GPS Eco-Cache
Big Idea
Do you have access to GPS units but don’t really use them? The GPS Eco-Cache is a great way to connect the use of this technology to identification of wildlife
and other aspects of ecology.
Materials
Time
1.5-2 hours
Audience
Gr. 4-12
Procedure
When it comes to using GPS units student interest is high. Particularly when they are used with a purpose and the students are challenged. The Eco-Cache does both of these. This activity differs from a Geo-Cache in that the waypoints that they are after are aspects of the ecosystem.
Here’s how the activity is set up. You are going to need to mark roughly 10 waypoints in a natural setting. These waypoints could be anything from a pine tree to a blooming crocus to a pile of moose dung! So choose your setting with this in mind. I have had little problem finding 10 interesting aspects of an ecosystem
in green spaces next to Yukon schools.
There are two ways to get all of the waypoints on to all GPS units. One way is to carrying all the units around your neck as you go and mark each waypoint on each one. The other is to mark waypoints on just one GPS and then load those on to a computer and upload them to all the other GPS units one at a time. I often use the first method. Make sure you clear each GPS unit of all its waypoints prior to marking the new waypoints for you game.
As you go on your walkabout marking waypoints be sure to jot down a little note about each one. If you are working with younger students (Gr.4-5) you may want to tie a small piece of flagging tape to whatever it is you want them to find. This will help them zero in on what it is you want them to identify. Once you’ve marked all 10 waypoints on each GPS turn them off to save battery life and go find a place to write up the questions/riddles.
The answer to each question or riddle will be one of the waypoints marked on the GPS unit. This Eco-Cache was organized for a Gr. 4/5 class in the fall.
Your question sheet may look like this:
Hidden Valley Eco-Cache
10. Can you identify the tree with
flagging tape?
________________________
You will want to give the students a clip board. A piece of cardboard and a binder clip work just as well. I always recommend using a pencil for any type of field
work. Pens tend to freeze up in our cool Yukon climate.
The next step is to introduce the GPS to the students. Modern GPS units are very
intuitive and student’s affinity to technology will make teaching them how to
operate it a breeze. Have them circle up and walk them through the functions.
Students should be working in pairs and certainly no more than 3 to a group.
Assure them that each partner will get a turn to use the GPS and suggest
switching after 5 waypoints.
What they need to know:
-How to turn on and off the GPS
-How to properly hold the GPS so it has a clear view of the sky
-How to cycle through the pages
-How to locate the list of waypoints, choose one and tell the GPS to navigate to it
-How to follow a GPS direction arrow
-How to switch to another waypoint once they have successfully located their first one
-How to mark a waypoint as you will want them to mark the meeting point if they get misplaced
-How to check the battery life
All of these should be taught outside in a relatively open area.
This is also a great time to talk about what GPS stands for and how the system works.
A crucial piece of information to talk about before they dash off is the degree
of error. Domestic GPS units such as Garmin are not pinpoint accurate. In fact
they can have as much as 10 metres of error. The GPS may tell you that you have
arrived at Waypoint 1 however in reality the waypoint is several meters away. At
this point they should read the question/riddle to #1 and use their sense to
find the answer.
You can tell them that it’s not a race but they will likely race anyway. Once they
have all returned to the finish line waypoint that you had them mark at the
beginning you should debrief the answers.
Essential Question
How has technology changed the way we travel through and in wild spaces?
Risk Management
Extensions
Big Idea
Do you have access to GPS units but don’t really use them? The GPS Eco-Cache is a great way to connect the use of this technology to identification of wildlife
and other aspects of ecology.
Materials
- GPS Units or access to a set
- Extra batteries!
- Flagging tape
- Pencils and paper
- Clipboards or the homemade version with cardboard and binder clips
Time
1.5-2 hours
Audience
Gr. 4-12
Procedure
When it comes to using GPS units student interest is high. Particularly when they are used with a purpose and the students are challenged. The Eco-Cache does both of these. This activity differs from a Geo-Cache in that the waypoints that they are after are aspects of the ecosystem.
