GPS in the Classroom for Washington Co. School District, June 1-2, 2010

Here’s the links and resources you’ll need during our 2 days together of getting to know how to use a GPS to find locations, mark locations of your own, and integrating this technology to collect relevant data & create custom maps with your classes. Here’s a link to my GPS Blog for Education hosted at SEDC, and the class agenda is attached below. Another useful resource could be the Groundspeak Forum for GPS in Education.

Links and relevant resources, Day 1:

• Link to How Does The GPS System Work presentation and video that you can use with your students
• 5 Geocaching FAQ’s
• Geocaching.com – Set up your account
• Finding your first Geocache
• GeoLex – Lexicon of Geocaching
• Geocaches That Teach
• Waypoint Management: GSAK
• St. George GPS Scavenger Hunt (Waypoints are here, Handout is attached below)
• Google Earth
• What If….
• Planetary Conversions Excel File

  PlanetConversions.xls

• Nine Eight Planets.org

Links & Resources, Day 2

• Please remember to fill out the course registration!
• The Geospatial Revolution – A great video overview of GIS and it’s capabilities from Penn State.
• CMAP – Community Mapping Workshop
• Earthcaching
• Utah GIS Portal??- Here’s where you can??download Vector & Raster data??for building maps in ArcView
• Instructions to add the Utah GIS Image Server to ArcView
• Please take a moment to complete the Wrap-Up Survey.
• Bonus: Jing screen captures & Blabberize

Links to Google Earth Layer Files:

• Trees & Bathrooms
• Statues & Lights
• Benches,Tables, Chairs
• Power Outlets

Here’s the assignment for the class to receive full credit:

Assignment: Using the UEN Lesson Plan tool (optional), Google Docs or Microsoft Word, develop and implement a lesson that incorporates a GPS activity. You should include the following fields in your lesson plan: Summary, Curriculum Tie, Intended Learning Outcomes, Instructional Procedures, and Assessment Plan. Include with your lesson plan a reflective paper. In your paper:

• Describe how you used the GPS in the classroom and how the activity benefited your students.
• Evaluate your activity and describe its effectiveness incorporating the GPS as a learning tool.
• Include the state core standard(s) the project is tied to, as well as a description of the critical thinking skill(s) from Bloom???s Taxonomy that your students will use when completing the activity.

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