Using GPS with Students High Tech Hide & Seek!

Transcription

1 Using GPS with Students High Tech Hide & Seek! Intrductin: As we cntinue int the twenty-first century, we are cntinuusly being challenged by new technlgies. As teachers, we try t use technlgy effectively inside and utside the classrm. Our gal is t help students take wnership fr learning and help students develp practical and critical thinking skills. T meet this challenge, students will be taken t task with an emerging GPS-based activity by using the technlgy tl, GPS receivers, and, gecaching with rubber ducks. Gecaching is a great way t instill a curisity abut gegraphy and math. In additin, it prvides students with an pprtunity t wrk cllabratively in a grup, slve prblems and incrprate the characteristics f active, engaged learning in a cnstructivist learning envirnment. What is A GPS? Launched in 1978 by the Department f Defense, Glbal Psitining System (GPS) is a satellite-based radi-navigatin system which allws users t determine their lcatin anywhere in the wrld at any time f the day. A GPS unit receives data transmitted frm GPS satellites then interprets the data t prvide infrmatin n lngitude, latitude and altitude. Each satellite passes arund the earth twice in a 24-hur perid at an altitude f abut 12,500 miles. The satellites cntinuusly bradcast psitin and time data t users thrughut the wrld. Our students will use handheld GPS devices. Each device will receive data frm the clsest satellites t determine the unit's abslute lcatin f a duck. We are calling this: Gecaching with Ducks. Gecaching is a fun, engaging adventure activity fr GPS users. The basic idea is t have individuals and rganizatins set up caches all ver the wrld and share the lcatins f these caches n the Internet. GPS users can then use the lcatin crdinates t find the caches. Backgrund Infrmatin fr Students: Gecache cmes frm the terms ge (earth) and cache (hidden supply r treasure). A bit f trivia: explrers and miners used caches t hide fd r ther items fr emergency purpses and animals (especially squirrels) hide fd in caches fr later use. Tday s gecaches are usually inexpensive little 1

2 trinkets r maybe just a written clue in waterprf cntainer with the cache's crdinates. All hidden caches cntain the abslute lcatin because these crdinates, alng with ther details f the lcatin, are psted n the Internet s ther gecachers can cllect the crdinates and find the cache using their GPS handheld receivers. Getting Started: Warm up activity Glbal Psitining System Classrm Exercise: Find Daffy Materials pacing and measuring tape, paper, pencils Hw did early explrers navigate? They relied n the stars fr guidance. Tday, instead f using a cnstellatin starts, we use a cnstellatin f navigatin satellites rbit ur planet, prviding us with real-time, accurate infrmatin abut ur psitin n land, sea, r air. Satellites help travelers calculate their latitude, lngitude, altitude, speed, and directin f travel with accuracy t within 300 feet. If yu have a Garmin system in yur car, it can tell yu the speed yu are traveling! Let s Practice! Find the Lst Duck: In the Class befre using the GPS 1. Explain that the class has t lcate a Duck lst in the wds wh is trying t relay infrmatin abut his lcatin by radi t his flck. Ask fr a vlunteer t play the lst Duck. 2. Ask fr a secnd vlunteer t play the rle f a muntain. Psitin the muntain abut 10 feet frm the lst Duck. Assume that the lst Duck can nly see the muntain. 3. Ask fr a grup f students t play the rles f the "Search and Rescue Team the flck." They ask the Duck t describe his psitin t them. (Prbable answer: "I can nly see a muntain.") (The Team may find it easier t put a symbl fr the muntain n a piece f paper and discuss where the Duck might be in relatin t the muntain n the map.) Will this infrmatin help the Search and Rescue Team? 4. Add a secnd landmark (anther vlunteer): a televisin transmissin twer. Psitin the TV twer abut 8 feet away frm the lst Duck, s that the Duck, TV twer, and muntain frm a triangle. 5. The lst Duck nw has tw pints f reference fr the Search and Rescue Team when asked t describe his lcatin. (as, "I see a muntain ff t my right, a TV twer t my left."). Is the Team able t narrw dwn his lcatin better? Hpefully, yes! 6. Add a third pint f reference: a giant redwd tree 6 feet away frm the Duck, s that the muntain, TV twer, and redwd tree frm a triangle arund the lst Duck. 2

3 7. Nw have the Team ask the Duck fr his prbable lcatin. ("I can see a muntain t my right, a TV twer ahead and t the left, and a giant redwd tree behind me.") Using 3 pints, the Team can nw triangulate the psitin f the lst Duck. 8. Explain t students that this is hw GPS (Glbal Psitining System) wrks. Instead f muntains, TV twers, and ther landmarks, it uses highly-accurate satellites as pints f reference. Instead f relying n visin t estimate ne's lcatin and distance, handheld satellite receivers cmmunicate cnstantly with the rbiting satellites, triangulating n at least three f them. This enables the receiver t display ne's psitin t within 100 meters. Find the lst Duck. GPS Time! Let s G Outside Directins and Maps In tw parts, teach yur students abut the cardinal directins and hw t use a cmpass and maps. The lessn includes utdr activities. Fllw these steps: Part 1: Directins 1. Sit in a circle utside. Ask students Where's the Sun? What directin is the Sun? Which way is nrth? 3

