How does GPS fit into standards-based education?

Lesson plans that integrate GPS technology can meet standards in social science, mathematics, science, language and more. A few key Oregon State standards, common curriculum goals, and suggestions are listed below.

Social Sciences:

Geography:

1. • Understand the spatial concepts of location, distance, direction, scale, movement, and region.
   

2. • Use maps and other geographic tools to acquire, process and report information from a spatial perspective.
   

3. • Locate major physical and human (cultural) features of the Earth.
   

4. • Identify and analyze physical and human characteristics of places and regions, and the processes that have shaped them, and their geographic significance.
   

5. • Understand how people and the environment are related.
   

The above common curriculum goals appear on pages 12A and 13A of the Oregon Standards Newspaper.

Geography can be integrated with any civics/government, economics, or history unit and enhances the lessons by engaging spatial and visual learners. Using GPS with any of these subjects can integrate mathematics with social science. A geography journal or oral presentation integrates language with social science.

Mathematics:

Geometry:

1. • Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships.
   

2. • Use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems.
   

3. • Specify locations and describe spatial relationships using coordinate geometry and other representational systems.
   

4. • Apply transformations and use symmetry to analyze mathematical situations.
   

The above common curriculum goals appear on page 9C of the Oregon Standards Newspaper.

Students can take anything that can be laid out on a grid to the field at school. The easiest format to enter coordinates as actual waypoints is UTM (universal transverse mercator). UTM instructions are available. Any mathematic benchmark can be included in a geocache by making the necessary clue contingent on completing a problem within the topic covered by that benchmark. Problem solving skills can also be engaged by having students predict different data that the GPS log will show--distance, ETA, ETE or predict the difference in scale of the graph paper model and the field representation.

Science:

Geographical locations relate to all topics in Earth Science lessons. Integrating GPS is a natural extension of anything geographical. Volcano locations and distance from school can be a signpost during a volcano unit. Students can look up GPS waypoints online for a particular feature and find it on Google Earth. Students can create Google Earth overlays and placemarks including whatever information the teacher finds important for the unit.

Language:

Every activity that a student engages in gives us an opportunity to integrate language instruction. GPS geography journals, written reports, oral reports, slideshows, movies, and podcasts are all potential student products when integrating GPS and instruction.

Cultural Competence:

Geographical locations can be used to teach the diversity of cultures and the richness that all these cultures offer our students. Your classroom signpost can have arrows to the cultures you have studied or have interest in. The arrow can be the end product of a small group activity or presentation.