The Geospatial committee is creating lessons to help beginners experience success with this technology. The handouts posted here are DRAFTS now, but may be helpful to you.
1 (General) Roadmap Reader This activity uses a free Illinois State Roadmap, to help you learn to read a map - cardinal directions, index, legend, scale and more as you plan a trip to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois. A comparison with an online map (Mapquest) is suggested for discussion purposes. Check out the general handout for more weblinks.
1 (Hands On) Roadmap Reader Using a free State of Illinois roadmap, youth learn how to cardinal directions, find places, use the legend, and measure a route. In this lesson, they plot their route from their home to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum.
1B General - What is GPS? This handout introduces GPS and its relationship to GPS receivers (navigation tools). It is suggested that the Intro to GPS & Geocaching power point and facilitator notes be used, and that GPS receivers be handed out so participants can become familiar with them prior to beginning the hands-on activities that follow, such as 1B and 2A.
1B Hands-on What is GPS? Intro to GPS & Geocaching This scavenger-hunt type activity is FUN! Teams enter coordinate data into GPS receivers and search to find locations. Takes pre-planning by the event coordinator, who pre-selects locations or puts out temporary caches, and creates a list for participants to follow - examples are included of what that might look like. A great outdoor activity that teaches the use of a navigational tool.
1B Power point - Intro to GPS & Geocaching Simple introductory ppt about GPS and Geocaching. Please print out presenter's notes which give you text to read as you show the slides.
1B Tip sheet - GPS unit Enter a Waypoint (to find) If you haven't ever used a GPS receiver, this half-page handout may help. It shows step-by-step directions to enter coordinates on a Garmin MAP76 receiver which a lot of Extension offices in Illinois use. Directions may help you with your unit also. You can customize this handout on the bottom left of the page.
1C general Garmin GPS data download to AERIAL map This document provides general information about how to download data from a GPS receiver using a program called DNR garmin to an AERIAL map. See our hands-on document for step-by-step directions. March 12, 2009
1C Hands-on Download Data from Garmin GPS to AERIAL map Want to download waypoints, tracks or routes to an AERIAL map? A program called DNRGarmin can do it instantly, while adding projections. This is the step-by-step handout which will help you to do this. updated March 12, 2009
1E (general) How to Convert Geographic Coordinates If you have collected coordinate data in more than one format, your data cannot be entered on a spreadsheet for download with accuracy. The graphics on p.1 of this document show you why!! It is easy to convert data instantly using the hands-on activity lesson which you can download. This document gives a good beginners explanation of formats. It is still in draft stage, but is posted for your immediate use.
1E (Hands on) How to convert Geographic Coordinates This document offers easy, instant coordinate conversion instructions so your data will be in a consistant format for downloading. Both online conversion and manual conversion methods are presented, with corresponding helpful websites.
1G Tip Sheet - Mark a Waypoint on GPS receiver This page makes two half-page handouts of easy instructions for marking, naming, and then finding waypoints. This is a good tool for beginners to learn to use the Garmin MAP 76 receivers available to many Illinois Extension offices. See other 1G handouts for more accuracy. Can be customized for your county or school in small text box, bottom left.
1G (hands on) GPS Receiver Waypont Averaging for Greater Accuracy Here are the step-by-step directions for using the "average" feature on a GarminMAP76 receiver. It is explained that receivers may differ slightly, but that the process is the same. A manual method for averaging is also suggested as an alternative, and WAAS enabling is suggested.
2 Facilitator's notes for If you are presenting the power point called, "Intro to GPS & Geocaching", you may find these facilitor's notes helpful! They provide a few sentences of content informtion next to each slide, and make you an instant expert! If you customize the power point, be sure to change these notes to suit you.
2 Introduction to GPS and Geocaching (ppt) This power point provides a simple introduction to Global Positioning Systems (GPS)and also show how to access the www.geocaching.com site to start geocaching! The slides are customized with Lawrence and Richland County Extension photos and coordinates as examples, but you can save and replace with your own if you wish. See the accompanying facilitators notes which offer a few sentences of explanation for every slide.
