Think I am in over my head, need some help

[TJandRob]

Earlier today I was asked by my Son's Principal to take on the project of teaching my Son's 5th grade class about Geo-caching. Sounds simple enough so I said sure. Now After thinking about it, there is a lot to go over, and where to start.

 

Idea's:

Every inch of the earth has an address and with a GPS unit you able to find the address.

 

Place some caches in the school field have the kids find them. (do I have them treat them like "real" caches or just find them?

 

How do I explain how a GSP unit works to 5th graders? I am not saying kids could not understand, I do not want to bore them. (trying to think of an excersize that could explain it better.)

 

How do I break it up so that 12-25 kids all get a turn? With one GPS unit?

 

Any ideas?

[+Team StitchesOnQuilts]

Rather than trying to share a GPS, how about taking string and marking a field with a grid? You can use real coordinates, or made-up ones. It doesn't matter too much.

 

You could either hide small caches, like film cannisters, and give each child coordinates to a particular cannister, or have the children hide them. Or both, for that matter. Put coordinates inside each cannister, and each child finds a cannister (from a slip you give them) then rehides it at the new coordinates inside the cannister.

 

I think you can get the empty film cannisters whereever they develop film. Probably free.

 

I think the main idea is to clue the kids in about latitude and longitude - they can learn the techniques of using a particular GPS anytime.

 

Shannah

[Rubbertoe]

Sounds like an interesting project.

 

I'd handle it pretty much like you said. I'd explain that every point on earth has a lat/lon number - you could possibly show them lat/lon lines on a globe or atlas that they already have in the classroom. (A good way to link technology with old-school methods)

 

I would probably hide a few caches for them to find... maybe 3 levels of difficulty - easy, difficult, and really difficult. And although I wouldn't necessarily have them treat them as "real" geocaches - I would make sure that I reinforced the idea of TRADING items, not just taking.

 

And, I think you need to give 5th graders a little more credit these days... I bet they'll be interested in this sort of thing, and be able to figure out the whole concept of it pretty quickly.

 

Now, hopefully you don't have to get into the discussion of the different datum formats, etc. They can learn that stuff later.

 

Click the Toe...  and please stop confusing your opinion with fact, ok?

[Rubbertoe]

Sounds like an interesting project.

 

I'd handle it pretty much like you said. I'd explain that every point on earth has a lat/lon number - you could possibly show them lat/lon lines on a globe or atlas that they already have in the classroom. (A good way to link technology with old-school methods)

 

I would probably hide a few caches for them to find... maybe 3 levels of difficulty - easy, difficult, and really difficult. And although I wouldn't necessarily have them treat them as "real" geocaches - I would make sure that I reinforced the idea of TRADING items, not just taking.

 

And, I think you need to give 5th graders a little more credit these days... I bet they'll be interested in this sort of thing, and be able to figure out the whole concept of it pretty quickly.

 

Now, hopefully you don't have to get into the discussion of the different datum formats, etc. They can learn that stuff later.

 

Click the Toe...  and please stop confusing your opinion with fact, ok?

[+raouljan]

Every inch of the earth has an address and with a GPS unit you able to find the address.

 

Very close, but no way you can get down to an inch with a GPS. Kids need to know that a GPS can't get them that close, or that accurately. Keep it realistic... I like the address idea, but also explain Lat and Long.

 

Place some caches in the school field have the kids find them. (do I have them treat them like "real" caches or just find them?

 

Great idea.... Just stash them and mark their co-ords. You might want to show them what a "real" cache posting looks like. You might want to "fake up" a couple of sheets... but I would have the co-ords already in the GPS.

 

How do I explain how a GSP unit works to 5th graders? I am not saying kids could not understand, I do not want to bore them. (trying to think of an excersize that could explain it better.)

 

This is not easy to do for engineers! Keep it simple... at the Trig level.. Tell them the more Trig solutions (equals the number of visible sats) the better the final solution. Also gives them the idea that math has a real purpose in life

 

How do I break it up so that 12-25 kids all get a turn? With one GPS unit?

 

That's the tough one .. everyone is going to want to spend some time walking around watching the arrow move and the numbers change. Even if you break it down into 3 person teams... that's still about 8 teams. Sounds like you need more GPS's!

 

>Personally Responsible for the Recovery of .00217% of the Benchmark Database!<--watch this number!

[+raouljan]

Every inch of the earth has an address and with a GPS unit you able to find the address.

