Geography
GPS & Geocaching Project
Student-to-Student Lesson
October 2005, Eisenhower Jr. High

In October 2005, two 9th Grade students at Eisenhower Junior High School in Taylorsville, Utah, taught their GT Geography class how to use Garmin GPS instruments for a Geocaching exercise.

The two students taught their peers how to use the GPS instruments and read GPS coordinates.

The students explained to their peers the meanings of N° and S° and how to know which way they were going depending on the change in the numbers between the first and second set of coordinates.

For example, if the N° became bigger from the first coordinate to the second then they understood they needed to move in a northerly direction from their current position.

The class then proceeded with the Geocaching course that the two students had previously established.

Several landmarks had been previously marked around the school and recorded as coordinates on the GPS instruments.

The coordinate to the first landmark was given to two groups of students, and each group had to find their way to that landmark based on these coordinates.

At each landmark, students would find a new set of coordinates. They followed these coordinates until they finished the course.

This activity was a big success. Students were able to teach and learn about the valuable uses of GPS instruments, the enjoyment of Geocaching, and how to work as teams and use technology in an open environment.

These students hope you'll find similar enjoyment when working with GPS instruments and conducting Geocaching activities.

For more information about Geocaching, visit: Geocaching.com at: http://www.geocaching.com.