GPS/GIS Resources
The following links and information is adapted with permission from Lynn Lary’s Lane ESD Virtual Training Center
Latitude/Longitude and GPS Basics
- Longitude and Latitude Basics
- The Find Your Longitude game helps make the connection between the Earth's rotation and time zones.
- All About GPS — This excellent tutorial provides an explanation of what a GPS is and how they work. This is recommended for teacher use prior to instructing students in the use of GPS.
- Play the The New Navigation game to learn how GPS receivers determine your location on Earth. This is a slimmed down explanation of how GPS receivers work. Includes nice graphics — including a visual that teachers can relate to Venn Diagrams.
Geocaching
Geocaching is a world wide treasure hunt in which people hide a "treasure" and then post the longitude and latitude coordinates, along with a little hint so that others can find it. Once found, the finder signs a log sheet and, if something is there to take, removes a trinket and leaves a trinket for the next finder. There are thousands of caches in Oregon; caches can be found all over the world!
Ideas for Classroom Use
- TravelBugs
- Geo-Literacy Project - Locationless or Reverse Caching ideas to do with students.
- Letterboxing – Similar to Geocaching but it combines navigation skills with rubber stamping.
- Native American History Lesson — Excellent example of how to create a locationless cache for the classroom! No need for a GPS! See all of the Locationless Geocaches Listings.
- Oregon History Lesson series
- Over the River and through the Bridges... — Example of how to create a multi-site cache featuring community highlights.
- Atlanta or Bust! — Teach me something
- Annette Lamb\'s Geocaching with Kids resources.
- Earth Science Overlays for Google Earth
Lesson Plans
- Activities for GPS in Mathematics – Just a few activities
- GPS/GIS Lesson Plans — This set of lesson plans are sortable by grade level; most of them deal with GIS.
- USGS GIS Educational Materials
- Applications of GPS in Farming Unit
- NCTM GPS and Math
- GE Lessons
- Juicy Geography
Introductory Materials
- Introduction to the GPS Lesson — This site also contains resources for downloading software for connecting your GPS to a computer.
- Globes, Maps, and GPS — This is a lesson that introduces the concept of GPS devices and the relationship to maps, globes, and other ways of representing a location on Earth. It is a nice introduction to the different ways by which one can determine a location on earth.
- Teaching with GIS – Good links to educational projects that involve GIS.
- Google Maps Crib Sheet
- Google Earth Crib Sheet
Real Life Applications
There are many, many applications of the GPS, a few of which are listed below.
- Crater Lake Mapping
- Traffic Cop on Board (article available through EBSCOhost)
- Weed control in Australia
- Farming
- Farm every inch of land efficiently using GPS technology
- Oregon Farming Timeline — See where GPS fits into the timeline.
- The Joys of GPS — This article describes military use GPS (article available through EBSCOhost)
- All Hot and Bothered — Scientists may one day be able to predict volcanic eruptions (article available through EBSCOhost)
- Telephone Tracking — Hunting with Dogs (article available through EBSCOhost)
- A Tracker in your Kid's Backpack (article available through EBSCOhost)
Imagery Software and Global Imaging Links
- Google Earth – Free download. Very powerful and easy to use tool for viewing the geographic information of the earth. Download up-to-date overlays from Google Earth Community or Google Earth Hacks
- Google Sketch-up - Free download. Enables you to build and modify 3D models quickly and easily. If you use Google Earth, Google SketchUp allows you to place your models using real-world coordinates and share them with the world using the 3D Warehouse.
- World Wind - Another free download. This application much like Google Earth but has different features such as Animated Earth, 3D Earth, Virtual Tours, and MODIS.
- Community Walk - Build your own interactive map.
- ArcExplorer
- GPS Visualizer
- Geography Network
- Kangis K12 GIS Community
- Terra Server
- View Above the Earth
- Easy GPS
Lynn Lary’s Teaching Materials
- Service Learning Projects and Other Resources
- Ideas for introducing GPS to your students (RTF document); explanation of degree measurement
- Entering Waypoints on a Magellan (PDF document)
- Outdoor School Activity Materials
- Sample Hints (RTF document)
- Student Worksheets (RTF document)
- Cache Logsheets/Student Directions (RTF document)