury / damage / physical ability than someone doing the same walk that is 40 years younger.

Gender Male or female

In current day Australia gender is having less and less impact upon accessing the outdoor environment than many other countries in the world. One of the main gender issues in reference to outdoor experience access is that of there is often found to be more focus on masculine outdoor experiences and therefore it has been perceived that masculinity and being a male is associated with that sport. In Victoria (2012) Punks in the gym at Mt Arapiles (One of the hardest routes in rock climbing in the world) was recently completed by the first female (27) years after the first ascent. One of the reasons behind the major length intime is due to the perceived barrier that you could only do it if you were a male. Gender can also link back to cultural background (For further information refer to cultural background below)

Physical Ability

the ability to perform some physical act; contrasting with mental ability Ability - the quality of being able to perform.

Physical ability has a huge impact on accessing outdoor experiences, Depending on the type of physical ability some activities may be near impossible to complete due to safety or practicality. Physical Ability covers a variety of aspects and people including those who are physically impaired (E.g - Deaf / Blind / Amputee) and also those who are unable to complete an activity due to things such as Obesity, Heart conditions, pre-existing medical impairments) Etc – for someone with a high impaired physical ability it wouldn’t be considered safe to have them complete high risk outdoor experiences such as surfing, rock climbing etc without assistance. To receive this assistance there would be a money factor involved which links back to (SES).

Cultural Background

Cultural background is the context of one’s life experience as shaped by membership in groups based on ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion, sexual orientation and geographical area.

Cultural background has a large effect on access to the outdoor environment. The main cultural barrier that will come to mind for most people is that of Muslim Women and their cultural influences which mean that women are not to swim with other males to “protect women’s modesty”. Therefore the rates of Muslim women’s swimming are far below par compared to other cultures.

Ideas on links to practical outdoor experiences;

Experiential learning is a cornerstone of outdoor education pedagogy. Describe at least three

practical outdoor excursions or parts of an excursion that could assist in enabling students to

understand your key knowledge area. Your excursion/practical activity could be very specific – such

as a visit to an identified location – or conceptual such as a practical idea.

Practical Experience 1

i. Do an audit of an Outdoor Place (Etc Sporting oval, School, climbing wall)

and see if they are adequately equipped for catering people of differing

physical abilities. Then see what activities take place in this park and if any

of these activities would exclude some groups, such as those activities that

are more expensive or require a degree of specialised skill or equipment.

Practical Experience 2

ii. Contact someone in your local community that has a different cultural

background and go visit them and ask them to talk to the class on cultural

background and the access to the outdoors.

Practical Experience 3

iii. Visit an outdoor place and see if there is people from a range of

socioeconomic backgrounds visiting this place, Etc – Going to the beach you

could assess how many surfers have cars (only a perceived wealth), how

many have good surf boards and then combine this with practical

experience 1 and do an audit of the area to see if it equipped for catering

people of differing physical abilities.

Links to other key knowledge points within that unit;

List or note how your key knowledge area and learning activities can be linked or blended with other

key knowledge within the specific unit and area of study concerned.

Unit 1 – Area of study 1 – Outcome 1 – Key knowledge 1

7. the use and meanings of relevant terms, including nature, outdoor environments, wilderness, managed parks and urban/built environments

a. Students need to know these outcomes before starting this unit as there is these terms shown throughout

Unit 1 – Area of study 1 – Outcome 1 – Key knowledge 2

8. types of outdoor environments, including wilderness, managed parks, and urban/built

environments

a. Need to know these before assessing them in Practical Experience 1

Unit 1 – Area of study 1 – Outcome 1 – Key knowledge 5

9. The influence of media portrayals on personal responses to outdoor environments

a. Links back To perceptions for females on certain activities (E.g- Rock climbing within

the media is based as a Male dominated sport)

Unit 1 – Area of study 1 – Outcome 1 – Key knowledge 7

10. Strategies for planning for safe and sustainable interactions with outdoor environments.

a. Including access for everyone (Low Socioeconomic Status / Physical ability etc)

Unit 1 - Area of Study 2 – Outcome 2 – Key Knowledge 4

11. Relevant technologies and their effects on outdoor experiences.

Web-links or further resources;

Include a list of up to five relevant resources or web-links. You must include a paragraph describing

how each is relevant and useful to the key knowledge area.

Youtube

a. Youtube is a place where you can find anything that you can possibly want to find,

throughout this whole lesson Youtube has been utilised to show differing points of

view on the topic that cannot be done through a normal classroom. The following

clips are a range of different outdoor experiences, Students could further analyse

these and discuss if they are suitable for people of different socioencomic statuses,

ages, genders, physical abilities and different cultural backgrounds.

b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWfph3iNC-k ---- Wing suit

c. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0e2DgLYQ-M – Surfing

d. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyUoVVDEa-E – Rock Climbing

News Article

12. This article is a good one to show your students as it goes into detail on how to have fun

outdoors for little or no money; this is a good example to show students because it states

that you do not need a heap of money to have fun In the outdoors.

a. http://psychupforjobsearch.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/have-fun-outdoors-for-

little-or-no-money/

13. Another news article on a New Zealander mark ingles that climbed to the summit of Everest

after he has lost both legs. This is a good article to read as the study design states that

students can be accessed via a case study therefore getting them to read articles around the

area of physical ability and outdoor access to the outdoor enviroment is a great study

technique.

a. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/climber-who-lost-both-legs-

reaches-summit-of-everest-478517.html

What is socioeconomic Status?

14. This is a website that goes into detail on what is socioeconomic Status and the differing

categories of each. This is briefly explained throughout the lesson but if you feel asif you

want more background knowledge behind what is socioeconomic status go to the following

website.

a. http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/earlycld/ea7lk5.htm

Student Handout Sheet (Questions for factors affecting access to and kinds of outdoor experiences)

Barriers / Factors affecting access to and kinds of outdoor experiences

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Outdoor Experiences Low vs. High Case Study

Write down how these two surfers experiences would have differed

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How do you rate Surfer 1s (Low SES) experiences compared to surfer 2 (High SES)

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Can you think of any other situation where something like this may occur when accessing the

outdoors?

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Cultural Backgrounds Video

What are the main barriers to These East African women being in the outdoors such as Pools Etc?

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What are some strategies that could make their life easier in reference to equal access?

__________________________________________________________________________________

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Do you believe the Ymca In your local town does this? (Close early; have female only life guards etc)

__________________________________________________________________________________

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Physical Ability video

How did their physical ability affect their access to the outdoors?

b. Was it harder or easier than normal?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

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Name 1 thing that your school does to increase access to the outdoors for students with an impaired

physical ability

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

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Study Questions (Homework relating to this topic)

Name 3 Barriers that someone may face in regards to access to the outdoor enviroment

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Describe one of these factors

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For the factor you have described analyse how often this would be an occurrence in your local

community and ways that could be implemented to stop this barrier continuing.

__________________________________________________________________________________

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