GPSs and Geocaching By: Leann Gottlieb and Julian Britton New Mexico State University EDLT573 Fall 2005 Instructor: Dr. Barbara Coppola

Overview:  This lesson is on GPS devices will have students use the knowledge acquired through inquiry, discussion and visual demonstration to understand and operate a GPS. The lesson will follow the high school technology content standards.

Table of Contents  Exploration Exploration  How to Use GPS How to Use GPS How to Use GPS  GPS Screens GPS Screens GPS Screens  Creating Waypoint Creating Waypoint Creating Waypoint  Creating a Goto Route Creating a Goto Route Creating a Goto Route  Assessment Assessment  Definitions Definitions  Teacher Slide Teacher Slide Teacher Slide  Lesson Plan Lesson Plan Lesson Plan  References References

Do you know anything about a free treasurer hunt? Have you ever been lost and wished you had a device to guide you to safety?

Exploration of Examples and Information  During the next five minutes please go to the website and find out as much information as possible about geocaching.

Extracting Definitions, Principles and Generalizations  As a class make a concept map on the information retrieved from the reading. TOC

How to use a GPS device TOC

GPS Screens

Saving a Waypoint Waypoint TOC

Creating a Goto Route TOC

Assessing Student Learning  Break students into groups depending on the number of GPS devices that are available.  Give them their clues.  Let them try to use their knowledge and find the treasure location. TOC

Waypoint  A fixed location with a specified longitude and latitude and UTM coordinates UTM  Mark a destination, a point along the way to a destination, or a point of reference  GPSs can record a waypoint on the spot to within 3 meters or better TOC

UTM  Universal Transverse Mercator projection system  A grid-based method of specifying locations on the surface of the Earth  Used to identify locations on the earth  Differs from the traditional method of latitude and longitude  Not a map projection, but rather employs a series of zones based on specifically defined Transverse Mercator projections. Transverse Mercator Transverse Mercator TOC

Teacher Slide Things that are needed:  GPS units  Batteries  Concept mapping program  Set up 2 or 3 caches (need to get coordinates)  Use cache that is already set up from geocaching.com  Manuals for each of the GPS devices used. TOC

Reference: Geocaching: Definitions: Pictures: TOC