 

Very close, but no way you can get down to an inch with a GPS. Kids need to know that a GPS can't get them that close, or that accurately. Keep it realistic... I like the address idea, but also explain Lat and Long.

 

Place some caches in the school field have the kids find them. (do I have them treat them like "real" caches or just find them?

 

Great idea.... Just stash them and mark their co-ords. You might want to show them what a "real" cache posting looks like. You might want to "fake up" a couple of sheets... but I would have the co-ords already in the GPS.

 

How do I explain how a GSP unit works to 5th graders? I am not saying kids could not understand, I do not want to bore them. (trying to think of an excersize that could explain it better.)

 

This is not easy to do for engineers! Keep it simple... at the Trig level.. Tell them the more Trig solutions (equals the number of visible sats) the better the final solution. Also gives them the idea that math has a real purpose in life

 

How do I break it up so that 12-25 kids all get a turn? With one GPS unit?

 

That's the tough one .. everyone is going to want to spend some time walking around watching the arrow move and the numbers change. Even if you break it down into 3 person teams... that's still about 8 teams. Sounds like you need more GPS's!

 

>Personally Responsible for the Recovery of .00217% of the Benchmark Database!<--watch this number!

[ikayak]

Go to: http://www.state.de.us/planning/coord/dgdc/lessonplan1.pdf

 

Time Flies like an arrow. Fruit Flies like a banana

[+ApK]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rob and Son:

Now After thinking about it, there is a lot to go over, and where to start.

---

 

PRECAUTIONARY NOTE: I have no expertise in the area, but will procede to offer opinions anyway.

 

Option 1: The fundementals.

I suggest you bring a globe and go over the basics of North and south, and latitude and longitude. Seeing the lines and numbers on the globe may go a long way toward understanding what the gps is showing. You can then explain simply that the GPS recieve signals from satallites that let it figure out where on the globe it is.

 

Option 2: The applications.

Forget about lat. and long. altogether, bring a mapping GPS, and simply explain that the GPS recieves signals from satallites to figure out where on the map it is.

 

With either option, you can answer more detailed questions about atomic clocks, geosynchronous orbit, triangulation, etc., from individual kids (or teachers...) only if they come up.

 

To cram more obvious educational value into it, you can mention the uses of GPSs in surveying, rescue operations, road assistance, etc., which can lead in to using those same skills for fun during geocaching, with the added phys.ed. benefit of taking a hike....

 

Definitely hide a "typical" cache box on school grounds. Other wise, it's all just a boring lecture.

 

Option 1:

Perhaps you can let small groups of kids hold the gps for part of the way, or hide several caches.

 

Option 2:

Another option might be for your to predefine a route consisting of several waypoints to your cache, and let each kid or small group of kids navagate to each waypoint. You can help them determine, and announce to the rest of the class, which way to walk, and how , and you all follow them together.

 

A last aspect of the lesson might be the ethics of trading and fair play, or the environmental cache in, trash out message.

 

ApK

[+Markwell]

I've been intrigued by this. BTW - there is an entire forum for this topic over here.

 

My son's Boy Scout pack leader was so intrigued with the GPS when we were out hiking that he asked if I could compose a unit for the scouts for "pre-orienteering."

 

With the Tiger Scouts (first graders), we'll be just doing basic map reading skills. I know where there's a cache that has some prominent landmarks to follow to get to it and I'll make a pseudo treasure map.

 

For the Cub Scouts and Webelos, we'll start with a 5x5 grid on the ground and tell people to go to cell A4 or F2, etc. Then expand that out to the whole world having a grid. The GPS tells you where your at on that grid. "There's a box hidden at XY, let's go find it." We'll look at the topo maps and discuss hills and rivers and paths.

 

For the older boy scouts, we'll discuss how the GPS works by triangulation, and how we can better increase the accuracy of the GPS with triangulation as well using a compass etc.

 

Mind you, this is just our local Pack.

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

[Lyra]

Check out this cache. You might want to e-mail the cache hider to ask for suggestions, since it appears that he/she has already done some of the work for you.

 

Always wear proper caching safety equipment!

[+Centaur]

quote:

---

Place some caches in the school field have the kids find them. (do I have them treat them like "real" caches or just find them?

 

---

 

If your school has a football field, you already have latatude lines, use the tic marks for longitude. (Or viceaversa)

 

Is the class really about Geocaching, or about global positioning? Just courious, as the 2 are obviously related, but different.

