Students work in teams to recreate key camp learning through a classroom-based wilderness survival experience that blends science inquiry with social-emotional growth. Across five lessons, they use evidence from aerodynamics, ecology, geology, astronomy, and survival skills to build and defend a survival map and strategy board for a final challenge. The experience helps students practice communication, team roles, and decision-making as they compare ideas, test solutions, revise plans with peer feedback, and present their work to classmates, their teacher, and the principal with support from David Macander.

Students will define a survival design problem, compare possible solutions, and use evidence from tests and observations to improve a team survival map and strategy board. They will apply science ideas from aerodynamics, ecology, nocturnal animal adaptations, geology, astronomy, and natural resources to decide how to find water, shelter, food, and safe travel routes. Students will practice team roles, clear communication, and evidence-based decision making as they work with classmates and David Macander, respond to peer critique, and revise their plans for the final survival challenge. They will present and defend their final plan to classmates, their teacher, and the principal using claims, data, and scientific reasoning.

Students create daily field artifacts that build their final work, including a team survival journal, aerodynamics test notes from archery investigations, ecology and nocturnal animal clue cards, geology observation sketches, astronomy navigation tools, and SEL team role trackers. Their main product is a team survival map and strategy board showing water, shelter, food sources, and safe travel routes supported by evidence from ecology, geology, and astronomy, developed with guidance from David Macander during the Basecamp launch and revised after a peer critique circle. On the final day, teams use the map and strategy board in a hands-on survival challenge, then present and defend their choices to classmates, their teacher, and the principal when the camp group returns. Daily campfire-style reflection sticky notes become a shared class record of learning, challenges, and teamwork strategies.

Transform the classroom into a “Survival Basecamp” and reveal a mock backpack filled with trail tools, animal track cards, star maps, rock samples, and a foam archery arrow, then ask teams to infer how each item could help someone survive. With David Macander, students rotate through quick clue stations, test simple survival choices, and compare possible strategies for finding water, shelter, food, and safe travel routes. End with a team challenge in which each group chooses a starting survival plan, explains its reasoning with evidence from the clues, and posts initial ideas on a class basecamp board that will guide the week’s investigations.

Host a “Return to Basecamp” gallery walk when the camp group comes back, where each team presents its survival map and strategy board to classmates, their teacher, the principal, and David Macander. Students should defend how they used evidence from ecology, geology, astronomy, and their survival tests to choose routes, water sources, shelter, and food, then answer audience questions about criteria, constraints, and revisions. Include a short live element, such as demonstrating an aerodynamics test or explaining how nocturnal animal adaptations informed part of the plan. End with visitors leaving feedback notes on which plans seemed most realistic, scientifically accurate, and useful for survival.