2 Temporary Geocache Example 1 Temporary geocaches are great for groups of youth, offering fun and exercise while learning to use a GPS receiver and develop spatial concepts. As this example shows, you can place small hidden "caches" or simply have youth identify objects or words on signs. See activity 1G for information on "averaging" waypoints for greater accuracy when creating the exercise. Also see related activity 1B (Intro to GPS & Geocaching.) Answers are in parenthesis on this sheet; a copy of this page is made for the leaders and the kids get the copy with the answers deleted.
2A general Geocaching This general lesson gives you a brief explanation about what geocaching is - please see the "2A Hands-On Let's go Geocaching handout too.
2A Hands-On Let's go Geocaching! Specific instructions for learning the sport of Geocaching. Photos show you how to get started. This sport can be played worldwide. A great sport for the entire family, and you learn geospatial technology and geography too.
2A Quick Team activity locating waypoints Save time and have the kids find waypoints for each other! Once youth know how to use GPS units, have groups scatter and record waypoints, then trade with other youth teams. This sheet gives you a template to hand out. You might use different colors of paper so no one gets their own.
2A.1 Activating a U of I Extension Geocoin Are you a 4H member enrolled in the Geospatialproject? If so, you may receive a FREE U of I/4-H geocoin for placement in a geocache. This 1/2 sheet tells how to acquire and place.
2D (Hands-on) How to Place a Geocache If you have had fun geocaching, you may want to place your own geocache! This activity sheet provides links to the information you will need, including the online form to submit to the official geocaching site.
3C (general) Create a County 4H Club Map Intro into creating a map of your county special places. Can be used to show any places - like where 4H clubs meet, recreation, historic places, etc. CHECK OUT the web resources listed here. Tells you how to download AEJEE for free.
3C (Hands-on) Create a Map with AEJEE (updated May 27, 2009) With this handson activity you can download free mapping software (AEJEE)and download waypoints (places) to make a map. YOU CAN DO THIS!!! Although there are many steps, if you take your time this should give you exact directions to complete a map. In Illinois, each county office must have a map of where 4H clubs meet, and that is the topic of this map, but you can use the steps to create a map of any topic you wish.
3C v Hands-on -with ArcMAP to Create a County Map If you have ArcMAP software, here is a step-by-step set of directions on how to create a map of your county, and to have waypoints appear! The example given is how to map your 4-H Club meeting places, but once you know how to do this you can map any points of interest. These steps take time - I would break this up into two or three sessions. This also tells you how to access the software. Updated June 5, 2009.
4E hands-on Forestry and Trees - measure DBH (diameter breast height) This is a great activity to add GIS to tree and leaf identification by youth. U of I Forestry expert Dave Shiley gives directions for two ways to measure diameter of a tree (one for young students, but also the official measurement used by foresters. A beginning spreadsheet for one year of data is posted here; See "4E2 tree project multiple year data" for longitudinal study for future discussions about growth and health of the trees. This was done at Parkside school with 5th graders, and added to their current tree/leaf study. Great links, great activity.
4E2 form for multiple year tree measurement data In case you want to observe tree growth over several years for comparison, this form will allow for entry of several years of DBH on the same tree.
5A (General) Creating Geospatial Exhibits for County or State 4-H Fair Want to prepare a 4-H geospatial exhibit for your county fair? This gives you general information for the Illinois requirements (be sure to check your county show book in case they have added something extra! See hands-on Activities 5A or 3C (AEJEE) for specific instructions for making a beginners map. Both of those handouts use free downloadable software programs. As youth gain in experience, they will transition to ArcMap or other more sophisticated software, and add data to solve problems. So, this is your introduction to this project as a beginner.
5A Google Maps Exhibit Data Table This form may be helpful to you in the creation of your 4-H geospatial exhibit. Be sure to customize it with the title of your map!!