Here’s how the activity is set up. You are going to need to mark roughly 10 waypoints in a natural setting. These waypoints could be anything from a pine tree to a blooming crocus to a pile of moose dung! So choose your setting with this in mind. I have had little problem finding 10 interesting aspects of an ecosystem
in green spaces next to Yukon schools.
There are two ways to get all of the waypoints on to all GPS units. One way is to carrying all the units around your neck as you go and mark each waypoint on each one. The other is to mark waypoints on just one GPS and then load those on to a computer and upload them to all the other GPS units one at a time. I often use the first method. Make sure you clear each GPS unit of all its waypoints prior to marking the new waypoints for you game.
As you go on your walkabout marking waypoints be sure to jot down a little note about each one. If you are working with younger students (Gr.4-5) you may want to tie a small piece of flagging tape to whatever it is you want them to find. This will help them zero in on what it is you want them to identify. Once you’ve marked all 10 waypoints on each GPS turn them off to save battery life and go find a place to write up the questions/riddles.
The answer to each question or riddle will be one of the waypoints marked on the GPS unit. This Eco-Cache was organized for a Gr. 4/5 class in the fall.
Your question sheet may look like this:
Hidden Valley Eco-Cache
- What small mammal calls this site home?
___________________________________
- Can you see the dead tree? What do
you think happened?
______________________
- If I still had leaves they would
tremble. What type of trees are living in this stand?
____________________________
- This type of tree is called a
wildlife tree. Why?
_______________________________
- This plant has a funny name and is
growing on the ground all around here?
_____________________________
- What do you notice on the ground
around this flagging tape?
_____________________
- This is not your average little tree.
What do you see?
____________________________
- This plant is not native to the
Yukon. What is it and how do you think it got here?
______________________________ - I’m very high in vitamin C and black
bears love me. What am I?
10. Can you identify the tree with
flagging tape?
________________________
You will want to give the students a clip board. A piece of cardboard and a binder clip work just as well. I always recommend using a pencil for any type of field
work. Pens tend to freeze up in our cool Yukon climate.
The next step is to introduce the GPS to the students. Modern GPS units are very
intuitive and student’s affinity to technology will make teaching them how to
operate it a breeze. Have them circle up and walk them through the functions.
Students should be working in pairs and certainly no more than 3 to a group.
Assure them that each partner will get a turn to use the GPS and suggest
switching after 5 waypoints.
What they need to know:
-How to turn on and off the GPS
-How to properly hold the GPS so it has a clear view of the sky
-How to cycle through the pages
-How to locate the list of waypoints, choose one and tell the GPS to navigate to it
-How to follow a GPS direction arrow
-How to switch to another waypoint once they have successfully located their first one
-How to mark a waypoint as you will want them to mark the meeting point if they get misplaced
-How to check the battery life
All of these should be taught outside in a relatively open area.
This is also a great time to talk about what GPS stands for and how the system works.
A crucial piece of information to talk about before they dash off is the degree
of error. Domestic GPS units such as Garmin are not pinpoint accurate. In fact
they can have as much as 10 metres of error. The GPS may tell you that you have
arrived at Waypoint 1 however in reality the waypoint is several meters away. At
this point they should read the question/riddle to #1 and use their sense to
find the answer.
You can tell them that it’s not a race but they will likely race anyway. Once they
have all returned to the finish line waypoint that you had them mark at the
beginning you should debrief the answers.
Essential Question
How has technology changed the way we travel through and in wild spaces?
Risk Management
- Always set boundaries for your students that they can recognize and understand
- Visit the site prior to going with students. This will be easy as you will need to set the waypoints anyway
- Establish a means of communicating to all students, such as a whistle, and a meeting place. This should be the same place that you had the students mark as the finish line on their GPS
- If a student’s GPS runs out of batter power have them locate you for new ones
Extensions
- Predator Prey Simulation
- Wildlife Scavenger Hunt
- Forestry Studies
- Consider setting up Eco-Caches at different sites while on field trips. With proper instruction and ground
rules this can also be facilitated in an urban environment