canoeing with Year 9 getting ready for DoE award

The pupils listened well as the instructor explained which directions to move the paddle to go left, right, backwards or forwards and that they would be canoeing in pairs as the canoe has two seats. The instructor also explained that the pupils would need to communicate between one another with deciding who was going to have their paddle on their left, on their right, who was going push their paddle to reverse the canoe and that they would need to move their paddles left and right at a symmetrical time.

After the instructor had gone through the safety checks and explained what movements the pupils would need to make to help the canoe to move along the lake, the pupils worked together as a group to carry three of the canoe's down to the shore as the instructor then demonstrated how to place their canoe onto the water in the correct way. With staff encouragement the pupils got into pairs. After the pupil's took it in turns to stand into the canoe placing either one of them at the front and one at the back as the teacher gave them a little push to start them off. 

As the pupils were canoeing along the lake following the instructor's lead, they communicated to their pair well by talking through together who was going to place their paddle on what side of the canoe as they also began to float in a variety of directions while moving their paddles in the same motions as one another. While the pupils were away from the shore the instructor showed them a ball game they could play. The aim of the game was for the pupils to compete in the challenge of working in their pair to retrieve the ball before their peers do while paddling in their canoe's. When they had the ball the pupils would need to try and achieve the goal of throwing the ball into the instructor's canoe.

To finish off the session, the next challenge for the pupils was to try a cap size off the canoe that was directed by the instructor. All of the pupils took part and worked together to push themselves from under the canoe and swim back to the shore.