GEOCACHING

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GEOCACHING
The sport where You are the search engine
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What is a GPS

• and how does it work?

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A GPS unit is a electronic device that can
determine your approximate location (within
around 6-20 feet) on the planet. Coordinates are
normally given in Longitude and Latitude. You can
use the unit to navigate from your current
location to another location. Some units have
their own maps, built-in electronic compasses,
voice navigation, depending on the complexity of
the device. You don't need to know all the
technical mumbo jumbo about GPS units to play
Geocaching. All you need to do is be able to
enter what is called a "waypoint" where the
geocache is hidden.
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Global Positioning System The Global Positioning
System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation
system made up of a network of 24 satellites
placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of
Defense. GPS was originally intended for military
applications, but in the 1980s, the government
made the system available for civilian use. GPS
works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the
world, 24 hours a day. There are no subscription
fees or setup charges to use GPS.
http//rhp.detmich.com/gps.html GPS units may
have a hard time determining location if you are
under heavy tree cover or in an urban environment
where obstruction from high buildings can block
the satellites' low frequency signal.
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GPS - Your Safety

• Police, fire, and EMS units use GPS to provide
  the quickest possible response in life-or-death
  situations.

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GPS - Everyday Life

• Vehicle tracking is one of the fastest-growing
  GPS applications.
• Automobile manufacturers offer moving-map
  displays guided by GPS receivers on new vehicles.

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GPS - Wildlife Management

• Threatened species are fitted with GPS receivers
  to determine population distribution patterns and
  possible sources of disease.

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GPS in Classrooms and
for Geo Caching
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Jeremy Irish, geocaching.com webmaster and
founder, explains that the "grass roots" game
started in the summer of 2000 and has grown to
include caches in most states. There are 269,715
active caches in 221 countries.
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What is Geocaching?
Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for
gps users. The idea is to have individuals and
organizations set up caches all over the world
and share the locations of these caches on the
internet. GPS users can then use the location
coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a
cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety
of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if
they get something they should try to leave
something for the cache. The key to hidden
treasure lies in your handheld GPS (global
positioning system) unit. GPS-based "geocaching"
is a high-tech sport being played by thousands of
people across the globe.
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What is Geocaching?

• Worldwide game of high tech hide and seek
  dedicated to using a GPS.
• Involves a GPS user hiding a treasure and
  publishing the coordinates for others to find.
• Involves a GPS user following those published
  coordinates to find the treasure.

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Geocaching comes from the terms "geo" and
"cache" to explain the sport. The word Geocaching
broken out is GEO for geography, and CACHING for
the process of hiding a cache. The term cache is
used in hiking/camping as a hiding place for
concealing and preserving provisions. In
geocaching it is a hidden container filled with a
log book and pencil/pen, and possibly prizes.
Caches were often used by explorers, miners, etc.
to hide foodstuffs and other items for emergency
purposes. People still hide caches of supplies
today for similar reasons. You pronounce
it Geo-cashing, like cashing a check.
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• What is usually in a cache?
• A cache can come in many forms
• Simplest cache Logbook- In the logbook the name
  of the founder of the cache and notes from the
  cache's visitors. Any other information may be
  included.
• You need to at least leave the date and time you
  visited the cache.
• Larger caches Logbook and any number of more or
  less valuable items. These items turn the cache
  into a true treasure hunt. Items could be Maps,
  books, software, hardware, CD's, videos,
  pictures, money, jewelry, tickets, antiques,
  tools, games, etc.
• You need to at least leave the date and time you
  visited the cache. If you take something, its
  only fair for you to leave something in return.

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GeoCaching Enjoy searching for hidden "treasure
troves" hidden by GPS enthusiasts.  Simple to do
a) find a GeoCache site near you. b)
locate the longitude/latitude of the site.
c) put this waypoint in your GPS as a waypoint. 
(see your GPS manual.) d) Follow the
direction pointer on your GPS and it will place
you within about 30 feet of your "treasure".
e) You are free to retrieve a trinket from the
GeoCache as a souvenir,  but be sure to leave
an item. f) Have LOTS of fun!
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http//www.geocaching.com
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Geocaching RULES Geocaching is a relatively new
phenomenon. Therefore, the rules are very simple
1. Take something from the cache 2. Leave
something in the cache 3. Write about it in the
logbook 4. Put the cache back in the original
place and leave it as you found it
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About the Garmin Etrex
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GPS Layout Continued
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E-Trex Page Views
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How can you use a GPS in your classroom?

• In the cache put information they need to
  retrieve
• answers to questions
• clues to answers
• information about the place cache is
  hidden
• math problems/solutions

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Information was retrieved from http//www.geocac
hing.com/ http//www.google.com