Burma Shave Hike

Introductions – 5 Minutes
Have participants introduce themselves with their name and if they have ever been on a hike, what was their favorite place.

Supplies needed: pencils, burma shave cards, sound map sheets, digital cameras

Hike to Trail - 10 minutes

Skunk Target Practice – 10 Minutes
• Supplies: Targets & Spray Bottle
• Students will have an opportunity to practice an animal’s defense system
• Ask them how a skunk defends itself
• Tell them that a skunk warns before spraying by stomping its feet
• Tell them that skunks are striped to confuse predators. They walk head to tail at night to look like a much bigger animal to owls.
• Give each child an opportunity to be a skunk and try to hit the target with his or her rear facing the target and shooting over his or her shoulder.
• Ask the following questions:
o Was it difficult to hit the target?
o Why would a skunk spray?
o How do you get rid of the smell?

Burma Shave Hike – 35 Minutes
• Explain Burma Shave Hike
• Explain the Skunk Target Practice Game.
• The facilitator will then leave to place cards on the trail. Make sure the cars are close enough to be seen from the last card, and weighed down with a rock or stick.
• A chaperone or another instructor will then have each child practice the skunk target practice game.
• After they have had their turn, they will take off on the hike.
• If there is more than one chaperone, ask one to go when half of the kids have gone
• The kids will walk to each card and follow the directions on the card taking pictures that can help them retell their experience.
• No Talking!
• Remind the kids to STAY ON THE TRAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• If they see someone at the card in front of them, they should wait for him or her to leave before continuing. At no point in time should they be walking with another student.
• Always do a head count before and after the hike
• Do not make the trail too long
• When all the kids have arrived, ask each child to tell about his or her favorite card
• As they arrive on the far end have the group work on their Sound Maps and Concrete Poetry*

Sound Map
• Make an “X” in the middle of the paper and write your name there.
• Close your eyes and think about what you are hearing around you
• If you hear a bird to the right of you, draw a bird on your paper to the right of your “X”
• See how many things you can hear and draw on your paper


Concrete Poetry
• Poem that takes the shape of the object being written about:



T r e e s
A r e p r e t t y
And they are green
I e s p e c i a l l y
L i k e
T h e
Trunk
A n d
All of the Roots

After all student have returned from the hike, they will get to display their pictures on a laptop and share with the rest of the group about thier experience.