GPS Geocaching Adventure Series

Integrating technology into the core content areas is the primary focus of the technology component at the Pinal County Education Agency. Working with teachers, students, and other content-area specialists within the ESA to fluidly incorporate technology into existing teaching and learning activities plays a vital role in technology integration.

Within the primary level of the GPS Geocaching Adventure Series, students are trained on GPS operations and given preliminary tasks to perform and navigate within their school surroundings. Graphing and vertex-edge graphs are reviewed in relation to coordinate geometry and simulated using latitude and longitudinal data supplied by student waypoints supplied from GPS satellite coordinates.

The second level of difficulty outlines unknown points of destination to be discovered by student teams using both waypoint coordinates and directional navigation. Along their journey, vertex-edge graphs are constructed illustrating their navigational path. Once their destination is discovered, clues to content-area riddles are posed. Students then research clues to conclude the correct answer and present their journeyed graphs of exploration.


Sample Materials
Geocaching information
Navigation exercise


Highlighted AIMS Strands/Concepts
Science: Science and Technology in Society, Objects in the Sky
Math: Discrete Math
Social Studies: Geography
Technology: Communications and Research Tools, Tech as a Tool for Problem Solving and Decision-Making