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The O.R.I.E.N.T. Project
Outdoor Research In
Environmental Science, Navigation and Technology
Piloted in the fall of 2005 with students from New
Garden Friends School, and developed with a generous grant from the
Burroughs Welcome Fund, the O.R.I.E.N.T. Project engages
middle school students in environmental science, technology, geography
and math lessons, at a level appropriate to their age, interests and
maturity. The program utilizes GPS (Global Positioning System) units
and the growing interest in “geocaching” to explore Penn's natural
surroundings.
Learn more about the
sport of "geocaching".
Lessons on the first day focus on becoming
familiar with the use of topographic maps, latitude and longitude,
Global Positioning Systems (GPS), compasses, etc. Students are also
introduced to the high-tech passion of “geocaching”, in which small
caches are hidden on Penn’s campus. The specific latitude & longitude
coordinates of these caches are then shared, allowing students to seek
out each cache using GPS units, topographic maps, and their own wits.
On the second and third days, students will attempt to find these caches
in the hills and forests of our campus. Upon finding a cache, students
will discover that there is more to this location than a box with a few
trinkets or notes from previous “geocachers”. Each cache contains
instructions for a specific scientific or mathematical exploration,
based upon the surrounding physical, biological or even cultural
features. Students will complete these explorations to the
satisfaction of their instructor, prior to being given the coordinates
for the next cache.
See
sample schedules for The ORIENT Project
Lead teachers are able to select a
specific focus for their visit, and therefore a focus for the various
caches & explorations that students attempt to find and complete.
Topics of exploration can be concentrated in life sciences or earth
sciences, or may take a more interdisciplinary approach to include math,
creative writing, or even team challenges.
Explorations are designed and chosen to coordinate
with and support classroom lessons and the NC Standard Course of Study.
Specific cache ideas may include:
Biotic Inventories, Population Counts, etc Stream Flow
Using & Creating Dichotomous Keys
Mathematics Challenges
Creative Writing
Wildlife Habitat Surveys
Forestry
Measurements
Hillside Slope & Erosion
Stream/Lake Health using Biotic
Indices Team Challenges
Forest
Mapping (10m x 10m plots) Soil Testing
Plankton Netting
Penn staff led GPS-related presentations at
several recent teacher conferences. For those interested in viewing or
downloading the PowerPoint files from these presentations,
please click on the appropriate link below.
Project ORIENT for GCS 8th Grade Teachers
GPS Basics @NCSTA
Project
ORIENT @NCSTA
Project ORIENT @NCMSA
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