Teaching Geography Through Geocaching
Bring geography to life using geocaching to create a real-world treasure hunt.
By Andrea Ferrero
Treasure hunts may bring to mind pirates and hidden caches of jewels, but around May 2000, the phrase took on a whole new meaning. Geocaching is a global treasure hunt with millions of seekers. Participants use GPS enabled devices to track down hidden containers, and log their finds and experiences online.
How to Get Started
Joining the Geocaching community is like joining a secret club as a child. Some of the language used in geocaching is borrowed from the Harry Potter series, for example, people unaware of the quest for caches (containing small trinkets and a log) are called “muggles.” To get started, create a free user account at the official geocaching site. With a user account, you can browse available caches and their corresponding clues and coordinates. Once you have chosen a cache to search for, the real fun begins.
How to Play:
- Enter the coordinates of the geocache into your GPS enabled device (many smart phones have an app that serves this function).
- Use the GPS coordinates and provided clues to locate the hidden cache.
- Sign the logbook. If you choose to take a trinket from the cache, leave something in its place.
- Return the cache to its hiding place.
- Optional: Share your geocaching tales and photos online.
Geocaching Ideas for Teachers
Geocaching provides a wealth of opportunities to explore and celebrate geography, while connecting the material to core content areas. Here are some examples for incorporating geocaching inspired activities in your classroom.
Making a Math Connection
First break your students into groups, and then have them work to solve multi-step math problems with the final answer revealing the mystery coordinates. You should hide caches on school grounds before the beginning class. The caches can be filled with math-related trinkets. For example, if students were studying geometry and had solved perimeter and area problems, the cache could contain foam shapes or stickers.
Journaling and Creative Writing
There are many types of geocaches, one of which includes a fun element called a “trackable”. These small metal items include a tracking number that allows the progress/travels to be easily tracked online. As a class, you can purchase and place a trackable in an outside cache. The journey of the class trackable can be the inspiration for journal entries, the research of different areas around the globe, and creative writing projects.
Cache In, Trash Out
A classic motto of the geocaching community is “Cache In, Trash Out”. Following this idea, students can take part in school grounds clean-up while searching for pre-placed containers.
Student Created Caches
Student groups or individual students can create caches based on a thematic topic or content area. For example the guidelines may include: a small container decorated with inspiration from a book, the author’s name signed on the first line of the log included inside the container, and a small trinket or artifact representative of the book. Students can then create the clues and map the coordinates of their hidden container to share with others. The whole class can then be divided into search pairs or teams to find the hidden caches.
Each geocaching lesson presents a fun filled way to include exercise, problem solving, and critical thinking in the school day.
More Geocaching Lessons:
Students practice using GPS enabled devices to find caches located on their school campus. An extension activity, designing a class cache, is included.
This lesson introduces students to the world of geocaching. They identify and define the terms longitude and latitude before searching for Mr. Potato Head caches. The lesson includes extensions for younger and older students.
This geocaching unit begins with the basics of using GPS enabled devices then progresses to a number of interdisciplinary activities. Students complete a scavenger hunt using the attached worksheets to log their work. They explore their artistic side by walking out a word or simple picture then logging the corresponding GPS data to show their artwork.