temporary cache for school project

[+angelgrace]

I received a GPSr for Christmas and geocaching has become a new family hobby. My 4th grade son has to do a "how to" speech for 4-H and has chosen to tell his class about geocaching. His teacher loves the idea and has given us permission to hide a cache on the school grounds for the class to find for his presentation. My question is this: is there a place online where I can post the coordinates, that would be temporary, but allow them to go through the whole process of downloading into the gps and following it to the ultimate goal; the cache? I would need it to be clearly marked that this is for a school project and for his class only. Any suggestions?

Edited January 28, 2010 by angelgrace

[+narcissa]

I received a GPSr for Christmas and geocaching has become a new family hobby. My 4th grade son has to do a "how to" speech for 4-H and has chosen to tell his class about geocaching. His teacher loves the idea and has given us permission to hide a cache on the school grounds for the class to find for his presentation. My question is this: is there a place online where I can post the coordinates, that would be temporary, but allow them to go through the whole process of downloading into the gps and following it to the ultimate goal; the cache? I would need it to be clearly marked that this is for a school project and for his class only. Any suggestions?

 

You could use a free blogging site like Wordpress or Blogger to create a little page for the geocache.

[hurshh]

Temporary caches using the Geocaching web-sight are not allowed... or at least there is no way of making one so that nobody else will want to go find it.

 

Putting a cache on school property is even worse of an idea.

 

If you want my opinion. using the permission you got from the teacher hide a fake cache just for the time you need it for the class. show the class how to download the coords. and have the coords for your fake cache pre programed into it. then go find the fake one and show them how they can log it if it were real.

 

The only other option i can think of is to actually go find a nearby cache

[+Anno Lynke]

he could go thru the loading process with any other cach

and the finding with your temporary cach which has already been entered by hand

[+digitalgoddess]

Is it possible for the teacher to get permission for a short walking field trip ?? Maybe steer them to a cache that you have already found, so you can narrow the hunting zone for the time you have and the age level of the class. If that is not possible, then a fake cache can be done just to demonstrate the process.

I think I would have a load of trinkety swag so each classmate gets a little something when they find the cache. Children are so "reward" oriented.

 

Colleen Mills

digitalgoddess

[+steve p]

Is it possible for the teacher to get permission for a short walking field trip ?? Maybe steer them to a cache that you have already found, so you can narrow the hunting zone for the time you have and the age level of the class. If that is not possible, then a fake cache can be done just to demonstrate the process.

I think I would have a load of trinkety swag so each classmate gets a little something when they find the cache. Children are so "reward" oriented.

Before steering a bunch of elementary school kids to a nearby existing cache you might want to ask the cache owner for permission. I can see "a box full of free treasure" getting shown to every other kid in school where non-geocaching kids may not know to leave something if they take something.

 

I would place a temporary cache on school grounds without listing it on GC. Just give them the coordinates to enter by hand. I think you could teach geocaching without having them do the downloading step.

[+niraD]

Before steering a bunch of elementary school kids to a nearby existing cache you might want to ask the cache owner for permission. I can see "a box full of free treasure" getting shown to every other kid in school where non-geocaching kids may not know to leave something if they take something.

When I introduce kids to geocaching, I make a point of taking them to caches that are some distance away. Sure, there are plenty of caches in the nearby neighborhoods, and maybe I can trust the kids that I know. But I figure it wouldn't be long before some other kid plunders a nearby cache. With more distant caches, or with temporary caches placed just for the occasion, that isn't an issue.

[+Chrysalides]

If you go through the process of creating a geocache, but don't click on the "Is Active" checkbox, you can leave it unactivated. It will not be published, but they can still see the page (if they're using the account that created it) by searching by the GC ID, and enter the coordinates by hand to the GPSr (the download buttons appear not to be working).

Edited January 28, 2010 by Chrysalides

[+BrrrMo]

Talk to your local Cache Reviewer. You may be able to hide a real cache and then when the project is over disable it.

[+Touchstone]

If you go through the process of creating a geocache, but don't click on the "Is Active" checkbox, you can leave it unactivated. It will not be published, but they can still see the page (if they're using the account that created it) by searching by the GC ID, and enter the coordinates by hand to the GPSr (the download buttons appear not to be working).

 

This sounds like the most workable solution to me. Between the temporary nature of the cache and the school issue, I would think it wouldn't get Published.

 

Good luck and thanks for encouraging others to join the sport 8)

[+simpjkee]

My mom teaches 4th grade and discusses geocaching during the map, compass, lat/long lessons. However, for her class, she just places temporary caches on her own and keeps it off the website.

[+Jeep4two]

If you go through the process of creating a geocache, but don't click on the "Is Active" checkbox, you can leave it unactivated. It will not be published, but they can still see the page (if they're using the account that created it) by searching by the GC ID, and enter the coordinates by hand to the GPSr (the download buttons appear not to be working).

 

This was exactly what I was going to say.

 

I would print out the cache page as a handout for the students and let them manually enter the coordinates to see how that part works (a good learning and teaching moment to talk about lat. and lon. and what they mean).

 

Awesome idea by the way. This is how I got into the game in 2001. After a TV news story, my boss suggested we investigate (as technology professionals) and then we developed a series of lesson plans that taught the technology and environmental aspects of the game using our local 'outdoor classroom' and some temporary caches.

 

It was a blast, and while I was out of the game for a number of years (work, school, financial obligations) I always remembered the fun and came back to the game this past year.

 

Have fun!

[+Max and 99]

Don't post it to the website if it's a temporary cache! About 5 weeks ago someone placed a cache locally that had no public access. I knew the area well, and questioned them about it. I was nicely informed that the cache was placed just for their daughter to find on Christmas, and she did. They never intended the cache to be found by anyone but her, it wasn't there after one day, and will never be there again. They said they'd archive it later. I contacted the local reviewer a month ago and the cache listing is still active.

Private geocaches are a lot of fun, and I've taught quite a few classes for the Parks and Rec, local scout groups, and my son's class. None of those caches were listed on the website since they were only for the participants to find, and temporary in nature.

[+angelgrace]

Thank you for all your suggestions. I think I will just have Marshall show them how to look up a cache, and then show them how to manually enter coordinates. I was planning on filling a container with swag so each classmate could have a trinket.

Thanks again for all your great ideas!

[+SSO JOAT]

Having participated in educational caching events for new kid cachers, I do suggest NOT to use real caches for such a field trip and to place a "day cache" (or several) for the experience. The day cache doesn't need to be published at all (and shouldn't be). Just write up a cache listing description along with coordinates. Either preload it to the GPS or if the kids are old enough, make entering the coordinates part of the experience. You can demonstrate the GC website without actually using the features. It's not like you can find a kid today that doesn't understand what a text box web form is.