| Northland College Outdoor Education Home Outdoor Education Pre-2009 Course Descriptions |
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From a Ryan Brady Photo
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Basic Canoeing Syllabus- Fall Term Oed-035-01
Read: Using Guided Problem Solving in Teaching Canoeing Strokes Read: Tandem Canoe Stroke Technique Summary Read: Lightning Safety in the Field A Simple Rope System for Tying Down Canoes and Pre-Rigging a Stirrup Rescue
Location: Off campus Lab: Thursday, 12:30-5:20 Instructor: J. Grant White Office: 312 Wheeler Phone: Ext. 1350 E-mail: gwhite@northland.edu
Text: Paddling Basics-Canoeing: An Illustrated Guide to Equipment, Technique, and Safety, By Cecil Kuhne
“The canoe is the royalty of watercraft, and even the most fat and fatuous of them is infinitely exalted in my mind above the power pig. A canoe is something from which humanity fairly oozes. It’s a wing that’s flown on the pleasurable fuels of perspiration, perception and intelligence. To paddle even a poor one is to partake of broadened perceptual universe; to become immersed in paddling a good one is to partake of some kind of godhood.”
Harry Roberts
Page 13, Wilderness Camping, Vol. 6, No. 6, 1977
Introduction This course is designed to introduce you to the knowledge and skills needed to safely enjoy canoeing for recreation, relaxation, lifetime physical fitness, or work.
As an activity, canoeing is often viewed as being about as common as dirt; totally uncomplicated, and absolutely without risk. That the exact opposite is, in fact, the case means that many people know so little about the activity that they have no grasp of the variety of skills or magnitude of skill level possible, nor do they appreciate the potential risks or possess the means of avoiding them. If this course goes as planned, none of these statements will apply to you when it is completed.
Unique to North America, the lightweight open canoe was absolutely essential to both the Native North Americans and the early Europeans for subsistence, work, exploration, commerce, and general transportation. In the early days, the waterways were often the paths of least resistance through the wilderness, particularly when heavy loads were involved. This remained true even when the direction of travel happened to be upstream. Local waterways such as the Boise Brule, St. Croix, Bad, White, and Namekagon rivers were used in this way long before they were used for recreation. While other types of boats can out-perform the canoe in specific categories of performance, no other boat is, at the same time, as fast, as maneuverable, as seaworthy, or can carry as great a load for its size as the canoe and still be lifted and carried over land to the next body of water.
Modern canoeing includes the disciplines of tripping, flat water cruising, white water paddling, freestyle paddling, poling, lining, tracking, portaging, sailing, and various categories of competition in nearly all of these areas.
Course Goals · To help students to appreciate the potential for skill development and diversity within this activity · To inform students regarding care of equipment · To provide a solid foundation of both flat water and moving water paddling techniques and the means for students to self-critique and continue to learn on their own · To promote an understanding of the potential hazards associated with canoeing and provide the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and avoid them · Acting upon the assumption that students are enrolling in the course out of a genuine interest in the activity; to provide students with information that will enable them to make informed purchases of canoes and canoeing equipment
Outcomes Upon completing the course, students will have developed a:
· Functional understanding of the interactions among boat, paddle, and water, and ability to apply same to produce efficient, effective canoe strokes. Included will be the concepts of: · Paddle power face · Law of action-reaction · Law of inertia · Effective power transfer · Effective paddling biomechanics
· Functional ability to use basic rescue techniques · Functional understanding of water hydraulogy and river/lake safety · Functional understanding of canoe design and construction · Functional ability to paddle either bow or stern on either the right or left side, in both quiet and moving water
“ If the wind blows when docking, if the lake becomes rough, if the river drops through rapids, the ordinary canoeist grows uneasy, is easily dislodged from his seat, and is often in danger. The skilled canoeist merely becomes more interested and he can put himself in a position of safety whenever he wishes.”
Deforest Eveland
Mankato State University graduate student, Dept. of Experiential Education (and “skilled canoeist”), Spring 1977
Class Schedule
Week 1 Introduction to the class Safety talk, paperwork, etc. Basic concepts, fit paddles and P.F.D.s, learn to load the trailers, canoe lifts, portage techniques, etc.
