Victoria's+Geocaching+Lesson+Plan


 * Title: Puzzling Hunt **
 * Author(s): Victoria Sutton**
 * Grade Level(s):** 1st Grade
 * Brief Summary**: The students will go on a puzzle hunt with their GPS’s, cardinal directions and maps to find their puzzle piece clues
 * Content Areas:** Social Studies
 * NC SCOS Goals/Objectives:**
 * 1.G.1 Use geographic representations, terms and technologies to process information from a spatial perspective.**
 * 1.G.1.3 Understand the basic elements of geographic representations using maps (cardinal directions and map symbols).**


 * MATERIALS & PREPARATION:**
 * Small boxes for the clues, puzzle piece clues, map of their playground, GPS, coordinates of areas**


 * Instructional Activities:**

> > **Assessment:** The student will go back to the classroom and get in their groups and brainstorm their ideas on what the puzzle pieces mean. They will each write a idea of what they think it is and put their name beside their idea. The teacher will grade them on how well they worked with others as well as how close their idea was to the real meaning behind the geocaching treasure hunt. The group that had the closest meaning of the puzzle pieces will receive a prize (candy, etc.)
 * 1) The students will be given a map of their playground with symbols on it like the slide, monkey bars, swings, basketball court, etc. The map will also contain a compass with the cardinal direction North, South, East, and West. Each of these areas will have certain coordinates that they will put into their GPS and will be led to this place to discover a puzzle piece clue.
 * 2) The students will have to know which direction they are going in order to find their treasure which will be at their destination.
 * 3) The students will be put into groups of 4. They will all be given a map that is the same but their starting and ending points will be different. Some may start at the swings and end up on the basketball court while the others may start at the basketball court and end up at the swings. They will also be given one GPS per group and each member of the group will be required to use the GPS to find a puzzle piece.
 * 4) The students will go to their starting point and from here will have coordinates in which will lead them somewhere they do not know. Here they will find a small box with a puzzle piece within it and will take the puzzle piece.
 * 5) They will do this until each student has reached their fourth place which is their destination.
 * 6) The students within their group will discuss what these puzzle pieces mean and how they fit all together to make one meaning. You can make it something that you havebeen learning about within social studies or maybe science, its your choice.

These students will use their knowledge on what they have learned about map symbols, cardinal directions, and GPS coordinates to find their puzzle pieces. They will also have to work well with their team members so that they are able to find out what the pieces mean.
 * Closure/Review/Summary:**