Greece and Rome Geocaching

Third Grade went Geocaching in Mrs. Weikle’s room during their study of Greece and Rome! Using GPS units, students worked in teams to locate hidden boxes outside the school. The boxes contained clues about either Greece or Rome or neither. Students had to figure out which! It was cold, but everyone had a blast!

There are two versions of the activity–one that uses GPS units (Geocaching), and one that uses iPads or iPods with QR code readers.

Geocaching:

1.  Print the cards on different colored tagboard (blue, red, yellow).  Use the Answer Sheet to divide the cards between 6 boxes.

2.  Hide the boxes around the school yard and mark each location with the gps unit.

3.  Divide the students into no more than six groups.  Give students the blank answer sheet, a pencil, gps unit, and an order strip.

4.  Have students find the boxes in the order on the strip.  When they find the box, they read the clues and determine which color card matches which civilization.  They record colors on their answer sheets.

 

QR Codes

1.  QR cards on tagboard.  Divide them between 6 boxes.

2.  Place the boxes around the room (as stations).

3.  Divide the students into no more than six groups.  Give students the blank answer sheet, a pencil, an iPod/iPad loaded with a QR code reader (we use Inigma).

4.  Have students rotate through the stations and scan the QR codes.  Students must determine which color card matches which civilization.  They record on colors on their answer sheets.

Cross posted on the Oak Grove Digital Archive and Adventures in Learning Geocaching Blog.

4th Grade Jamestown Geocaching

A few weeks ago, a teacher came to me wanting to do a Jamestown Geocaching Activity with her students.  I had been doing a lot of work on iPads, and had enjoyed some of the quick, 1 minutes video podcasts by History is Fun.org.  I decided to incorporate both the iPads and Geocaching into one activity.  Here’s the activity I created:

1.  Download Podcasts videos to at least 6 iPod Touches/iPads from iTunes.  You can find them here: Historyisfun.org Podcasts.  You’ll need the following videos:

  • The Voyage
  • John Smith
  • Powhatan/Pocahontas
  • Hardships
  • Representative Government
  • Women
  • Slavery (I used this one as a practice example)

2.  Hide 6 Caches with the following labels on each cache: Jamestown Cache Labels.  Mark the locations of the caches with the GPS Units.

3.  Students were broken up into groups, and given a clipboard, a Jamestown Geocaching Answer Sheet, an Order Strip for 6 Caches, and an iPad with the videos (but iPod Touch would work too), a pencil, and a GPS Unit.

4.  Students worked in groups to find and answer the questions using the videos.  I suggest the following jobs for members the group:

  • Navigator (Works GPS Unit)
  • Scribe (Writes the group’s answer)
  • Governor (Keeps folks on track, carries the number strips, reads the cache questions)
  • Historian (Carries the iPad/iPod Touch and plays the appropriate video)
  • Scout (Double checks to make sure the group is at the right cache number, Re-hides the Cache in the exact location, )
  • Judge (Checks the group’s answers with the QR Codes)

5.  When students were finished, they used the app, Scan, and the following Jamestown Geocaching QR Codes to check their work.  A traditional Answer Key is located here if you do not have time for this part of the activity.  Students re-watch the videos for the questions they’ve missed.

So far I’ve had two classes complete this activity, and they loved it!  I liked using the iPads because they were big enough for the entire group to see.  I found it really important to discuss reading the questions BEFORE watching the videos…and practicing with the Slavery video was very helpful.

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Image:  Kolk, Melinda. compassrose.jpg. 1-Apr. Pics4Learning. 9 Nov 2012 <http://pics.tech4learning.com>

 

Oliver the Geobug Update

Just wanted to let you know that the Oliver K. Woodman Geobug is now in a travel bug hotel in Portland, Oregon!  He has already traveled 2254.5 miles!! 
A travel bug hotel is a geocache that is located near a highly traveled place–like an interstate.  This one is located outside a hotel near the Portland airport.  This allows lots of geobugs (travelbugs) to move in and out of the cache quickly and travel far.  We’ll cross our fingers that this will happen for Oliver!
The Oliver K. Woodman Wiki

The Oliver K. Woodman Wiki

I’ve updated the info on the Oliver K. Woodman wiki  and included the note the geocacher left too.  You can find it under Pictures and Videos.   

Ruler in Google Earth

Ruler in Google Earth

If you are following Oliver with your class, take a second to view his map on the wiki.  You’ll even see a link where you can open it in google earth.  Once in google earth, you can use the ruler tool to measure the distance he has traveled.  You can also measure how far he has left to go!
 

Hunting for Treasure with Kindergarten Pirates!

The Kindergarteners at Glenvar Elementary went treasure hunting on Friday to look for “pirate loot!” Using treasure maps and gps units, they found all sorts of goodies while practicing their map skills. They did this in full pirate attire, of course! Here’s some pictures of the event…it was a blast!!

Pirate Geocaching with Kindergarten! on PhotoPeach

Sending Oliver K. (Geobug) on his way

oliverkOur 2nd grade students ihave been reading the book, The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman by Darcy Pattison. It’s a story about a wooden man, Oliver K. Woodman, that is sent from an Uncle in Rock Hill, SC to his niece in Redcrest, CA. Oliver moves from place to place in the book through the kindness of strangers who pick him and and help him travel all the way across the United States.

After reading the book, following his travels on google earth, and learning about communities we decided it would be fun for the students to send their own Oliver on a journey. Since students have also been learning about geocaching, we decided to tie the two things together and create a traveling Oliver K. Woodman geobug. We planted him at a local tourist spot, and hope to map him as he makes his way across the United States to Redcrest, CA. Just like in the book, we are counting on the kindness of strangers to move him from one geocache to another. If you run across him, please help us by moving him along. The students would also love to see pictures of his travels!

