Teaching with out teaching.

[Omegaman]

Teaching people survival skills can be done with out even letting people know that you are sharing survival skills with them. We had family come up and visit from the city and since it was still kind of chilly I thought I would have a fire in the fire pit. I asked the kids if they wanted to see a cool way to start a fire (SIL said don't blow stuff up please). I had all of the kids gather up stuff that they thought would burn easy, then I had them set up what they had gathered in a way they thought would catch fire easily. I took out my knife and fire steel and tried to light each little pile. The out come some burned and some didn't. I pointed out the tinder that they picked that burned easy and explained why and what to look for in tinder and the places to find it. I also explained to them why some piles had good tinder but still didn't burn, showing them that fire design is almost as important as good tinder. I had them all rebuild their fires and then I gave them each a chance to use the fire steel, we had a 100% on the second go round. While this was going on I noticed more of the adults coming over to watch. So with out knowing everybody learned how identify good tinder, build a proper fire and use a fire steel to start a fire. We then went one to braid Para cord by the fire but that is a story for another time but I will say that everyone left my house with a double cobra key fob that they made.

[lady_banjo]

Omegaman, that was a terrific way to get the message across! Bet those kids (and adults) will always remember that experience. Thanks for sharing.

[mjbaker]

Great post thanks for the tip Omegaman!

[Echo2]

OUTSTANDING....Fire can save your life and give you a bit of a moral boost when you're down.

I teach it to my Cub Scouts as drawing a fire....

1.paper = tinder

2. pencils = small twigs

3. fingers = bigger twigs

4. wrist = small chunks

5. arms = big chunks

I love going camping with them.....ask if the want to draw a fire....the eyes light up....pair them into buddies and assign different sizes.

We've built "Tee-Pee" and "cross piles"....build the small fire on a piece of bark....and slide it into a bottom opening.

I you want to amaze them.....bring a small baggie corner of gun powder or pyrodex.....safety first though.

I try to come up with different ways to light them.....blast match....fire steel....bow drill.....etc.

A young mind is a great thing to fill with useful stuff....

Next time you have them over....show them a couple knots....only two or they won't retain it.....and make them very different.....clove hitch is a great knot.

[Skyowl's Wife]

I used to call that sneaky teaching.

GREAT lesson, O-man!

[Grim_R556]

I am an Army ROTC cadet (civilian college campus) Eagle Scout, an Education major (almost teacher), I work at a Boy Scout camp during the summer and assist in teaching at one of the BSA's National Camp Schools with the Ecology Conservation program. I have been teaching outdoor skills and lots of other subjects for the better part of my 20 years, and I have discovered that if the kids aren't having fun, then they aren't going to want to learn anything, especially if the instructor doesn't look or act like they want to do anything either; if you can turn it into a hands on experience and make it enjoyable, then the students will walk with that learning experience pinned to their shirt for the rest of their lives. You definitely got the idea, without even trying. Nice job. This should go for all lessons we teach,