-Centaur

 

[+OtterFan]

I was asked to come up with an after school enrichment activity for our school (just today!), and suggested geocaching. I'm sure there are much better ideas out there to be found, but here's a bit of what I proposed:

 

"This activity would lend itself REALLY WELL to an enrichment activity. It would integrate math, writing, and social studies. Here's what we'd do:

 

1. Learn about latitude and longitude, and how to use a GPS receiver to determine where you are.

2. Study the history of our city, and identify five to seven interesting landmarks in and near the city. (Would likely do this with the help of the local museum staff.)

3. Visit those sites, recording the GPS coordinates of each.

4. Write interesting descriptions of each landmark.

5. Use clues found at each landmark that can be utilized to help point people to the next landmark in our "tour of the city".

6. Lastly, we'd post the clues and descriptions to the geocaching.com website, so people who are into this activity can come find our coordinates, learning about our fine city at the same time."

 

I think this activity lends itself to so many learning opportunities in so many subject areas. Maybe that's why I love it so much!

[Eeyore and Shadow]

Don't forget the satelites and triangulation. You don't have to teach them trig but I think that they should know where the signals come from and how they work.

 

You could make a demonstration using string have a few people hold one ond of a string then pull the other ends to a point between them somewhere. Cut them off at that point so that the proper lengths will only meet at the one point. Then give the ends of the strings to a few students and see if they can find that point again by bringing all the strings together.

 

Eeyore

 

It took a GPS to get me away from technology.

[+Alan2]

Have you checked out that section in Geocaching Related Topics? http://opentopic.Groundspeak.com/0/OpenTopic?a=frm&s=1750973553&f=7820994783

 

Alan

[+creagerstonefamily]

I can confirm that any minilab will be more than happy to let you take as many film canisters as you wish!

[+creagerstonefamily]

I can confirm that any minilab will be more than happy to let you take as many film canisters as you wish!

[The Outriders]

Keep the lesson simple. Just the basics. I'd keep it more about the concepts & process and less about actual "caching" which will distract them from the actual lesson. If they think they are gonna find toys, you've lost them. Chaos will ensue.

 

I had an idea for an activity which will be easy, quick, and free from the distraction of "acquisition":

 

- In a field/big yard outside the school, plant a bunch of flags (or some other obvious target), perhaps moderately concealed, and relatively equidistant to a designated "start line". Note their coordinates.

 

- divide the class into small, manageable groups (3 to 5 kids)

 

- let each team, in turn, draw from a hat. In the hat are slips of paper with the coordinates of the flags.

 

- YOU punch the coordinates they draw into the GPS, set it on GOTO mode (arrow/countdown) and then the team will work together to find the correct flag. Use a stopwatch to time them.

 

- Members of the fastest team win some kind of related prize...maybe compasses ($3 at Walmart) or some related item.

 

Benefits:

- very little set-up time.

- everybody gets to play & work together.

- everybody gets to use a REAL gps. Gadgets R kewl. :-)

- the race element assures that the game moves along quickly. Get everybody cheering for added excitement.

[bigRahn]

A fellow cacher out here did this at his school. He called around to the nearby cachers that he knew and borrowed some extra GPS's for the day.

 

Just a thought...

[+MedicP1]

You might want to relate it back to something they are working on in math class at this grade level, which is plotting points on a graphs (ie 12,34, A4, etc) or spreadsheets in their Computer classes.

 

Here in Ontario, Canada we use the Enhanced 911 system which has given every rural residence a 911 # which is based on a grid system giving every residence a unique number. The original intent was to use UTM values and do a Provincial grid system, but certain Townships/counties had already implimented a grid system for their Fire Depts. to use in their communities, and they didn't want to budge from using those numbers. The province then decided to allow each County to create their own grid system specific and unique their county (not the most ideal for those of us servicing multiple counties). Most have standardized so that the 911 address consists of the Rd or Line (Rd's run N/S and Line's E/W) # then a gridded value. Therefore if you lived on the East side of Rd 19 in the Township of Cacheville, then your 911 address would consist of your Rd #, your residence # and the Township you are in. Every one living directly E or W of your house, on the same side of their Rd, within the same county, would share a similar residence number but different Rd #. The address would be given to us as "You're going to 911# 8735 on Rd 19 in Cacheville Township", "You're going to 911# 8735, on Rd 18, in Cacheville Township","You're going to 911# 8735, on Rd 17, in Cacheville Township" etc.

 

If you email me I can send you more details and one of our maps if you would like to include it as an example of uses for grid systems (LAT & LON, UTM, Graphs) in the real world or you can try one of your local Emergency Services to see if they do something similar.

 

GPSr's...A step in the right direction!