Cuyamaca Outdoor School

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Joe, Thanks again for donating the slacklines. Here is a summary of how our outdoor school has been using them:

At the Cuyamaca Outdoor School, we have sixth-graders for one week (Monday-Friday). Aside from teaching natural science, we also have a social growth curriculum. The acronym for this program is ICARE (integrity, cooperation, attitude, respect, and esteem). The slackline is one of several low element challenges that we have been using to promote the ICARE concepts.
We introduce the slackline to our hike group that usually has 17 students in it. Before we actually get on the slackline, we teach the students how to be spotters. We have them stand in a slight lunge position and put their hands up to use as bumpers. We always have the students keep their hands closed in a fist so that they don't get a finger bent back if they are trying to spot someone. When they learn the spot position, we teach them to communicate with one another (like rock climbing belayers do). One person asks, "Spotters Ready?" and the spotters get in their spotters stance and answer, "Spotters are ready!" We then show them how to do trust falls and practice this communication. The person falling says "falling" and the spotter says, "Fall on!" When we move to the slackline, we have half the students line up on one side of the slackline and half on the other side of the slackline (about 18-24 inches from the line). The student preparing to walk the line asks, "Spotters Ready?" and spotters get into their stance and say, "Spotters are Ready." The slacker says "I'm walking the line!" and the spotters all say, "Walk On!"
The students can take several turns using the two rows of spotters. On the second or third turn, the spotters can slightly back away from the line in order to allow the slacker to use their own arms to balance. If they need a spot, they can say "spot" and a spotter can reach in to help them.
This has been working well for our hike groups. It keeps all of the students engaged in the activity instead of just waiting in line and probably goofing off. It also allows us to focus on teamwork.
Aside from using the slackline with our group during class time, we are also offering the slackline during recess. This is less formal. Most of the students are already acquainted with the slackline from their class. We usually have the students at recess use one spotter. Some of the students who really take to slacklining start working to cross the line without a spotter. We haven' t really had any students progress beyond that and try tricks such as turning on the line or walking backwards.
Our slacklines are fastened between trees. We have two log pieces at the beginning and end of the slackline that students step on and off of the slackline from. The log pieces are at the same height as the line, and the line actually runs across the flat surface of the log which gives the line a little more stability. Under the slackline we have finely ground wood chips that were suggested to use by our risk management department (from the San Diego County Office of Education).
Please send me back any suggestions for improving our slackline use and let me know about the web forum.
Take Care,
Jeanne