Mathematics

GPS receivers use information from a minimum of 4 satellites to provide a location. For a simple explanation of how this works in two dimensions, visit How Stuff Works. (Note the use of Venn Diagrams.) GPS technology is used in airplanes, boats and cars. There are handheld GPS receivers that individual people use, and parents are beginning to use them to locate their children. Some of these GPS receivers are located in cell phones, giving children an incentive for carrying them and providing parents with security in knowing their children are safe. Have students do some Internet research on the variety of cell phones that include GPS tracking technology. Have them find out the cost and other information. Have them create a survey to find out how students feel about having a cell phone that can also tell their parents/families their location. Have them graph the information and discuss who would be interested in their results.

Technology

GPS or Global Positioning System is a precise navigation and positioning system. With more than two-dozen GPS satellites above the Earth, the system sends radio signals out to anyone who has a GPS receiver (GPSr). The receiver allows the user to accurately determine precise longitude, latitude and altitude in any weather, day or night, anywhere on Earth. Parents can easily monitor where their children are with the use of another cell phone and purchased tracking software. Children need not worry that this is the only application for GPS in phones. Several companies have created a GPS with E911, Enhanced 911, for emergencies. This technology allows rescuers to locate a cell phone to within 50 feet of the signal.

Ask student to create a poster of the systems necessary for GPS to operate with such precision. The GPS topic might be broken up into three systems: the satellite system, the receiving system and the phone components. The poster could be combined to indicate a matrix from space to Earth. The students should describe how the systems work and how they are interconnected.

Wellness

A new sport called geocaching combines physical activity and a Global Positioning System (GPS) to find "hidden treasure."

The word geocaching is a combination of "geo" for geography and "caching" for the process of hiding something. "Cache" is a term used in hiking and camping for a hiding place or a place to store provisions. Over 100 geocaches are hidden throughout the state of Rhode Island. To learn more about the sport and where the geocaches are located visit http://www.geocaching.com.