UCF Arboretum - Geocaching - Puzzle – Teamwork Challenge
Each of you will be given a GPS unit. Please test the batteries on your GPS prior to starting as if you run out of power this would make your completion of the challenge difficult. This challenge will have you exercising teamwork, problem solving, and other skills.
The geocache is in walking distance from your current location. In this cache will be located a card with your name on it. If you are able to bring the card with your name on it to the front porch of the arboretum office (trailer behind Harris Engineering Center) by the end of the class period you will receive a class point. This is not a race – all students and student groups are eligible for the point. There are multiple tasks necessary to figure out and complete the tasks necessary to earn the point and it will be a challenge to complete this within the time limit. Use all technology at your disposal and good luck.
Hints for success
(1) The entire class should work as a team.
(2) Have a group leader – someone needs to be “calling the shots”
(3) Setup a communications network – you will be spread out across a large area solving this puzzle – but will still need to be able to communicate. With cell phones this is pretty easy.
(4) Split into smaller teams of 1-2 people
(5) The puzzle requires using a computer, the internet, a GPS, spatial knowledge, teamwork, communication, and know-how
(6) The caches may be difficult to find and you do not need to locate every single one.
(7) Pay close attention to the cache clues and comments for each cache.
Phone numbers:
Coordinate Information:
1: __________________________ 2: _________________________
3: __________________________ 4: _________________________
5: __________________________ 6: _________________________
7: __________________________ F: _________________________
Lessons
To be able to successfully complete this assignment, the students will need to use teamwork and also organization. Good steps to successful completion are
- Select a leader. This is a good opportunity to go over different methods of selecting a leader and why a leader is important. Examples of leadership models (such as the military model) can be introduced at this point. Democratic methods like a vote are good methods – but also inefficient in this type of scenario.
- Establish Communications Success of this task is highly dependent upon good communications among the different students. Exchanging cell phone numbers and setting up one or two students to be in charge of communication will greatly increase the odds of success.
- Situational Assessment – Once organized the team must decide what it does and does know and also what information it needs to successfully complete the task. In this case – they have some information given in the assignment. They must assess, “does anyone know how to use the web site?”, “does anyone know how to use a GPS?” etc…
Once the students have completed these items – they will typically decide on a plan of action. Some (or possibly all) will likely use their computers or the computer lab to gather information about the geocache, they may divide and conquer as they realize there are more steps involved in this than simply solving the initial puzzle.
All of these steps provide a great opportunity for discussion. The point of the exercise is team formation, teamwork, formulation of a plan of action, and execution of the plan. The odds of a typical group of students completing the exercise in an hour is about 50/50 (from my experience)
Notes
This activity is set up to b performed on the University of Central Florida campus and uses an existing geocache puzzle set up by the author (Dr. Ron Eaglin). That should simply be motivation to learn about geocaching and set up your own series. If you are reading this you are probably a teacher - so you have no excuses to not learn these skills yourself....
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.