Read Chaps. 1 & 2
Week 2 Basic flat water instruction and rescue--Twin Lakes/Birch Grove or Long Lake
Read Chap. 3
Week 3 Canoe orienteering/practice straight line travel--Mineral Lake
Read Chap. 4
Week 4 Classroom (T.B.A.); water hydraulogy, theory of paddling moving water, river safety
Read Chap. 5
Week 5 Strokes and maneuvers for moving water--White River Flowage
Read Chap. 6
Week 6 Moving water on the White River from Pike River Road to Sutherland Landing
Read Chap. 7
Week 7 Moving water on the White River from the reservoir to Hwy. 13 or T.B.A. based on conditions
Read Chap. 8
*Depending on interest, there will be an evening presentation on canoe design and construction (a “canoe buyer’s guide”) the time and location T.B.A.
Equipment Requirements In order to safely participate in this class, you will need to come prepared for cold, wet conditions with extra layers of warm clothing with properties that will allow them to keep you warm when wet (this includes wool, synthetic fleece and pile, polypropylene, Thermax, Thinsulate, Capilene, et.al.-- the list does not include cotton and acrylic), good rain gear (bring it every time!), a warm hat, waterproof boots (i.e.- “barn boots”) or shoes that can take repeated wetting without damage, a day pack with a garbage bag (two, doubled is better) or dry bag in which to keep your clothing dry, and a water bottle along with high energy snacks.
Grades Students in this class will receive a letter grade for their work. Grades in this class will be calculated on a straight percentage basis. This is accomplished by dividing the number of points earned by the total number of points possible. I do not grade on improvement except to the extent that improved scores will bolster the student’s overall point total. Full and enthusiastic class participation is expected of all students and should not be viewed as something extra that can be counted on to compensate for poor performance on written assignments. In addition to attending every session, each student will write a research paper, which will be due at the end of the session. The papers will be graded and then copied and assembled into information packets, which will be distributed to students in the class. The papers should represent thorough research of a specific and focused topic. Papers should be concise while providing thorough coverage of the topic in question. A selection of Dexter Library and Internet resources are assembled at the end of this syllabus.
The grading scale is as follows: 93-100 A; 90-92 A-; 87-89 B+; 83-86 B; 80-82 B-; 77-79 C+; 73-76 C; 70-72 C-; 67-69 D+; 60-66 D; 0-59 F.
Attendance Students must understand that attendance is of paramount importance in any activity class. It is more important than, and cannot be made up by the written assignment. This class meets 7 times. Therefore, if classes are missed, each class will be considered to be worth 14% of the class, and 14% per session missed will be deducted from the final percentage total.
Students in the class will be expected to attend each session and participate to the fullest. Excused absences include illness, school sponsored activities, and selected family obligations. Missing a class to study for another class is not excused on the basis of it being a school sponsored activity. Misses must be made up by researching the topics covered in class on the day in question, and writing a summary of the findings. Skills instruction and practice may be able to be made up during evening pool sessions. Such make-up sessions must be arranged in advance with the professor.
Under no circumstances should a student assume that by merely submitting a paper, they have made up for 100% of the class missed. In order to be considered equivalent, the paper must reproduce the content covered on the day missed, and be of adequate length, substance, and quality based on the judgment of the course professor. For purposes of calculating a final grade for the class, the paper will be graded, and the 14% deduction for the one absence will be reduced, commensurate with the quality of the make-up assignment. Therefore, the degree to which the paper actually substitutes for the class experiences on the day missed, will be directly reflected in the final grade. Whether a teaching segment or practical period is missed, the student must meet with the professor to discuss the possible make-up work. Only one miss (equivalent to one week of the course) can be made up in this way. Any student missing more than one session must drop the class.
Experience has shown this professor that it is impossible to anticipate all possible situations which may affect a student’s final grade. If, and when such situations arise, a decision will be made by the course instructor, based on the norms of the profession and his best judgment. The professor may consult with departmental colleagues, the Division Head, and/or the Dean of the College.
