There are differences between real risk and perceived risk. Helping students understand the difference fosters a sense of adventure and challenge to try new things, promotes skill building, and results in a sense of accomplishment. This can occur while maintaining safety rules and procedures to minimize or eliminate the real risks.
The sample guiding questions from this section may be used with students to start a conversation about real versus perceived risks. Through these conversations, students learn to differentiate between real and perceived risks, identify and think about how to manage their emotions in situations that they perceive as risky, and ways to reduce real risks. Consider adapting the questions to meet the needs and language level of the learners.
Teacher Prompt: Participating in outdoor education activities challenges us to experiment and try new things, explore the natural world around us, and learn new skills to build our confidence. An activity that is challenging may appear to be too risky for you to want to try. Yet, what one person thinks is a risky activity may not seem that way to another person. Sometimes what a person thinks is risky may not be a real risk. For example, walking on platforms at different heights, navigating a path on a rocky shore, or participating in a new outdoor education activity.
- What are some differences between a real risk and something we think is risky but may not be? How can we tell the difference?
- What are some of the benefits of trying new activities and experiences that may seem risky but may not be? (perceived risks) What can we learn about ourselves?
- How can we manage our thoughts and emotions when we are in a situation that we think is risky but may not be? (perceived risks)
- How do we reduce the real risks?
