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Guidance for Grown-Ups
April 2007
Adventurous Girls
Girls Gone Wild: Young Women Conquering the Great Outdoors
(link back to feature)
This Discussion Guide contains the following Activity Sections:
- The Answers to Your Questions
- Problem Solving: Exploring Options, Giving Advice
- Make a Historical and Global Connection: Changing Options
I. The Answers to Your Questions
The purpose of this activity is to practice reading, vocabulary, and comprehension skills while exploring what draws some young women to the great outdoors.
- Lindsay Bass, 18, writes about why she has a passion for nature, in her essay, "The Great Outdoors." Ask the teens to read her essay. Can they, as a group, summarize why she rafts, camps, and hikes? (Here are some possible answers: learning new skills; working together; feeling a sense of accomplishment; seeing gorgeous sites; getting in shape and enjoying yourself at the same time; feeling a sense of empowerment and pride; enjoying one of life's simplest pleasures.)
- In her essay, "The Hike," 18-year-old Christine Storgeoff describes the challenge and joy of hiking in the mountains of British Columbia with her family. Her essay includes a number of challenging vocabulary words. Ask the teens to read her essay, review the vocabulary words and their meanings (listed below), and then use each of the words in a new sentence, either in writing or out loud to a partner. If you want, ask the teens to read their sentences to the group and then vote on the funniest sentence.
*Varicose: swollen or knotted
*Mantra: a word or formula chanted or sung as a prayer
*Evanescent: short-lived, passing away quickly, or vanishing
*Balm: something that soothes, heals, or comforts
- After reading the Teen Voices' interview with Michelle Theall, creator of Women's Adventure magazine, can the teens answer the following questions correctly?
Where did Michelle Theall grow up?
A) Upstate New York
B) Missouri
C) Texas
The correct answer is C.
Was Michelle's family into sports when she was a kid?
A) Yes
B) No
The correct answer is B.
What does Title IX do?
A) Insures women equal participation in high school and college sports.
B) Outlines a three-prong test to assess gender equity in publicly funded education programs.
C) Creates thousands of opportunities for girls to play sports that they didn't have before Title IX's approval in 1972.
D) All of the above.
The correct answer is D.
Why did Michelle start Women's Adventure?
A) She wanted to get free kayaks from advertisers.
B) She was tired of seeing so much of the media focus on fitting into a size 12 dress.
C) She wanted to address the broader reasons women love the outdoors, beyond weight loss.
The correct answer is C.
Did Michelle encounter any bears on her visit to Katmai National Park in Alaska?
A) No, there are no bears in Alaska.
B) Yes, one ran down the trail after her. (But she was okay!)
C) Does buying a postcard with a bear on it count?
The correct answer is C.
What does Michelle say is her greatest accomplishment as an outdoor enthusiast?
A) Living life to its fullest, even with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.
B) Outrunning the bear that chased her down the trail.
C) Always matching her socks to her hiking outfits.
The correct answer is A.
What advice does Michelle give to young women who may fear the outdoors?
A) Take a lesson first, to get comfortable.
B) Research and use the right gear.
C) Find like-minded souls with whom you can share the experience.
D) All of the above.
The correct answer is D.
II. Problem Solving: Exploring Options, Giving Advice
The purpose of this activity is to think critically about what it means to be the "outdoorsy type."
- Following are questions for a group discussion; either you or one of the teen group members can facilitate: Is there a profile (or even a stereotype) for being an outdoorsy girl? If so, where does she live? What does she look like? Does her family have a lot of money? What are her favorite subjects in school? What kind of music does she listen to? What does she do after school?
- Can the teens think of any fictional examples of an outdoorsy girl? How about real life examples? Do they know people in their lives who break the stereotype?
- What are the pros and cons of being labeled "outdoorsy"? What are the major differences between being an outdoorsy girl vs. an outdoorsy boy? Do the teens think one would be easier? Why? Or why not?
- Some people are afraid of the outdoors, and nature activities are of no interest. They think (or know!) that they'll never be the outdoorsy type. Celine Bell, 19, expresses her thoughts on the realities of roughing it in her essay, "Delusions of Nature." Ask the teens to read about her winter camping experience and ask them to write for five minutes about what fears may be holding them back from a possible outdoor adventure. If they are willing to exchange what they wrote with another group member, see if the group member can come up with three ideas or suggestions to alleviate the fear.
Film Resources
- Uphill All the Way
The inspiring story of five "troubled" adolescent girls who overcome many personal, group, and physical challenges to bike thousands of miles from Canada to Mexico in a
life-transforming journey. 2000. 79 minutes. Available at www.wmm.com.
- A Hero for Daisy
The story of Chris Ernst, a world-champion rower, and her leadership in the fight for equality for women's crew at Yale University. 1999. 43 minutes. Available at www.aherofordaisy.com.
- Tomboys! Feisty Girls and Spirited Women
Tomboys! explores how gender identity is constructed from a young age through the lives of four real-life tomboys: teenager Jay Gillespie; firefighter Tracy Driscoll; lesbian artist/boxer Nancy Brooks Brody; and the 94-year-old political activist, "Granny D." Includes commentary by girls' studies pioneer Carol Gilligan. 2004. 28 min. NR. By Julie Akeret and Christian McEwen. Available at www.wmm.com.
- Playing (Un)Fair: The Media Image of the Female Athlete
Why do physically strong and mentally tough women athletes have to look a certain way? Noted researchers and a series of media examples contend that while men's identities in sports are equated with deeply held values of courage, strength, and endurance, the accomplishments of female athletes are framed very differently, often channeling women into more traditional (heterosexual) female roles. 2002. 30 min. Produced by the Media Education Foundation. Available at www.mediaed.org.
III. Make a Historical and Global Connection: Changing Options
The purpose of this activity is to expand the teens' horizons by learning about different types of outdoors activities, to identify which activities may interest them, and to figure out what steps are needed to take action and try something new.
- As added inspiration for getting active outside, ask the teens to read "Taking It to the Extreme," about women who have broken ground in uncharted outdoor sports.
- Start by asking the teens to list all of the outdoor activities mentioned in the Teen Voices' reading assignments, adding any other activities that come to mind. (Here's a list for starters: surfing, snowboarding, rock climbing, backpacking, hiking, camping, and trail running, rowing, kayaking, canoeing, alpine skiing.) Next ask the teens to pick whatever activity most interests them and divide into teams that will plan a Saturday, either real or fictional, trying this sport. Ask each team to: create a list of necessary equipment, find the three closest locations to try out the activity, find out if there are any special programs offered nearby to introduce the teens to the activity.
- There are ways to get active outdoors, no matter where you live. Ask the teens to list all of the outdoor activities that are not geographic or climate specific. (Here's a list to help: biking, running, trail running through parks, mountain climbing (at an indoor facility), bird watching, park clean-up and recycling.)
- In addition to getting exercise, seeing beautiful sites and learning new skills, getting active outdoors may ignite a passion for protecting and conserving the environment. Can the teens think of activities that merge several interests? What about organizing a cleanup or raising awareness about conservation or preservation of animal habitat?
Have you used Guidance for Grown-ups with your class or teen group? Tell us which ones you used and what kind of success you had with it. Did you put your own spin on it? Let us know.
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