Earth to Class

Using GPS in the Classroom

Once you have determined your location for the nth time, yes what use is there to a GPS unit?

I have attended courses in GIS (Graphical Information Systems). Using a GPS unit, and a GIS program, you can represent on a map points of interest, draw correlations between events that seem to have no relationship to one another.

Check out this website http://www.exploreoceans.org/.

I went through three years of their program (yes I am located on the West Coast).

Mapping- as you walk/scramble over your geologic unit, you note the locations of each outcrop on your GPS unit. Then you transfer it to a topo map of the area.

Environmental- locations of refuse, amounts at each location, types of refuse, recycleables at each location. Transfer the data to a street map.

You can use the GPS unit in may ways to enhance teaching.