Wilderness First Aid

Lesson Overview

• Key Stage: KS3
• Year Group: Year 9
• Subject: Health
• Unit Title: Wilderness First Aid Essentials
• Lesson Title: Introduction to Wilderness First Aid
• Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
• Curriculum Area: Health Education (PSHE) - Developing skills to manage risk and enhance health and well-being.

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Understand what wilderness first aid is and why it is important.
2. Differentiate between wilderness first aid and urban first aid, recognising unique challenges.
3. Identify common injuries and emergencies in wilderness settings.
4. Learn the basic principles of first aid (DR ABC framework).

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Materials Needed

• Interactive whiteboard or projector
• Whiteboard markers
• "Wilderness Challenge" Scenario Cards (pre-prepared by teacher)
• First Aid Kit items: bandages, plasters, gauze, triangular bandage, hand sanitiser, tape
• Printed copies of a basic first aid infographic (DR ABC framework)
• Sticky notes and pens (1 per student)
• A large map of a mountainous woodland (real or fictional scenario base)

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Lesson Breakdown

0:00-0:10 — Starter Activity: “Imagine You’re Lost”

1. Objective: Capture students' imagination and set the context for the lesson.
2. Start by dimming the lights and projecting an image of a dense forest or mountainous terrain.
3. Read this scenario aloud:
   "You are on a hiking trip with friends in a remote woodland. Suddenly, your friend slips on wet ground, injures their leg, and starts feeling dizzy. There’s no mobile signal, and a storm is rolling in. What do you do?"
4. Hand out sticky notes and ask each student to write 1-2 things they would do immediately in that situation.
5. Allow a 2-minute discussion in pairs to compare answers before gathering the group’s suggestions on the whiteboard.

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0:10-0:25 — Guided Discussion: What is Wilderness First Aid?

1. Definition of Wilderness First Aid

Provide students with a definition they can write in their notebooks:
"Wilderness first aid refers to the emergency care provided while in remote areas where professional medical help is not immediately available."

2. Why It’s Important

• Show a slide with statistics (e.g., % of UK outdoor accidents annually).
• Examples of real-life situations (fictional examples with relevance to UK terrain, e.g., Lake District hikers).

3. Unique Challenges in Wilderness First Aid

Discuss and list these on the board:

• Lack of immediate medical help.
• Adapting to environmental conditions (cold, rain, wind).
• Improvised tools and time-critical decisions.

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0:25-0:40 — Group Work: Common Injuries and Emergencies

1. Small Group Task:

• Split the class into 3 groups of 5 students each.
• Provide each group with a scenario card describing a specific wilderness injury/emergency (e.g., broken bone, hypothermia, severe bleeding).
• Students use the first aid kit items on the table to “simulate” an immediate response or brainstorm steps.

2. Follow-Up Discussion:

• Each group presents their scenario and response back to the class. Include:
  • What they would do immediately.
  • What improvised tools could be used (if needed).
  • What help they would need later.

3. Skills Focus: Emphasise decision-making and teamwork in time-critical scenarios.

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0:40-0:55 — Practical Application: Introduction to the DR ABC Framework

1. Explain the Meaning of "DR ABC":

• Danger
• Response
• Airway
• Breathing
• Circulation
  Hand out the infographic and walk through step by step with real-world examples. For instance:
• "Imagine someone is unconscious in the woods; what danger should you check for first?"

2. Paired Role-Play:

• In pairs, one student acts as the “casualty” while the other practices the DR ABC framework on them.
• Rotate roles after 5 minutes.

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0:55-0:60 — Reflect and Review

1. Full-Class Review:

• Revisit the starter scenario.
• Ask: “Now that you've learned about wilderness first aid, how would your actions differ?”

2. Exit Ticket:

• On a new sticky note, ask students to answer:
  • What was one new thing you learned today?
  • What is one question you still have about first aid?

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Homework/Extension

• Research one outdoor location in the UK (e.g., Snowdonia, Peak District) and identify:
  a) Potential hazards or risks in that area.
  b) What equipment or first-aid items you would bring if exploring it.
• Students to prepare this as a short presentation for Lesson 2.

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Teacher Notes

• Encourage creativity and critical thinking by adapting the scenarios to be relatable (e.g., camping, Duke of Edinburgh Award hikes).
• For SEND and EAL students, allow extra clarification of key terms like “hypothermia” or “DR ABC” and use visuals to support understanding.
• Maintain a collaborative atmosphere, ensuring quieter students have opportunities to engage (e.g., in pairs or small groups).
• Use dramatic and real-world examples to make the topic vivid and memorable.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observe group work for understanding of key wilderness first aid principles.
• Assess student reflections in their exit tickets for insight into individual learning and identifying areas to revisit.

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Reflection for Next Lesson

• Review exit tickets and adjust Lesson 2 based on questions or misconceptions raised.