As he moves, the classes will use their mapping skills to follow him, and hopefully learn a little of geography. We’ll also be interested in what types of communities he move through (urban, suburban, or rural).

You can learn more about this project on our wiki: http://oliverkwoodman.wikispaces.com.

cache

Projects, Projects, Projects

This article is a follow up to yesterday’s inservice at Clearbrook.  We discussed Global Projects, Using Skype, Wiki Ideas, and Geocaching and Geobugs.  Wow, that was a lot of stuff!
 
Shelia Terry from Virginia Beach was able to skype with us and talk a little about her use with Skype with her students there.  She gave us some great information about skype, and send us a link to more Skype info on her wiki!    

We also talked a lot about some existing global projects you can join. 
One of the project places I highlighted was the site by Jen Wagner.  I love her projects!!
 
The other project I mentioned by name was the skype project called Mission 00 Rain about Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  I remember that a few of you were interested in it as well.  It’s for grades 1-3, but you need to register by Oct. 10! 
 
Finally, we did some geocaching and talked about geobugs.  In case you all are interested in geocaching for fun, the geocaching site is www.geocaching.com.  You can create an account for free, and download the locations of caches to many types of gps units.  The newer ones for cars will even let you do this.  It’s tons of fun, and they are EVERYWHERE…so it’s also great for family trips or vacations. 
 
If you and your class want to track the Big Lick Geobug, here’s it’s story.
https://tcoffey.edublogs.org/2009/06/03/geobugs/
 
Finally, an Oliver K. Woodman Geobug will be leaving Roanoke in the next few weeks.  He’s heading to Redcrest, California.  If you’ve read the book, The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman, you’ll know why!  Let me know if you want me to come to your class, show a geobug, and get your started following him too.  :)

Geocaching Fever!!

gps1Have you seen small groups of students running around hunting for boxes at your school lately?  If so, then you’ve seen us geocaching, a fun, active way to solve SOL related problems!  It’s a great way for students to move around outside while working in groups and solving SOL related problems.  They love it!!
Here’s the basic idea:  It’s like a high-tech scavenger hunt. The kids use a handheld gps units to find hidden boxes around the school yard (your ITRT will help you set this up ahead of time).  When they get to a box, they use clues inside to figure out the answer to a problem or complete and activitiy.
 
Currently we have sets of activities created (or being created) for the following units:
  • Regions of VA (4th)gps2
  • Pirate Math (end of 2nd)
  • Global Studies (5th)
  • Library (Genres)
  • PE (Fall activity involving math and PE)
  • Phases of the Moon (4th)
  • Weather
  • Native Americans (2nd)
  • Native Americans (4th)
  • Carnivore/Herbivoire/Omnivore (3rd)
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
  • Musical Instrument Families

 We are coming up with more each day….and would be happy to create one for a different unit with your help if you have an idea!  If you are interested in trying out this activity with your students before it gets too cold, let me know.gps3

Pirate Geocachin’ with Second Grade Sprogs–ARRR!

What do pirates, 2nd graders, gps units, and math all have in common? Pirate geocaching, of course!

This summer, I had the opportunity to work with a great bunch of 2nd graders during summer school. This group loved technology, and so I decided to organize a Math review using our GPS units. Since it was summer time, and we were reading stories about pirates and the ocean, the theme naturally lent itself to pirates! Plus pirates are really fun!!

So, here’s how it all went down:

1) I organized the caches the students needed to find around the pirate theme. At each cache, students needed to solve a 2nd grade math problem to know what to bring back to the “Captain.” A big thanks to Joani Sotherden, Kathy Smith and Diane Rose for this part of the project! They helped me come up with the problems for each cache.

Download cache questions (Print on Avery size 8164 labels).

Here are pictures of the caches and their contents:

Next, Meg Swecker joined me one afternoon to help find great hiding spots for the six caches around South Salem Elementary. We programed in each location on six gps units.

Judy Fisher (the other second grade teacher) and I rounded up some adults to help lead each group.  We also organized our two 2nd grade classes into six different teams of four students each.  Then morning before the event, we hid the caches in their spots.  A clipboard was made for each team that consisted of:

Clipboard

  • a ziplock baggie (for the loot)
  • a list of caches to find (in a different order for each team)
  • scrap paper
  • the rules and tips and tricks and job responsibilities
  • a pencil

Download Directions and Tips and Tricks

Download Group Order

Right before we went out to do the activity, we gave the students pirate hats (free from Long John Silvers), set up the scenario, gave some basic rules, and assigned teams.

Each team was given their clipboard.  The adults quickly showed their group of  students how to use the gps units, and they were off!

It was so much fun! Everyone had a blast, and I was amazed to see students who struggled to complete work at their desks take lead rolls as they trekked around the schoolyard solving math problems.

A big thanks to all those people who showed up to learn about geocaching or to lend a hand, including…

Co-Teacher: Judy Fisher (she also supplied the awesome pirate hats)
Group Leaders: Judy’s son–“Mr. Fisher,” Hunter Routt, Sherri Tompkins, Debbie Stanley
Photographer :  Diane Rose
Math Problems:  Joani Sotherden, Kathy Smith and Diane Rose
Partner-in-Crime:  Meg Swecker (who’s always up for an adventure, pirate or otherwise)

Here are some other fun pirate resources:

Talk Like a Pirate

Magic Treehouse: Pirates at Past Noon by Mary Pope Osbourne

Do Pirates Take Baths? by Kathy Tucker

(This book is great for a writing prompt, especially  writing asking and telling sentences).