I am a big fan of GPS or the Global Positioning System. I appreciate the guidance it provides for a directionally challenged individual. When you stop to think about it , it's amazing all of the processes that are occurring behind the scenes for that to happen. Many have gotten accustomed to asking Siri or Alexa how to get to their destination. While this is helpful, it's low level of difficulty makes it unlikely to be remembered. To prevent that from happening, or at least reduce the risk, we wanted to give students a more behind the scenes hands-on experience with this concept. Students had been exploring how light and sound waves travel and how this impacts us. The focus of our investigation was on how a GPS uses this to determine a location. The set-up consisted of six stations that students completed over two consecutive days. They were provided with several resources of different types to make sure they understood what a GPS was and how it worked. Students were able to take notes, answer questions and create sketchnotes to document their findings. Then, we put the kiddos in action on the Mars Map as GPS signals. Video ClipsA great NASA SpacePlace video narrated by a kid that explains GPS in a context kids will understand and be interested in...ordering pizza!
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Before unleashing the students, we prepped the satellites. We taped string to three different places around the room. We named each of the three satellites - Mercury, Gemini and Apollo respectively - and marked a set distance on each string. Each team was given a task card with a scenario and distance for each of the three satellite signals. With this information, students had 10 minutes to pinpoint an absolute location on Mars using a meter stick. We came up with 6 different scenarios, so no team was trying to find the same location. Note: Attaching the satellite signals to the wall and measuring was a lot more difficult that it sounds. We quickly found that the string we were using kept getting tangled. So, I would recommend using rope or at least a thicker string. Even though the word globe can refer to any spherical object, it is generally used to represent the Earth. The culmination of the investigation was for students to determine what a GPS used on Mars should be called. Would the title Global Positioning System fit for that purpose or not? I'll leave you to ponder that thought...
Peace, love and space exploration, CAPCOM Conrad
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AuthorApollo 13 fan. Educator. Lifelong Learner. Third generation Boilermaker. Space Exploration Enthusiast. Collaborator. Click Subscribe to stay updated!Archives
July 2022
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