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Cross Country Skiing Lesson Plans
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Online Viewing Quiz
- Name the location of the Groh family adventure?
- The lodge offers many trails for Nordic skiing. Can you give another name for Nordic skiing?
- True or False? Classic and skating are both cross-country skiing techniques.
- True or False? According to the ski instructor in the Outdoor Family Adventure episode, if you are going to fall, it is best to hold your hands high in the air.
Answers
Show/Hide
- The Wilderness Lodge in Wattsburg, PA, is the location for the adventure.
- Nordic skiing is also known as cross-country skiing. The sport is sometimes referred to as xc skiing.
- True. The classic skiing technique is efficient and smooth. It uses the same movements as walking. The skier must alternate movement between arms and legs while sliding along a smooth trail. The skating skiing technique is faster and more physically demanding than the classic. The skier must pump his or her arms and legs similar to skating or rollerblading for movement and the skier needs to have well developed upper body strength.
- False. If you fall while cross-country skiing (and all beginners do), it is best to place you hands down to your sides. This motion will lower your center of gravity, give you a better posture to recover from the fall and get your hands closer to the ground to catch your fall.
History
PA Academic Standards - 8.1.3
Four thousand years ago people used skis to travel across snow-covered landscapes. Historians believe cross-country skiing originated in Norway. Using the Internet or a book about Norway. Try to answer the following questions:
- Locate Norway on a map or globe.
- What type of climate does Norway have?
- Name the people native to that part of the world.
- How did people use skiing to aid in their survival?
- How has skiing changed over the centuries?
- Why do people of Norway ski today?
Health & Safety
PA Academic Standards - 10.3.3 C
Many exercise specialists describe cross-country skiing as the world's best aerobic fitness activity. Aerobic exercise relies on large muscle groups moving in repeated rhythms to strengthen the heart and circulatory system. Cross-country skiing involves the simultaneous (that means at the same time) use of arms and legs while using ski equipment including boots, poles and skis. Compared to other sports, cross-country skiing is one of the most strenuous aerobic activities available.
The key to successful aerobic exercise lies in raising you heart rate so that it remains within a certain "training zone" for a period of 20 minutes. Before you can determine your ultimate training zone, you must first be able to find your pulse rate. To find your pulse rate you must first do something physical such as: jump rope, jog up and down stairs, anything to really get your heart beating fast. Then stop and place two fingers on your neck or wrist and count the number of heartbeats you feel for 10 seconds. Multiply this number by 6 and you have your PULSE RATE for one minute. Now that you know your pulse rate, you can find out if you are exercising within your TRAINING ZONE.
To find your training zone, take 220 and subtract your age. For a 10-year-old: 220 - 10 = 210. Now multiply that number by .65 (210 x .65 = 136.5) this is the LOW RANGE for the training zone. To find the HIGH RANGE for the training zone simply multiply 210 by .85 (210 x .85 = 178.5). While you are playing sports or exercising, practice checking your pulse rate. Check to see how often you are exercising within your training zone.
Here is a challenge for you: practice calculating your own pulse rate and use the formula to calculate your own training zone. The next time you are exercising, try to keep your pulse rate within your training zone for at least 20 minutes! It may be difficult at first, but keep trying and good luck!
Science
PA Academic Standards - 3.5.4 C & 3.7.4 E
Although cross-country skiing is a relatively safe sport, there is one danger that cannot be overlooked. Skiers are outdoors in the wintertime and that means cold temperatures. Using the Internet, see if you can find the answers to these cold weather questions:
- What part of the body loses the most heat when it is left uncovered?
- How long can a skier remain outdoors with some exposed skin such as their face or hands before they are at risk for frostbite if the temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit?
- How long can a skier remain outdoors if the temperature is below freezing?
- What is the wind chill factor?
- How does the wind chill factor effect how cold a temperature feels?
Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening
PA Academic Standards - 1.1.3 G
Read the following excerpt adapted from the Cross Country Ski Areas Association web page at www.xcski.org. Try to summarize the major idea in the brief article.
A Word about Ski Conditions
Sometimes cross-country skiers rush to negative judgment about ski conditions, refusing to look beyond their own windowpanes. Area operators are constantly frustrated by skiers assuming that if there is no snow in the backyard, there is no snow skiing within a day's drive. This can be absolutely false. New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan provide cases in point, where "lake effect snow"-produced by moisture stripped off the Great Lakes-can create massive localized storms, which don't necessarily drop most snow at the highest elevations. If you would like to go skiing but you don't see any snow in your neighborhood, give a call to your local cross-country ski area. Better yet, check their web site or the Cross Country Ski Areas Association's conditions reports at www.xcski.org.
What do you think is the main idea of this text?
What do you think the author wants you to do the next time you want to go skiing?
Finally, after watching the Outdoor Family Adventure Cross-Country Skiing Episode and completing the educational activities on this web site if you still need convinced that cross-country skiing is a great family activity here are some facts to share with your family and friends:
- Cross-country skiing is easy to learn. The movements are natural and they don't require special skills to get started.
- There are over 350 cross-country ski areas in the United States and Canada.
- Anyone can do it. Toddlers as young as 2 all the way up to seniors in their 80's can enjoy this sport. It is a multigenerational, lifelong activity.
- It is a very good workout. Participants can burn up to 800 calories per hour.
- It allows you to get out and enjoy nature in the wintertime!
Learn More About Cross Country Skiing
www.xcski.org
www.a1trails.com
www.xcskiresorts.com
www.karhu.com/tips
www.xcskidworld.com
www.LNT.org
Resources Used
Basic Essentials Cross-Country Skiing by John Moynier, The Globe Pequot Press copyright 1999
Wilderness with Children a Parent's Guide by Michael Hodgson, Stackpole Books copyright 1992
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