GPS in the
Classroom
Kyle
Lichtenwald
May 26, 2009

Saskatchewan
Outdoor and
Environmental
Educators
Association
http://soeea.sk.ca/

Introduction to GPS & Geocaching
Possibilities for learning
Questions & Brainstorm

GPS
30 Satellites thanks to American Security
specially coded satellite signals that can be
processed in a GPS receiver, enabling the
receiver to compute position, velocity, and time.
GPS is used in forestry, biology, fishing, law
enforcement, hunting, boating, racing, and
many other fields

over 800,000 caches worldwide

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kb1epq/548186689/

Geocaching
Adventure Sport
Large Vibrant Community
Geocaching.com
Hiding & Seeking
Trackables

http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewandsarah/196515184/

1. Take something from the cache
2. Leave something in the cache
3. Write about it in the logbook
4. Do not move the cache
5. Don’t leave food or dangerous items in cache
Guidelines

http://www.geocreed.info/

Geocaching Concerns
Geo-Trash
Bushwhacking
Batteries & General Consumption
Too much attention on GPS
Trespassing

What did we do wrong?

- Jason Hubbard

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gordon_mckinlay/3518119511/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/actionatadistance/536349746/in/set-72157600323866931/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_evil_one/3410699492/sizes/o/in/pool-618878@N22/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamgerhard/224788034/

My First Cache

Education
Turning an everyday lesson into a techno
treasure hunt adds critcal thinking, teamwork,
and physical activity.

Some Obvious Outcomes
longitude & latitude,
distance estimation,
map skills,
orienteering,
measurement

Promotes spatial awareness
Provides visualizations to solve problems
Students get a better idea of local area and global
connections

Thrill of the hunt
Exploratory & Intergrative
teamwork, problem solving, decision making, critical
thinking

Learning Outcomes & Project Ideas

Jen Deyenberg’s Class Video

Geometry

Geometry

Geometry

Tree Identification

1. Problem Solving Caches
Students find a cache with a problem inside & solve together
2. Puzzle Caches
Solve a Math or Logic (Sudoku) Puzzle to get the co-ordinates to find the cache
3. On Average
Each cache has a different object of the same type (all pencils). Students
record each length and find the average of all of the caches
4. Play Money Caches
Each cache has a math puzzle on the lid and they have to find the answer and bring
back the correct amount of change

5. Find the Clues
Each cache has a clue to an ultimate problem. Students collect clues to solve a mystery
6. Kickball Challenge
Students waypoint a series of kicks and then graph them to see who kicked the farthest.
Great for distance and measurement
7. Perimeter
Waypoint the corners of a space or structure and record the distance between each
waypoint to find the perimeter
8. Possible Outcomes
Have three caches, one with three shirts, one with three pairs of pants, one with three
accessories and they have to create a tree diagram of all of the possible outcomes

9. Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins
A story about the first man to try and piece together dinosaur fossils. After reading the
book, in each cache would be \"dinosaur bones\" to put together in strange and
interesting ways
10. Name that Triangle
Mark waypoints and have students stake out different shapes of triangles and have them
identify the geometric shape
11. work with community Firefighters to mark fire hydrants
12. Town Tours
13. Historic Sites
14. Follow the Railroad
15. Trackables -- Flat Stanley Type Project
16. Design a themed cache

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kb1epq/548186689/

More to Think About
Art of hiding a Cache
Cache Design
Search Skills
Geocaching Vocabulary

Thanks to these people
Jen Deyenberg
Diane Main
Jason Hubbard
Dean Shareski
Olemaz
KovDav

http://geocachewithkyle.wikispaces.com/
http://delicious.com/thekyleguy/geocaching