Not really a lesson plan but a very good land navigation and compass work course can be taught in a very tight spot. We used a football stadium after getting approval with the people in charge.

We started everybody off at one of three locations along the inner wall and had them shoot azimuths to control points. The points were clearly marked with a bright colored paper plate with further instructions written on it. Trick was that the right plate was surrounded by a number of other nearly identical plates with directions to shoot and follow another azimuth that led to an instructor. If a person ended up at the instructor it was clear what skill they needed to work on.

The first couple of steps were simple compass reading and shooting an azimuth. Then we worked on pace and distance. Then intersecting azimuths. There were ten lessons that covered the basics.

The advantage of this sort of concentrated work in a limited space and controlled environment had a lot going for it. First, it is very safe. In a stadium, you could set it up in a mall parking lot or field, there is no danger of snakes, thorns, poison ivy, or getting lost.

Students can get intensive instruction because the instructors are always close at hand. If you see a student tilting the compass as they sight and azimuth it is quick and easy to step in and correct and guide them. This means you get a steep learning curve with minimal frustration.

It is very low pressure, casual, and fun. The penalty for any error is having to walk a few hundred feet and having a friendly instructor tell you what your doing wrong and how to do it right. Any student that gets frustrated, tired, or doesn't catch a concept the first couple of times can rest, get a drink, and get help from a couple of instructors that will literally walk them through every step.

Students could concentrate on the lesson and technique instead of fighting the terrain and brush. The basics of compass work are not dependent on distance. The basics are the same whether it is 20m or 20km.

The down side of such a course, any course, is that it has to be accurately laid out. Nothing is as discouraging to a student as doing it right and getting anything but the exactly right answer. We set up the course with the help of a professional surveyor, his transit and laser range finder. We spent a week designing it and a day setting it up. Every location and distance was double checked using two different methods and we had one of the guys kids, who had no experience with this sort of thing, try it out to make sure the instructions were clear and that it worked.

I can't say we created a flock of budding Lewis & Clarks but even dimmest bulbs left with a firm understanding of the basics of compass work and land navigation.

This sort of technique is great for teaching the basics of land navigation but the course can be made as easy or as hard as you wish. I have seen small courses that defied orienteering experts with fewer than one out of ten getting through it with every point correct.