Using GPS

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Using GPS Geocaching to Explore Environmental
ScienceProject ORIENT

• Guilford County Schools
• June 12, 2008

Powerpoint available at www.bjpenn4h.org/ORIENT.ht
m
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• Outdoor Environmental Education has been great
  for Elementary School students

but Middle School students are not engaged by
the same lessons or methods.
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So what does engage middle school youth?

• Technology
• Connections to the Real World
• Perceived Trust / Freedom
• Social Opportunities
• Challenges / Quests

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Can we turn any of these things to our advantage?

• Technology
• Students become acquainted with handheld
  GPS Units finding locations using latitude and
  longitude.

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Can we turn any of these things to our advantage?

• Perceived Freedom / Trust
• Students make their own group decisions.
  Instructors are there for safety and support, NOT
  to direct students in where to go or how to
  accomplish a task.

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Can we turn any of these things to our advantage?

• Challenges / Quests
• Students are engaged in geocaching a
  quest to find hidden treasures, using a GPS unit,
  a map, a set of known coordinates, and one's own
  wits.

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Geo-what?

• Geocaching? Geo-cashing?
• Im gettin paid?
• Cash money?
• Woohoo!

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• www.geocaching.com

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• In traditional geocaching, the fun is in the
  search, and once you find the cache there are a
  few trinkets to exchange. Then you head on your
  way.

If this were true in Project O.R.I.E.N.T., wed
have a fabulous geography program, but would have
only scratched the surface of the potential
science
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So rather than trinkets, students find
instructions and equipment leading them to
perform various tasks

• Scientific
• Mathematical
• Team Challenges
• Social Science

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The Result

• A technological scavenger hunt - perfect for
  engaging middle school students - that sends
  groups of 10-12 students exploring deep into the
  forests, streams and natural environs of our 220
  acre campus. Once there, they participate in
  age-appropriate science math explorations.

Project O.R.I.E.N.T. Outdoor Research In
Environment, Navigation Technology
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Project O.R.I.E.N.T.

• Day One
• Morning Travel, Arrival Orientation
• Afternoon Skills Rotations
• Day Two
• Geocaching on site, with science, math and other
  challenges at each cache.
• Day Three
• Further Geocaching
• Afternoon Departure
• Travel Home

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Weve done the setup work, and we have the
facilities staff to provide the program

• But we havent put a patent on it. If you want
  to set up a similar program based from your own
  classroom,
• GO DO IT!!!

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• In planning your own GPS scavenger hunt, consider
  these questions
• 1. What Guiding Principles Will You Consider?
• What Base of Knowledge is Necessary
• How will you Build this Base of Knowledge?
• 3. What Topics Will You Include At Caches?
• 4. What Equipment Resources Will You Need?
• 5. What are the Logistical Details?
• 6. Where Can We Grow From Here?

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What Guiding Principles Will You Consider?
Here are a few of ours, for examples sake

• Teaching students how to use a GPS without also
  increasing their map literacy is just plain
  irresponsible!
• We must take advantage of the 220 Acres we are
  blessed with!!
• We will paint with a wide brush, exposing
  students to a wide range of Environmental
  Sciences, not just one specific area.
• Every student should be involved in group
  decisions, especially when searching for caches.
  
• Our focus must always be on getting students
  excited about science, and excited about the
  outdoors.

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2. What Base of Knowledge is Necessary
How will you Build this Knowledge?

• Understanding of Latitude Longitude
• Coordinate System

(Including Direction, Minutes/Degrees, etc)
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2. What Base of Knowledge is Necessary
How will you Build this Knowledge?

• Understanding of Topographic Maps
• (Including how to find locations using
  landforms /or latitude/longitude)

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2. What Base of Knowledge is Necessary
How will you Build this Knowledge?

• Understanding of How Why GPS Receivers Work
• (Including satellite system and
  triangulation)

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2. What Base of Knowledge is Necessary
How will you Build this Knowledge?

• Understanding of How to employ a GPS Receiver
• (Including four main Navigation Screens,
  Mark Goto)

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4. What Topics Will You Include At Caches?

• Science Topics
• Plankton Nets Microscope Searches in
  Pond Water
• Classification of Stream Macroinvertebrates
• Forest Mapping
• Wildlife Habitat Checklists
• Stream Flow
• Slope Erosion
• Leaf Litter Macroinvertebrates
• Biotic Indices (Aquatic Health)

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3. What Topics Will You Include At Caches?

• Interdisciplinary Topics
• Creative Storytelling
• Local Cultural History Landmarks
• Math Problems based on Historical Dates
• Algebraic Puzzles
• Mind-Benders
• Team Challenges

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4. What Equipment Resources Will You Need?

• GPS Units (13 ratio?)
• Maps, Globes, etc for Lat/Long Discovery
• Topos for Cache Location
• Open Spaces for Cache Placement
• Cache Containers
• Specific Cache Contents/Equipment

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5. What are the Logistical Details?

• Where is the area you will use to hide caches?
• How much time do you have to teach the Base
• Knowledge?
• How much actual search time do you have?
• How will you keep track of the caches you have
  hidden?
• What sort of rotation will you use, if you have
  multiple
• groups searching for caches at the
  same time?
• What happens if groups catch up to
  each other?

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6. Where Can We Grow From Here?

• GPS GIS can be Complementary
• So far, the GPS is used only to locate the cache.
  Wouldnt it be cool to use it as a tool at the
  cache?
• Real Data Collection, then manipulation with data
  from other data collectors, especially into GIS
  mapping projects.
• Imagine if every Guilford County School

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Special Thanks

• A big thanks goes out to the
• Student Science Enrichment Program
• at the
• Burroughs Welcome Fund.
• Who will you be thanking??

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Contact Info

• Feel Free to Contact Me with any Questions
• Kevin Moore
• Betsy-Jeff Penn 4H Education Center
• 336-349-9445
• kevin_moore_at_ncsu.edu
• www.bjpenn4h.org
• This Powerpoint is available for download at
  www.bjpenn4h.org/ORIENT.htm