Discover Geocaching

Presented by Melanie Burford

October 24, 2009

What is GPS?

• It is a system of 24 satellites that are used in conjunction with a receiver unit and a control station to allow for very accurate determination of location

What is Geocaching?

• High tech treasure hunt that uses global positioning system (GPS) receiver to hide and seek containers (caches) anywhere in the world

Geocaching

• Go to http://www.geocaching.com

• Create account

• Search for caches by location: Address, latitude, longitude coordinates, etc.

Geocaches Near Us

Geocaches Near Us

Geocaches

• Waterproof container

• Contains “swag”, stash note, pencil/pen, and log book

• If you take something, you must leave something.

Congratulations, you found it! If you found this cache by accident please don’t remove it, this is a Geocaching treasure box!Join us in the fun of using GPS to find hidden treasures worldwide at www.geocaching.com.Please let us know if you would like us to remove this geocache.Name:Date:Waypoint:Owner:

Curriculum Alignment with GPS

• Measurement

• Use compass rose (just a “techy” one)

• Map skills

• Problem-solving

• Geography

• Make observations, analyze information

• Health

Curriculum Alignment with Geocaching

• The use of the GPS serves mostly as the motivator. The contents of the caches work towards the curricular goals.

• The possibilities are endless!

Geocaching in Education

Evaluation Stations

• Students are given the coordinates to various caches. At each cache, they must evaluate or classify the contents. Examples: Facts or opinions, identifying spelling/grammar errors, classifying objects, etc.

Geocaching in Education

Geo-posing

• Students are given the coordinates of each cache using the GPS. The students find the cache (and perhaps props inside). The cache contents instruct the students to “strike a pose” to illustrate a concept, term, etc. then take a picture of the pose with a digital camera or take a short video with a flip camera.

Geocaching in EducationContext Clues Travel Bugs

Students start off with “travel bugs” that belong in various caches. Each travel bug has a description and the student has a list of cache coordinates and descriptions. Students use context clues to place the travel bugs in the correct cache – sort of a large-scale classification lesson.•Characters in a story return to the cache with the correct setting.•Geographic regions of Texas•Animal travel bugs find correct habitat cache.

Geocaching in Education

Passports

Each cache represents a country, region, culture, etc. The cache may contain items from which students will make observations – photos, post cards, or other “artifacts.” The students take notes on what they find in the caches. The students then stamp their “passports” with a stamp that is in their cache.

Geocaching in EducationTravel Bugs

Send travel bugs out into the world using the geocaching website. Give your travel bug a destination:Visit local landmarksVisit national landmarksVisit regions in TexasDiscovery Network Travel Bugs – Discovery-themed mission: Discover new places, Animal Planet, Planet Green, Place of Learning

Geocaching in Education

Map It!

• Example of a follow-up activity: Draw a map of the route you took when geocaching. Label map with latitude and longitude coordinates, cardinal directions, and distance between cache locations.

Geocaching in Education

GPS Hide & Seek

• Students find a good hiding place for their “treasure.” Mark the location with the GPS. Record the latitude and longitude of its location and give a description of location. Challenge other students (or maybe another class) to find your treasure!

Geocaching in Education

Write On!Put a story starter in each cache. Each group of students who finds the cache adds the next sentence in the story. Also can be used with poems, steps of the scientific process, anything with “steps.”

Finding a Cache at Finch

Two geocaches are hidden on the Finch campus. Can you find them?

Garmin eTrex

Power Button – press one more time to adjust brightness of screen

Page button (change views)

Toggle button – make screen brighter, scroll up or down on screen, “Enter” button

Up button

Down button

Menu button

More information/Helpful links

• http://technology.usd259.org/resources/documents/GeocachingResourcesList.pdf

• Geocaching for Educators• Curriculum Magic – lots of the ideas from my

presentation came from this site

• Edcaching

• GPS Activities