Middle School Exploration Helps Students “Find Their Way”

A group of middle schoolers stepped outside this Thanksgiving break for “Find Your Way: Maps, Mindset, and Movement,” a hands-on Middle School Exploration led by Upper School physics teacher Drew Schoudel. The two-day program introduced the kids to real-world navigation skills through map reading, compass work, and outdoor challenges across campus.

Early on the first day, the students ventured out to the softball field, where they built working sundials, using shadows and careful measuring to track the sun’s movement. Back inside, they worked on map literacy and concepts like longitude and latitude, true north, and magnetic north.

On the second day, they tackled a campus-wide scavenger hunt, where they had to navigate seven waypoints given distance and true headings. They learned how to convert true headings to magnetic ones, follow clues, and stay oriented without digital tools. 

For many, the experience taught them new things. “I thought they just pointed north,” one student said of compasses. “I didn’t know using a compass involved math.” A classmate noted that the skills would help on hikes and bike rides: “Now we know how to figure out where we are and how to get back.” Both said they liked being able to navigate without an app and would encourage friends who are fans of the outdoors to try a similar program.

Schoudel said he enjoyed giving students a break from technology while strengthening their observational and problem-solving skills. The program is part of an ongoing series that brings middle schoolers into the field for practical, memorable learning and has been popular with students since its inception in 2023.