Intro session to geocaching and geotagging prepared for PETE & C conference in Hershey, PA Feb. 11th, 2009 http://keystones.wikispaces.com/geocaching

1. Where’s Waldo?
GeoTag! You’re It!
ach ing in t h e K-12 C la s s ro om
Geoc
K ri st in H ok a n so n & C h ri s C h am pi on
Reg io n a l D irec to rs, PAECT

2. What You’ll Learn Today
What is a GPS? How does it work? What’s a
Geocache?
OK, this is fun, but how does it work in school?
Geocaching in School
Geotagging and Global Information Systems
SURPRISE Grant Opportunity

3. What is
GPS?
(Geocachers correctly
call this a GPSr, or
GPS receiver)
http://flickr.com/photos/gravitystorm/2189744333/

4. http://flickr.com/photos/chibirashka/3056356274/
70946/
y65/817
com/photos/glindsa http://flickr.com/pho
http://flickr. tos/axsdeny/27357733
33/

5. How does it work?
24 USAF Satellites
Atomic clocks
Einstein (no joke)
Compare the time received
Geometry: trilateration
3 or more satellites needed
(3-D trilateration)
05012511/
s/aburt/3
/flickr.com/photo
http:/

6. Making sense of Latitude &
Longitude

7. A day on the Trail..

8. Where in the world am I?
Latitude
40.290602
Longitude:
-76.66984
http://www.batchgeocode.com/lookup/

9. What is a Geocache?
http://flickr.com/photos/
d0/119081245/
Container hidden -
owner recorded the
GPS location
Simplest: a container
with a logbook
Larger: room for
“trade” items

10. Sample Cache #1
Brownstone Ghost
Train Car No. 3
paved walking trail
about 1/2 way up the
hill
train theme (photos
and music on
website)
http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=36180

11. Sample Cache #2
Ant’s Cache
next to soccer fields
open area, not too
many hiding spots
satellite view hints to
location
06550557/
/18
dysonofrobert
m/photos/ran
ickr.co
http://fl

12. Sample Cache #3
McKaig’s Scenic
Simion
Located in a park
adjacent to Roberts
Elementary School
(King of Prussia)
*You can create a cache
at your school without
having it listed on
Geocaching .org

13. Right in your backyard

14. Hiding a Cache
“Official” or just for
you/your students
use?
Container & Log
Permission?
Geocaching Label
Urban vs. Forested
Triple-Cache Container Set @ http://shop.groundspeak.com/

15. a FEW
Educational Benefits
Reading latitude and Cross-curricular
longitude connections
Map skills Math
Using a compass Science
Research Physical
Literature

16. Creating a Geo-Lesson
Resources Already Out There:
Dr. Alice Christie's GPS and Geocaching Guide for
Educators ( www.alicechristie.org )
EduCaching: A GPS-based Curriculum for Teachers
( www.educaching.org )
Londonderry School, Harrisburg
( www.thelondonderryschool.org )
GroundSpeak Forums - GPS in Education

17. Curriculum-themed Caches
Hide several
curriculum-related
items
Students categorize,
reflect, compare,
contrast
Solve a puzzle
Math equations

18. Theme Caches
Create caches that
explore numeracy.
(User: Geometry)
Participate in projects
that help students
39°S 64°W
collaborate with
others around the
world (Degree
Confluence Project)
http://www.confluence.org/confluence.php?visitid=15746

19. Theme Caches
Create a cache that
explores issues in
environmental
education. (The Evil
Green Menace!)
Create a cache that
explores health
issues. (Heart to
Heart)

20. Cache In, Trash Out!
A “selling point” when
placing a cache in a
local or state park
CITO Events are held
regularly
Many Earth Day
http://www.geocaching.com/CITO/
events (April 22)

21. Travel Bugs
“Trackable” Item on
Geocaching.com
Visitors to a cache grab
the Travel Bug and move
it along to another cache
Your travel bug is logged
each time it’s grabbed and
each time it’s placed in a
new cache

22. Travel Bugs

23. Geocoins & other Trinkets
Collectable and
tradable items
Geo-coin festival was
in Pittsburgh this past
year

24. Caching Kit

25. How do I get started?
Build an account on
www.geocaching.com
Search by city, zip code,
state, driving route, etc.
(I usually search by zip
code.)
Record the latitude and
longitude coordinates
and read the hints!

26. Logging a cache

27. Mapping by Latitude &
Longitude

28. What is geotagging?
Geotagging, Data usually consists
sometimes referred to of latitude and
as Geocoding, is the longitude coordinates,
process of adding though it can also
geographical include altitude and
identification place names.
metadata to various
media such as
websites, RSS feeds,
or images.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotagging

29. Geotagging in Flickr

30. Google maps

31. Google Latitude

32. Other Resources
Talk to other GeoCachers
http://belardi.wikispaces.com/Geocaching
Discovery Educator Network: Geocaching day
March: Check DEN Blogs for more info
http://keystones.wikispaces.com/geocaching

33. Wanna give it a try?
Geocaching.com Demonstration

34. Wanna give it a try?
Geocaching.com Demonstration
Geocaching Seminars

35. Wanna give it a try?
Geocaching.com Demonstration
Geocaching Seminars
June 19: MCIU

36. Wanna give it a try?
Geocaching.com Demonstration
Geocaching Seminars
June 19: MCIU
June 23: Lincoln IU

37. Wanna give it a try?
Geocaching.com Demonstration
Geocaching Seminars
June 19: MCIU
June 23: Lincoln IU
July 7: IU 1

38. Wanna give it a try?
Geocaching.com Demonstration
Geocaching Seminars
June 19: MCIU
June 23: Lincoln IU
July 7: IU 1
July 14: NW TriCounty
IU 5

39. Wanna give it a try?
Geocaching.com Demonstration
Geocaching Seminars
June 19: MCIU
July 14: NEIU (19)
June 23: Lincoln IU
July 7: IU 1
July 14: NW TriCounty
IU 5

40. Wanna give it a try?
Geocaching.com Demonstration
Geocaching Seminars
June 19: MCIU
July 14: NEIU (19)
June 23: Lincoln IU
July 15: Blast IU (17)
July 7: IU 1
July 14: NW TriCounty
IU 5

41. Wanna give it a try?
Geocaching.com Demonstration
Geocaching Seminars
June 19: MCIU
July 14: NEIU (19)
June 23: Lincoln IU
July 15: Blast IU (17)
July 7: IU 1
July 17th: Allegheny IU
July 14: NW TriCounty
IU 5

42. Wanna give it a try?
Geocaching.com Demonstration
Geocaching Seminars
June 19: MCIU
July 14: NEIU (19)
June 23: Lincoln IU
July 15: Blast IU (17)
July 7: IU 1
July 17th: Allegheny IU
July 14: NW TriCounty
July 21st Schuylkill IU
IU 5

43. Grant Opportunities
Trainings are a Keystone / PAECT Sponsored Event
Free for Keystones
Free for PAECT members http://paect.org
$4,000 in GeoCaching Grant revealed at each
training.
PAgeocaching@gmail.com

44. Act 48
Session Number: KL17
Session Title: Where's Waldo? GeoTag! You're It.
Act 48 Code: KL171679