Canoeing Internet Resources: ORGANIZATIONS American Canoe Associationhttp://www.acanet.org/ Minnesota Canoe Associationhttp://www.canoe-kayak.org/ Outdoor Playhttp://www.outdoorplay.com/main.html Salty Doghttp://www.seakayaker.com/ PRESERVATION American Rivershttp://www.amrivers.org/ TRIP PLANNING TopoZone (online topo maps for the U.S.)http://www.topozone.com/ Ontario Ministry of Natural Resourceshttp://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/index.html Ontario Canoe Routeshttp://www.myccr.com/ Manitoba Park Information http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/parks/index.html
Paddle Manitoba http://kohlrabi.cs.umanitoba.ca/mrcawebsite/
Canadian Canoe Links http://kohlrabi.cs.umanitoba.ca/mrcawebsite/subpages/links.htm
Superior National Forest Virtual Visitor Centerhttp://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/superior/?bwca.cc Boundary Water Canoe Area http://www.boundarywaterscanoearea.com/ Quetico Provincial Park http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/quet.html Michigan Department of Natural Resourceshttp://www.dnr.state.mi.us/index.asp Minnesota Department of Natural Resourceshttp://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ Wisconsin Department of Natural Resourceshttp://www.dnr.state.wi.us/ EQUIPMENT Cooke Custom Sewing (Excellent Custom canoe spray covers, canoe packs, tarps, mukluks, etc.)http://www.cookecustomsewing.com/ Bell Canoe Works (In my opinion, the best designed and built personal canoes on the market--- David Yost designs)http://www.bellcanoe.com/ Frost Riverhttp://www.frostriver.com/ Midwest Mountaineering (OUTSTANDING outdoor gear retailer)http://www.midwestmtn.com/ Piragis Northwoods CompanyHttp://www.piragis.com/ Rutabaga On-Line—Your Y2K Compliant Vegetablehttp://www.paddlers.com/index.html TECHNIQUE Canoe Polinghttp://www.northernsun.bc.ca/Poling.htm Making an Inexpensive Polehttp://www.brockeng.com/AmusingRaven/pole.htm CANOE LINKS PAGES The Ultimate Guide to Canoeing http://www.canoeing.com/ Outdoorplaces.com Canoe Resource Pagehttp://www.outdoorplaces.com/Features/Paddle/pickcanoe/newcanoe8.htm Outdoor Online—Canoeinghttp://www.outdoor.co.jp/canoe/canoe_windex.htm CANOE BUILDING INFORMATION The Wooden Canoe Heritage Associationhttp://www.wcha.org/index.html Che-Mun, the Journal of Canadian Wilderness Canoeinghttp://www.canoe.ca/che-mun/home.html Native Tech: Native American Technology and Art-- Birch Bark Canoeshttp://www.nativetech.org/brchbark/canoe.htm North House Folk School—Boat Building Classeshttp://www.northhouse.org/classes/boat.htm Resources for Wood Canoe Enthusiastshttp://www.paddlin.com/fivelakes/resource.htm Wood Canvas Canoe Building Coursehttp://www.magma.ca/~paufacan/course_canoe_building.htm Wood Canvas Canoe Reconstruction Coursehttp://www.magma.ca/~paufacan/course_reconst.htm Wooden Canoe Directory of Builders and Suppliershttp://www.wcha.org/buildsupply/us/ny.html
TICK-BORNE DISEASES CDC Lyme Disease Pages http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/LYME/ld_prevent.htm http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/LYME/Prevention/ld_Prevention_Avoid.htm http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/Lyme/
Lyme Info. http://www.lymeinfo.net/protection.html
Prevention: Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lyme-disease/DS00116/DSECTION=prevention
Pesticide Information Center FOR MORE INFORMATION Google and Yahoo Search Engines: (great search engine—when searching as a phrase, bracket the phrase "in quotation marks")—try; "wood canvas canoe" or "canoe tripping"http://www.google.com/http://search.yahoo.com/
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