The Challenge

Using only a GPS device, a roll of string (and paper and pencil) discover the relationships between the metric system, other measurement systems, the Latitude/Longitude coordinate system and the Earth. In particular:

• Explain the relationship between measures of Latitude and km, meters, nautical miles
• How far is it around the earth if you traveled on a meridian (line of Longitude)?
• If you traveled around the earth at a particular Latitude, how far would you travel?
• Create a string that is 1 meter long and justify your method
• How long it would take for a pendulum made with your meter string to swing back and forth 1800 times?

Hints (in ROT13):

1. Gur zrgevp flfgrz jnf qrivfrq va gur yngr 18gu Praghel ol gur Serapu hfvat gur Rnegu nf n ersrerapr.
2. Rknzvar gur havgf ninvynoyr ba gur TCF havg.
3. Guvax nobhg Yngvghqr naq Ybatvghqr - juvpu zrnfher zvtug or zbfg fgnoyr jvgu erfcrpg gb yratgu?

Reflection Questions:

When completing this geotrek what did you discover:

1. About measures?
2. About problem solving?
3. About the GPS?
4. About groupwork?

Learning Outcomes:

The student will consolidate their understanding of the nature of Latitude and Longitude (including their understanding of the various representations of such).

The student will consolidate their mastery of decimal numbers and operations with such

The student will link geographical knowledge to measurement knowledge

The student will relate various units of the metric system to units of the customary system (meters, kilometers, nautical miles, statute miles, rods, time)

The Challenge:

Create a map showing the the boundaries and features of a park or school grounds, or other significant region.

Hints (in ROT13):

1. Jung qrgnvyf jvyy lbh znc? (What details will you map?)
2. Qenj n AGF (abg gb fpnyr) fxrgpu gb uryc lbh xrrc genpx bs jurer lbh unir orra. (Draw a NTS (not to scale) sketch to help you keep track of where you have been.)
3. Jung fpnyr jvyy lbh hfr ba lbhe znc fb gung rirelguvat jvyy svg? (What scale will you use on your map so that everything will fit?)
4. Gjb cbvagf qrsvar n yvar. (Two points define a line.)
5. Gjb vagrefrpgvat pvepyrf qrsvar gjb cbvagf - ohg lbh bayl arrq bar. (Two intersecting circles define two points - but you only need one.)

Reflection Questions:

1. How accurate is your map?
2. What two points would be most useful?
3. What strategies might you use to get a more accurate map?
4. Is there another strategy that you might use to help create the map?
5. Are there any hints you might add?

MS Office Document to support teacher modification and printing

The Challenge:

Starting with a base map for your school-grounds or a nearby park augment the map with important geographical features (e.g., trees, pathways, garbage receptacles, service covers/manholes, equipment, lights, fence posts and fence-lines, potholes, building entrances, etc.).

If this is a class challenge, work as a class to brainstorm about the important features that you may wish to include and then break into small groups to complete various tasks.

Use copies of the map to create drafts for each feature set, then overlay transparency film and copy the features for each set onto a transparency (* use common alignment points from the base map to ensure that you are able to align multiple transparencies).

Hints (using ROT13 encryption in case you don¹t want them):

1. 1. Svefg, vqragvsl fbzr rkvfgvat srngherf ba znc gung ner jryy qrsvarq naq rnfl gb ybpngr jvgu lbhe TCFe (v.r., abguvat bireurnq, ab arneol ohvyqvatf gb ersyrpg gur fvtany, fgnoyr, rgp.) gb or lbhe onfrcbvagf (gurl jvyy or jnlcbvagf va lbhe TCFe). Sbe rnpu onfrcbvag:
   • Znxr zhygvcyr enj jnlcbvagf (hfvat gur znex gbby va lbhe TCFe),
   • Gnxr na nirentr bs gur Yng/Ybatf npebff gurfr enj jnlcbvagf, naq
   • Hfr gurfr nirentrf gb ragre n jnlcbvag sbe gur onfrcbvag znahnyyl.
2. Gnxr zhygvcyr ernqvatf jvgu lbhe TCFe sbe rnpu srngher jvgu erfcrpg gb ng yrnfg bar bs gur onfrcbvagf naq nirentr gur qvfgnaprf naq natyrf npebff gurfr ernqvatf.
3. Fxrgpu naq ynory gur srngherf lbh ner ybpngvat ba lbhe onfr-znc ol unaq juvyr lbh ner va gur svryq naq erpbeq rnpu bs gur ernqvatf lbh unir znqr (qba¹g eryl ba zrzbel).

Reflection Questions:

1. How accurate is your map? How would you evaluate this?
2. Is there any benefit to using more than one waypoint to locate a feature on a map?
3. What difficulties did you have collecting the data?
4. What difficulties did you have placing features onto the map
5. What other features might you want to include on a map?
6. If you were to make a map of a larger area, what features would you drop?
7. Are there any hints you might add to help the next class doing this activity?

Learning Outcomes:

Research and report how measurement instruments are used in the community

Identify and compare angles in the environment

Draw and sketch an angle in which the degrees in the angle are specified

The student will relate various units of the metric system to units of the customary system (meters, kilometers, nautical miles, statute miles, rods, time)

The Challenge:

Examine the relationship between what the GPS unit tells you about how far away some point of interest (POI) might be and how far you will typically have to walk/ride to get there. Compare the results across all of the groups in your class and generalize if you can.

Hints: (in ROT13)

1. Jung jnlcbvagf jvyy lbh arrq gb frg hc sbe guvf punyyratr? (What waypoints will you need to set up for this challenge?)
2. Ubj jvyy lbh erpbeq lbhe vasbezngvba? (How will you record your information?)
3. Qb lbh arrq gb qenj n znc? Qbrf vg arrq gb or gb fpnyr? (Do you need to draw a map? Does it need to be to scale?)
4. Cevag bhg n znc sebz zncdhrfg. (Print out a map from mapquest.)

Reflection Questions:

1. How would you describe your path with only words?
2. How long does it take you to travel this distance (estimate and measure)?
3. Draw your path on Google Earth and evaluate the accuracy of your sketch and your measurements.
4. Are there any hints you might add?