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New survival skills class

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150 students are eager to learn the basic survival skills

By Amie Johansen | amie@charlescitypress.com

Senior Sara Martin stands with her rocket stove. Martin’s stove was the only stove that grew hot enough to boil water. Contributed photo
Senior Sara Martin stands with her rocket stove. Martin’s stove was the only stove that grew hot enough to boil water.
Contributed photo

Roughly 150 students, freshman through seniors, will learn what it takes to survive without technology. This year, Social Studies teacher, Rob Pittman, is offering a quarter-long course dedicated to teaching basic survival skills. According to Pittman, by the end of the quarter, students will have learned about rocket stoves, orienteering, knot tying, building temporary shelters, rock climbing and canoeing.

Already students have constructed their own rocket stoves and began exploring the high school’s grounds using a topographical map and a compass. Before navigating the high school’s property, Pittman challenged his students to study a topographical map of Great Basin National Park.

“Pondering, how long a 10 mile hike would take,” he said.

Looking at topography, students learned getting from point A to point B is not as simple as walking a straight line. Obstacles such as cliffs, waterways and thick brushy areas make it necessary for a hiker to choose alternative routes.

Students then used compasses and a topographical map of the high school property to create routes for their classmates.

“The best way to (describe this), it’s a social studies class that includes a lot of bushcraft,” Pittman said. “Bushcraft is being able to survive in nature.”

All of the units — bushcraft skills — are tied to current situations people experience throughout the world.

“Sociological implications of it in third world countries,” Pittman said.

He and his students discuss how these seemingly primitive skills are utilized for daily survival in certain portions of the world. They also cover the historical impact these “survival skills” held. For instance, rocket stoves were known as hobo stoves during the Great Depression.

“What I appreciate about Rob (Pittman) he finds a way to bring it back to the standards,” High school principal Josh Johnson said.

The idea for the class from Johnson who saw a similar course offered at a Colorado school.

Also part of the class are readings from authors who have experienced their expeditions and were required to utilize the basic survival skills. Pittman was excited about the philosophical conversations he and his students had discussing the various readings. For instance, one author stated “the landscape we habitate dictates how we live,” Pittman said.

The author went on to make claims that farmers are industrious, coastal people are romantic and living in suburbs breeds boredom and conformity.

With so many interested in this class, Pittman, is scheduled to teach three sessions a quarter during the first semester. Moving from a trimester schedule to a quarter schedule, the day is now divided so as to accommodate the frequency of this class without dropping other classes.

According to Pittman, the units or skills he selected to teach his students revolve around skills necessary for entering a outdoor-oriented career. He plans to take his students to Backbone State Park where he hopes they will be able to apply some of the skills they have learned throughout the quarter.

He also hopes to have students further explore a nationwide debate.

“America’s big debate between conservation and preservation,” Pittman said.

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