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source http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~nm3k-tgc/mountain/everest.html

The Mount Everest Challenge

A GrassRoots Project 29, 035ft (8850m) above sea level

River Valley Middle School is aiming to become the first anglophone school in New Brunswick to house a climbing wall and incorporate climbing into a variety of curriculums at the school. We believe that climbing contributes to all components of fitness- cardiovascular endurance, flexibility and body composition. Also the team building and self esteem development is unmeasurable. This project is driven by the hard work and endless hours of commitment to this belief by River Valleys administration and teachers Rose Theriault, Sylvie Arseneau and David Shiels.

Click for presentation on Adventurer/Educator/Mountain Climber Steve Adamson

This project involves the curricular links to Math, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education, and English/French Language Arts. River Valley students simulated the adventure of climbing Mt. Everest and produce projects using a variety of medias along the route. At River Valley we had a student who is presently on an exchange in China, she was our contact with that school corresponding with students about culture, history, geography, etc. Students began their trek up Everest by hiking up and down the small hills around River Valley and recording these distances against the route up Mt. Everest. The result will be accrued in Excel format and plotted on a graph that will be updated regularly on our web page showing the students progress. As students reach predetermined base camps they will be responsible for various projects that will be shown to the school and beyond, via our website learning portal. Students were rewarded with a stay overnight in the base camps erected at the school to simulate an actual base camp on Everest. Guest speakers came in and talked about hiking, climbing, fitness, equipment, etc. Our local teacher/adventurer Steve Adamson who will attempt Everest in the spring of 2004 will communicate with our students as they climb with him. Steve Adamson also made several visits to our school to give presentations and demonstrations to the school on mountains he has already climbed. Steve Adamson also is very involved in our schools quest to be the first anglophone school in New Brunswick to erect a climbing wall and incorporate it into our curriculums.

The lead teachers in this project were Rose Theriault, Sylvie Arseneau, David Shiels and LeRoy Vincent.

Bibliography and Resources

Teaching Web Resources:

1. www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/hil0bio-1
2. www.trektracker.com/CL_HomePg1.htm
3. www.earthtreksclimbing.com/shrdsmts.html
4. www.icsrc.org/TILT/SharedSummits/
5. www.Mnteverest.net
6. www.everestnews.com
7. www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest
8. www.mteverest.ca ( Steve Adamsons' Site)

Everest History:

10.www.everesthistory.com
11..www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/history

Lesson Plans:

12. www.nationalgeographic.com/expeditions/lessons
13. www.everestnews.com/lessonplan.htm
14. www.icsrc.org/TILT/SharedSummits/Lessons.html

High Altitude Physiology:

15. www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/exposure

Video Resources:

1. "Lost on Everest"-- pbs program about the search for Mallory
2. "Everest-Into the Death Zone"-pbs program about altitude
3. "Everest"-IMAX documentary
4. "Into Thin Air"-- Movie