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Geocaching Curricular Ideas

Geocaching Curricular Ideas. Primary Grades. First Activity – teach students to use the devices Caches Plastic container with candy, stickers, erasers or other small objects Notes “see you homeroom teacher for a treat”, “Homework pass”, “extra 5 minutes of recess”.

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Geocaching Curricular Ideas

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  1. GeocachingCurricular Ideas

  2. Primary Grades • First Activity – teach students to use the devices • Caches • Plastic container with candy, stickers, erasers or other small objects • Notes “see you homeroom teacher for a treat”, “Homework pass”, “extra 5 minutes of recess”

  3. Upper Elementary/Middle Examples • Culminating Activity for a unit of study • Lisa Foy, FHES, Pirate Unit – integrating all subject areas • Student read Teach’s Light or Mystery of Blackbeard • Each cache contains a question related to the books or a math question with a pirate theme

  4. Note: Differentiated Instruction

  5. Upper Elementary/Middle Examples • Culminating Activity for a unit of study • Lisa Foy, FHES, Pirate Unit – integrating all subject areas • Student read Teach’s Light or Mystery of Blackbeard • Each cache contains a question related to the books or a math question with a pirate theme • After the activity, students write a reflection of what they have learned/experienced.

  6. Geocaching Reflection device technology cache mischief booty loot

  7. Upper Elementary/Middle Examples • Review material • Erin Buchanan, FHES, Landform Review • Each cache contains a picture and description of a landform • Students identify the landform on a log sheet

  8. Student Log Sheet - Example

  9. Upper Elementary/Middle Examples • Discuss a book • Cindy Roscoe, Salem, Book discussion • Each cache contains a photo or image of something significant in a book students have read • Students identify the photo and tell how it relates to the book on their log sheet • For a second geocaching activity, students worked in groups to create the caches

  10. Upper Elementary/Middle Examples • Unit of study - History of the school/ community/county • 4th Grade Hallyburton • At each cache, students learned about history of the area (traveled around the Drexel community) • To Protect and to Serve – stop at Drexel Fire Department • Whoo! Whoo! Crash! – famous train trash in Drexel • Brown Mountain Lights – video at Drexel Elementary • Tall, Tall Tree – story of Frankie Silver

  11. Upper Elementary/Middle Examples • Where Am I?* • Jason Parker, Salem – Geometry Review • Students were given a list of geometry terms and bingo cards • They were to go out and identify as many of the terms as they could, • MARK the location on their GPS device, • record the coordinates on their log sheet, • check their bingo card, • photograph the example they found *Google Earth & GPS Elementary Classroom Activities Grades 2-6 by Jim Holland & Susan Anderson

  12. Upper Elementary/Middle Examples • Where Am I? • Jason Parker, Salem – Geometry Review • Students were given a list of geometry terms and bingo cards • They were to go out and identify as many of the terms as they could, • MARK the location on their GPS device, • record the coordinates on their log sheet, • check their bingo card, (prizes awarded for BINGO) • photograph the example they found • Students used Photostory to import and label their photos, and share with their peers

  13. Other Examples of Curricular Tie-ins • Name 5 three-dimensional shapes you see • Find 5 examples of the following angles – equilateral, acute, obtuse, • Name 3 landforms you see • Find a habitat, tell why it is a habitat • Something related to the school campus • Sum of the digits of a sign – what is the relevance of the sign • Baseball trivia question requiring math – taped to bench on the baseball field

  14. School Clubs • Girl Scout Troop • Crystal Smith, Salem • Girl Scout troop earned a badge by geocaching • Each cache related to the girl scouts • Recite the pledge • Talk about good citizenship with your partner

  15. Technology Integration • Students use Digital Cameras / Video Cameras • Create product of learning

  16. Helpful Tips and How Tos: or things we learned the hard way • Small groups are a must – each group should have a different route or order of caches to follow. It is best to minimize contact with other groups. *An alternative is to have double the caches (say 10) and each group do even or odd numbered caches only • Have students work in pairs

  17. TIPS – things we learned the hard way • Cheat notes for group leaders This is especially helpful if you have volunteers new to geocaching – you want them to help you again!

  18. Example of Group Leader’s Notes Group 1 Please search for caches in this order: Watson 1 Watson 2 Watson 3 Watson 4 Watson 5 (please bring this cache back to the classroom) Hints: #1 – metal key case, No Parking Fire Lane Sign in front of the school, near mobile units #2 – trash, far upper parking lot, center of the fence #3 – small plastic container – lower parking lot/walking track – metal drain pipe #4 – small picture taped to the back of the basketball goal #5 – fake doggy doo – light pole behind the Pre-K trailer

  19. TIPS – things we learned the hard way • If doing the activity on multiple days – take up your caches every day – they will get taken by others, even well-meaning custodians • Swear your students to secrecy about caches and their location (this works in elementary)

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