GPS Success in the High School Science Classroom

Thomas Baker, in his article for The Science Teacher talks about the increasing role GPS has today. He believes that technological tools like a GPS receiver, "have the capacity to extend student research beyond traditional boundaries, creating an interesting and engaging environment as data are collected and analyzed in the pursuit of scientific studies" (2001, par. 1). While the classrooms examples he sites are geared to middle and high school students, I hope to work on some collaborative projects with these teachers in the future. One example in particular caught my eye.

Students in a middle school traveled to a nearby stream. Using water kits, they measured chemical, biological, and visual information along with latitude and longitude. They made the trip back to the stream several times throughout the year with the purpose of investigating seasonal changes in water quality. The information collected was loaded into an electric-mapping software called a GIS (geographic information system) which allows student to manipulate data, create graphs, and make maps. Our school has a pond at the back of our campus which our middle division
students spend time studying. I think this kind of project can be replicated with our school's pond and an added component would be some kind of collaborative project with our first graders that study pond life during the year.

On a different note, I thought I'd take a minute to explain exactly how GPS works. Baker did a nice job explaining it in his article, and I know my colleagues have had some questions about it.

There are currently 24 satellites circling the earth that produce signals. They circle the earth every 12 hours. At any one time a GPS unit must intercept at least 3 signals in order to create an accurate position of latitude and longitude. If more than 3 signals are intercepted, a GPS can also determine elevation. Essentially, the more signals intercepted, the more precise the reading. GPS signals cannot pass through buildings or mountains. Signals can also be blocked by poor atmospheric conditions.

Baker, Thomas R. (2001). Success with GPS. The Science Teacher 68(9) p38-41. Retrieved from
http://kangis.org/learning/publications/science_teacher_1201/SuccesswithGPS.PDF.