Around the World in 90 Minutes!

[+Iowa Tom]

I am currently writing a satellite observing/satellite orbit curriculum for graduate credit so I must admit that that was my bias when creating the space chase game that I’ve called Around the World in 90 Minutes!

 

I’m a teacher that is sold on geocaching and astronomy and geology and biology and photography and about everything else I can get to between the teachings of five high school science subjects every day. I do believe that not only can this rather unique Waymarking Game reach many geocachers that are willing to roll up their sleeves and conquer the task at hand but it can also serve to lure more teachers and students into the fold as well.

 

Our world could use a math/science shot in the arm and this game may offer a little bit of that badly needed serum. Spatial reasoning, orbital velocity, orbital planes, latitude and longitude, geography, population densities, communication skills required to win the corporation of others, space science and more could be introduced by creative educators wishing to go the extra mile with this. Just in figuring out what will work and what won’t I've learned a whole lot! One could make it much more challenging by coordinating participants in multiple locations across a thousand miles or along a line of sight that will result in the ISS crossing near the zenith for each member, or even across the moon! I have a friend that lives over 700 miles from me that saw the ISS cross the disc of the sun minutes after I observed the same event from my hometown! With cell phone technology one person can communicate with another that’s far away playing the same game live. I’ve done it. It’s cool!! Within wireless computer range chat would work too.

 

What a special treat it will be for a student to win the cooperation of another person or group of geocachers afar off, all of which have the same aspiration of sharing the goals required for this Waymark prize. What other venue offers an opportunity such as this? Waymarking and Waymarking Games is more than just a fun activity. It’s a potential goldmine for the benefit of young (and old) students in ways that are unparalleled! Who would have ever thought?

 

Since this is a special category I myself cannot see how it could be anything other than a positive inclusion to Waymarking Games. I know that most of the kids I spend my time with would jump at the chance to give it a try! My own son switched majors to include GIS technology after I got him hooked on geocaching. Who knows, learning to use Heavens-Above.com, Google Earth and a GPS unit might be all the inspiration needed to move yet another young mind into a field that they previously knew nothing about.

 

Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts.

 

-it

Edited August 31, 2006 by Iowa Tom

[+nfa]

I think it's a cool idea, but I don't think that it belongs in Waymarking.com...voted no

 

Jamie - NFA

[+Iowa Tom]

For the purpose of clarification and discussion, both of which will help me and others like me, I would appreciate it if everyone that thinks that an activity (specifically a game) like this one is not acceptable would state why. Dialog is a good thing.

 

I will say this, because it is something that I suspect moves some people to press the “N” button; if the fact that the position where the observation was made is not an earthly place that most would want to go for historic reference, then maybe I should require that a person place a cache at the spot where they do the observing. This “Waymarking game” is not designed to be revisited by anyone but I made a cache at the location I chose for it. See this as an example. It also allows the user to “place a waymark” anywhere on a great circle around the globe, just as I would have them do in the game I devised.

 

-it

[+nfa]

I think that while this activity would make a fun game, it is not the kind of thing that the Waymarking site is designed around...the ISS presents a multitude of educational opportunities, and this game sounds cool, but it's not a Waymarking opportunity {{{in my opinion}}}

 

As with all categories up for peer review, people should vote based on their own thoughts about the merits and relevance of each individual category, and let the majority (along with some help from the admins ) decide whether or not a category is Waymarking.com material...in this particular case, I don't think that this category makes sense on wm.com, and said so...both here and in the peer review area, explaining my reasons in both places...dialog is good

 

Jamie - NFA

[Neos2]

I understand what you have written, but I would also like to know why you "don't think that this category makes sense on wm.com" Exactly what is it about it that makes it an ill fit? What does it need to be a good fit?

 

The ISS game is ALL about location--in this case two people have to be in certain locations in relationship to each other and to the ISS--at a particular time!

 

I have seen where some people have said that something like this can be seen "from anywhere in the world" but that simply is not true. The path is specific, the ISS can't be seen from just anywhere, anytime, any night.

Here is the schedule for ISS sightings from Indianapolis, Indiana for the next couple of weeks:

 

THE FOLLOWING ISS SIGHTINGS ARE POSSIBLE FROM WED AUG 30 TO MON SEP 11

SATELLITE LOCAL DURATION MAX ELEV APPROACH DEPARTURE

DATE/TIME (MIN) (DEG) (DEG-DIR) (DEG-DIR)

 

ISS Wed Aug 30/09:30 PM 2 14 12 above N 12 above NE

ISS Thu Aug 31/09:53 PM 1 27 20 above NNW 27 above NNE

ISS Fri Sep 01/08:41 PM 3 14 11 above NNW 10 above NE

ISS Sat Sep 02/09:04 PM 3 27 20 above NNW 15 above E

ISS Sun Sep 03/09:28 PM 2 81 42 above NW 43 above ESE

ISS Mon Sep 04/09:52 PM < 1 26 24 above WSW 26 above SW

ISS Tue Sep 05/08:40 PM 3 80 56 above NW 10 above SE

ISS Wed Sep 06/09:03 PM 3 27 26 above SW 10 above SSE

 

I could have gotten more specific info if I had put in my exact viewing coordinates.

 

It takes strategy, planning, and some investigation to make this ISS game result in a find. Don't believe me? Go outside your house right now and find the ISS in the sky! If you happen to get lucky and actually spot it (what would be the chances?), go back out again 14 minutes later or 24 or 34 and find it again. Not there? Better look up when you can find it again, then.

 

If I'm not mistaken, the point of the games aspect of Waymarking is to allow for some interactive fun. The games group also creates a space for these square peg type locations/events/objects HAVE a place in Waymarking. For instance, the "Where's in a Name?" game was removed from geocaching because it didn't have a logbook, and if I remember right, there were similar objections to yours about it being put into Waymarking--it just didn't fit because there wasn't just ONE location that meets the requirements.

[+chstress53]

Well I for one agree I think this fits under the Game s section in the inventory. And I voted yes. Taken from the Whats in a name intro:

"A cache site that moves around the globe, takes two to log," THis is very similar and would be intriguing to find

[+Iowa Tom]

Probably the most important aspect of the geocaching phenomenon is that it draws a lot of people into technology that requires them to get outside (at some point) and can, if the requirements call for it, teach them something important. Right now in one of my science classes we are covering the differences between applied science and pure science. I do believe that the difference between the standard “use your GPSr to find something” and find something then “learn to use your GPSr to document where you found what you found” is a lot like the difference between applied and pure science. In this situation, learning to use your GPSr may not be THE challenge. But it is a requirement. Learning to make a sequential observation using spatial technology IS the challenge. The neat thing is we can combine both in this format! Learning to use multiply forms of technology to do pure science is a step in the right direction and using a GPSr in the process is good. The question we need to ask is, what can people learn by playing this game? Some of the answers to this Neos2 spoke of. They are many!

 

I ask everyone this? Where else but in Groundspeak could a person bring educators together to play an easily accessible game like this? I’ll go there in a flash if you tell me. Groundspeak is a vein a gold waiting to be discovered by many. Or one could also think of it as gold ore that we must figure out how to refine. This game is one more way to prospect for that gold and to experiment with how to refine it.

 

Thanks Neos2 and NFA for your responses!

 

-it