4 2. Use an bject, such as a branch, t depict nrth. Explain the ther cardinal directins and use a mnemnic device t aid students' memry, such as the sentence "Never eat sggy Wheaties." 3. Ask students t use materials in the area t mark the ther directins. 4. Explain what a cmpass is and hw it functins. 5. Use a cmpass t test the accuracy f where students placed bjects t mark directins in step Make any needed crrectins. 6. Say the different directins ut lud, and ask students t pint where the directin is n a cmpass wheel r n a makeshift wheel utside. Yu can als hand ut cards with directins fr students t place n the wheel. Fr lder students, ask them t determine mre precise directins, such as nrthwest r sutheast. GPS Units Teach students abut mapping latitude and lngitude lines using GPS units. This lessn is split int three parts. The first part fcuses n an activity f mapping the schlyard t engage students, the secnd part intrduces GPS units and hw t use them, and the final part ties the thers tgether by getting students t pinpint exact lcatins n the schlyard map. Fllw these steps: Part 1: Mapping the Schlyard Gegraphically Materials Large 4 ft square paper GPS index cards Smething t write with Prelessn Preparatin: Create a rugh diagram f yur schlyard n a 4-ft-square piece f clred paper. Yu will add landmarks and pints f interest later. 1. Shw students yur diagram f the schlyard and discuss the rientatin. Which way is nrth n ur schl grunds? 2. Ask students t sketch a map f the schlyard in their field jurnals, nting imprtant landmarks and gegraphy. 4

5 3. Brainstrm different elements they'd like t include n the map, such as flagples, swings, trees, baseball diamnds, r lights. 4. Write the pints f interest yu cme up with n nte cards, and give ne t each student. 5. Each student will draw the bject listed n his r her nte card n small pieces f paper. They will add these t the schlyard diagram. 6. Ask students t attach each item t the diagram where they think it belngs. Use transparent tape s students can mve the bjects arund easily in the next sectin. Part 2: Latitude and Lngitude Lines and Using GPS Units In the class, give students the GPS and handut. Explain the parts f the GPS and hw it wrks. NOW. 1. Ask students hw they can validate the lcatin f bjects placed n the diagram in the previus activity. Brainstrm pssible answers. 2. Shw the students a glbe, and explain t them the lines f latitude and lngitude. Lines f latitude run hrizntally and prvide lcatins nrth and suth, depicting nrth as a psitive number and suth as a negative number. Lines f lngitude run vertically and prvide lcatins east and west. Explain that each number reflects lcatin in degrees, minutes, and secnds. Fr example, ne reads "47* 15' 25" as "47 degrees, 15 minutes, and 25 secnds." Degrees f lngitude vary in size, decreasing as ne mves in bth directins tward the ples. 4. Grup students tgether in small grups (4-5), and equip each grup with a GPS unit. Explain that students will take turns read the unit while the ther student recrds readings in his r her field jurnal. 5

6 6. Ask students t walk the lwer scccer field frm suth t nrth, writing latitude numbers every 50 feet as directed. 7. Repeat the step fr writing lngitude numbers frm east t west. Have students reprt back when they finish. Ask if they see any patterns. Part 3: Finding Ducks 1. Explain t students that they'll use the GPS unit t test hw accurate their GPS is by lcating hidden ducks placed arund the field. 2. Give students a list f 5 6 crdinates f the hidden ducks. 3. Ask students t take GPS and enter each crdinate. Once they ve entered them, it s time t g frth and seek missing ducks!!! Each duck will have a wrd n the bttm. When they find it, they must write dwn the wrd. 4. Once a duck is fund, they have t unscramble the wrds t frm a sentence. Assessment: Hw did yur students d? Here are sme ways t assess yur students' cmprehensin f the material, reflective f grade level. Exceeds standard (4): Student was able t identify the crrect latitude and lngitude crdinates ten ut f ten times. Meets standard (3): Student was able t identify the crrect latitude and lngitude crdinates nine ut f ten times. Belw standard (2): Student was able t identify the crrect latitude and lngitude crdinates eight ut f ten times. 6

7 Juicy Gegraphy great site! Getting Started Hw des GPS wrk? A gd initial activity is t turn the handheld unit n and get students t bserve the initial page which shws the unit acquiring a satellite. What is a waypint? The next stage might be t get students t learn the basics f creating a waypint (r GPS lcatin) On the Gek 201 this is just a matter f pressing the OK buttn fr a cuple f secnds. It is gd t shw students hw t edit the names f waypints. demnstrated. 7

8 What is a track? Once the basics f waypints have been understd, the next stage is t get students t bserve the electrnic 'breadcrumb trail' that is left behind as yu walk. This is the track. and is visible n the map page f the Gek 201. Students shuld be shwn hw t clear the track lg and save and name new tracks. The track can be used t retrace yur rute while utside, and it can als be upladed t a map r Ggle Earth t see where yu have been. Individual tracks can be saved and named fr use in varius prjects. What infrmatin can be recrded with a GPS? Students shuld be shwn hw the unit mnitrs their speed, elevatin and ther variables The trip cmputer page illustrates a number f data fields that can be displayed n the screen. Objectives: Standard Nag 5.1 e, f Develp an awareness f Glbal Psitining Systems (GPS) and hw peple use them. 8