What makes a good Earthcache?

[benji55545]

I'm considering presenting a poster on Earthcaches at a geologic conference. It will be in a Geoscience Education session. Rather than just explaining what an Earthcache is (it's been done before) I want to present on how to maximize the EC impact.

 

I'm especially interested in how to reach the younger age groups (12-18). How do you find a balance between presenting science and appealing to teenagers? I would definitely like to hear the opinions on this board.

[+catsnfish]

I've had good responses from hands on logging requirements, such as digging a "well" in sand to see what a water table does or comparing two soil types found near each other by smell, texture, reflectivity etc. Finding a fossil to photograph is another.

Combining history with a geological site, such as locations mentioned in the Lewis and Clark Journals can be appealing to a larger audience as well.

An EC can also be written up as an exciting discovery instead of coming off as a textbook lesson plan.

[+narcissa]

Hands on logging tasks for sure.

[+GEO WALKER]

I’m not sure of the details of this conference where, when, target audience and so on. . You might want to take a look at GC2FXQR and be able to get an idea or two form this. You can set this up on a table like a Sed 201 Lab if need be.

[Narnian Rockhound]

Which conference?

 

A few thoughts... a good EarthCache broadens and/or deepens the cacher's understanding of Earth processes. Great ones challenge false presuppositions and expose the cacher to new ideas. They also let the Earth do the talking - the new ideas are presented in front of your face, where you see it and can't deny it. Good ECs make people respond with "Look at that!", "Wow!", or "MIND. BLOWN." - or some similar expression of surprise, interest, or astonishment. Most folks (at least in the U.S.) don't know much about geology because of the very limited Earth science education in K-12 classrooms in the U.S. Hence, people often have misconceptions about the Earth - a good EarthCache exposes the cacher to the limits of their knowledge or incorrect ideas they may have held and allows the cacher to broaden their own understanding. In general, people learn from experiences, especially hands-on activities where they are learning through doing. Great EarthCaches, as others have already stated, require a hands-on activity - the cacher must make some observation or measurement, etc., that gives some kind of meaningful information.

 

all for now... good luck with your presentation.

[Sandy]

There is a wealth of information on the EarthCache.org site. This page addresses some of the finer points about EarthCaches. And of course, the guidelines are an excellent resource for making a great EarthCache.

[+Huntleigh]

I'm considering presenting a poster on Earthcaches at a geologic conference. It will be in a Geoscience Education session. Rather than just explaining what an Earthcache is (it's been done before) I want to present on how to maximize the EC impact.

 

I'm especially interested in how to reach the younger age groups (12-18). How do you find a balance between presenting science and appealing to teenagers? I would definitely like to hear the opinions on this board.

 

Here's a EC with a simple experiment Rocks That Floats

[mtbikernate]

make a connection between what they see on the ground and their lives.

[benji55545]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. The poster would be for a section meeting of the Geological Society of America. I would expect they already know a thing or two about earthcaches

 

Does anyone else have any examples of a earthcaches with good hands-on activities?

Edited December 10, 2010 by benji55545

[+GEO WALKER]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. The poster would be for a section meeting of the Geological Society of America. I would expect they already know a thing or two about earthcaches

 

Does anyone else have any examples of a earthcaches with good hands-on activities?

 

Is this the one in the "Burgh" say sometime in March of 2011?

[+catsnfish]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. The poster would be for a section meeting of the Geological Society of America. I would expect they already know a thing or two about earthcaches

 

Does anyone else have any examples of a earthcaches with good hands-on activities?

 

Borrow Pits

 

Fort Lisa's Loess Bluffs

[Narnian Rockhound]

I would also add that teenagers are going to be notorious for their short attention spans. Meaning that some caches they will never do because the logging requirements require too much work. I've even done some myself that I never logged, simply because the logging requirements were a bit ridiculous, and I've got students who've done lots of ECs but never log them because of the extra steps over traditional caches.

[+Manville Possum]

I would also add that teenagers are going to be notorious for their short attention spans. Meaning that some caches they will never do because the logging requirements require too much work. I've even done some myself that I never logged, simply because the logging requirements were a bit ridiculous, and I've got students who've done lots of ECs but never log them because of the extra steps over traditional caches.

How true. I'm trying to help encourage my 14 year old to develope an EC. He is actullay the only teenager that I know that enjoys EarthCaching, the other kids go scrambling for the ammo can hides just for the trinkets. I know that most EC's are never listed on the first pass, and the reviewers normally will tell you what it lacks and needs, but how much effort will a kid put into developing a EC just to see it rejected? Are there any teenage EC developers?

And logging requirements, some CO's just want to jerk finders around to log their caches. I would not put forth the effort to develope a EC just to leave a finder with the displeasures that we have had to deal with from one CO, a self-proclaimed top 50 in the World geocacher. I hope the other 49 are not like them.

[Narnian Rockhound]

I'm trying to help encourage my 14 year old to develope an EC. He is actullay the only teenager that I know that enjoys EarthCaching, the other kids go scrambling for the ammo can hides just for the trinkets. I know that most EC's are never listed on the first pass, and the reviewers normally will tell you what it lacks and needs, but how much effort will a kid put into developing a EC just to see it rejected? Are there any teenage EC developers?

And logging requirements, some CO's just want to jerk finders around to log their caches. I would not put forth the effort to develope a EC just to leave a finder with the displeasures that we have had to deal with from one CO, a self-proclaimed top 50 in the World geocacher. I hope the other 49 are not like them.

 

Well I don't know anything about the CO you are talking about, or the age of other EC developers (but I would bet most are much older than 14). And I can understand not wanting to put a lot of effort in just to see it rejected. But sometimes you just have to persevere and push through - take the bad with the good, shake it off, and try to see it to completion. And that's a great lesson to learn at 14. And yeah, some cachers do leave a bad taste in the mouth, but I think you just have to move on and shrug off the jerks in life.