Geocaching in the Classroom

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Comment by Tom Jenkins on June 25, 2009 at 2:24pm

Reebops were always a staple of my science class. Great idea on your extension, although I'm suprised that they weren't eaten by various creatures in the woods. I guess that even wild animals won't even eat some of the things that we put into our bodies ; )

By the way- If anyone is working with genetics, variation, probability, etc. I would suggest doing Reebops. I believe that its an old AIMS activity. It's kind of like the game Cootie whereas the students use probability (via Punnett Squares) to create an offspring using common household items and marshmallows. So, the kids get to learn by creating, building, and then eatting their project. However, many will want to take them home!


As this lab has been around for a while, it has many variations/extensions. See Todds cool idea above...... However here is a link to a very basic version of this lab. I would suggest this as a great starting point.

Comment by Todd Williamson on June 24, 2009 at 3:07pm

Tom,
I use GPS units in my class on occasion as well. I love geocaching though I don't get to do as much of it as I'd like. This past year I used the GPS units along with a genetics project we completed. My students made Reebops (marshmallow critters that display numerous variations in body structure) and then "released them into the wild." I told them I had recorded waypoints for recently spotted families of Reebops. They had to do some basic percentage problems to determine the waypoint (connecting to their current math topic), head to the location and photograph the Reebops in the wild. We then went back and discussed the various populations, potential offspring, etc from the Reebops discovered in each location. The kids loved it, it was a practical application of GPS use, and it allowed me to mention geocaching to them as well.

Comment by Tom Jenkins on June 23, 2009 at 4:25pm

Hello,

I was emailed a question regarding "Travelbugs" in education.

A Travel Bug is a trackable tag that you attach to an item. You then put the item (with the numbered dog tag)in a geocache. From them there, fellow cachers will help the item complete any mission that you may assign.

Our school currently has four travel bugs globetrotting. There mission is to get as far from Enon, Ohio as possible. I had the students select something that represented their class. We have a Native American figure (We are the "Redskins"), A Buckeye necklace (We are from Ohio), A Brutus the Buckeye Doll (Go Bucks!), and a Transformer (???). = D

Here's a link re: the race

In class, we watch the race using Geocaching.com and Google Earth. The data sets that you can draw from these resources could be used in many different ways. Plus, it’s just cool to have trackable items move around and even sometimes receive a photo of who has our item or its location.

The winning Travel Bug is actually in Iraq at the moment. A wonderful marine took it over with him and took a few snap shots along the way.

If I can help any more, please let me know.

Take Care,
Tom

Comment by Tom Jenkins on June 18, 2009 at 9:24pm

Geocaching is something that I started to do as a hobby 6 years ago. Since then, I have used it in my classroom, presented workshops, and even taught it as part of a college course at Wittenberg University. Why is it so popular amongst some teachers? Because it requires the application of many diverse skill sets, can easily incorporate problem solving, and is FUN!

The basic idea is that one hides an object or finds an area of significance and records the coordinates. Then the student is given the coordinates and a gps and is then challenged to find the hidden object or answer a specific question about the area.

On the surface, this may seem nothing more than a glorified Easter egg hunt. However, like anything else it’s how it is applied that makes it a useful classroom tool.

Geography, Latitude&Longitude, Satellites, and Wavelengths are probably the most obvious examples of how GPS receivers and Geocaching are used in a classroom.

With a little creativity one an educator can make it work in almost situation. One way is to present the students (I always use groups to help ensure success) with a problem whereas the solution will contain the numbered coordinates of location of the hidden object. It can be as simple as a math problem or as difficult as puzzle that will generate a numerical answer.

EX. West Coordinates =Mercury, Iron, Potassium,Boron
Once translated using a Periodic table =80.26.195

Another way to use Geocaching in an educational manner is by using the hidden object itself to address a standard. As an introduction to buoyancy/density, I break the students into groups and drop film canisters down a five foot pvc pipe which I’ve buried quite a ways in the ground. I announce that the winning group doesn’t get any homework for this evening. The students have to figure out how to get a container that they can’t even come close to reaching out of the long narrow tube. Many will try to cheat and pull the tube out of the ground (I generally bury them pretty deep). Some try to use sticks to poke down and somehow work the canister to the surface. Eventually one of them will notice that a watering can is haphazardly lying off to the side and then go to the faucet on the side of the building and fill it up. After a few refills they can fill the tube with water causing the closed container to pop up to the surface. It generates a lot of excitement and really gets my message across.

A third way is to give the students the coordinates and have them answer a question. This is commonly referred to as a virtual cache. It could be a plaque on a building that has a dedication date- What year was our school founded? It could be in the middle of the quad on campus- Standing at this spot, write down two different examples of symmetry.

Yet another way is to have the students locate a feature and then provide the coordinates for you. This is commonly called a reverse cache. An example that I use with my kids is on school grounds find a spot that shows a change in topography. Again, a simple concept, but they are demonstrating in a practical way that they understand the term.

The possibilities are endless!

If you would like learn more, feel free to click on this link to page that I created for an Air Force Association Workshop on GPS/Geocaching last year.

As always, if you have any further questions- Feel free to ask!

Comment by Karolee Smiley on June 18, 2009 at 12:49pm

Tami, have you tried geocaching with your students at all or have you just tried it personally?

Comment by Tom Jenkins on June 16, 2009 at 4:53pm

Hello,

Yeah- Geocaching rocks and my kids love it! I've used it in an educational compacity for the past 4 or 5 years. The GPS receiver that I have and would recommend are the very basic Garmin etrex. $99. They are perfect for what I do.....

Although in looking through NYGPS group on yahoo- it looks like some have found a slightly cheaper alternative in the geomate. $70.

I should be able to post more tomorrow. If you have any further questions, please let me know.

Comment by Tami Thomason on June 15, 2009 at 11:02pm

Geocaching is a lot of fun! Do you know of a site to get cheap GPS units to get geocaching in the classroom?