Apps for Education: Experience the Chesapeake!
Bring technology into your classroom as you get your students outside of it! Whether you are looking to find a field trip location or to integrate Apps into an outdoor Chesapeake experience, these are some great resources for you:
Have your students join the search for geocaches and the growing community of urban explorers and outdoor adventurers! What is geocaching? It is basically an outdoor scavenger hunt using GPS units and coordinates (or a cellular devise with an App) instead of clues. Importantly, geocaching is a cross-curricular activity that can be tailored for all ages and learning styles. It is the perfect way to get your students outside and interested in technology! If you want to take your students on a field trip that uses geocaching, check out these articles about teaching along the Captain John Smith Geotrail or the Star Spangled Banner Geotrail, both of which are associated with the National Park Service trails. Want an example of how to use geocaching to get students outside on your own school grounds? Learn about Geocaching at Southern Guilford High School and get some helpful tips on how to do it yourself!
With more than 50 national parks in the Chesapeake and thousands of miles of trails and public landscape to explore, educators can find countless field trip opportunities – and this is the App to find them with! In October 2012, the National Park Service launched “Chesapeake Explorer” mobile app helps get members of the public to over 400 Chesapeake places including national trails, heritage sites, and state and national parks. These are treasured locations where you and your students can learn about the region’s diverse environments, history, heritage, and beauty firsthand. Find places nearby by activity, trail name, or type of site. Take your students on a suggested tour, build your own tour, tag favorites, share photos or save places for field trips you would like to take your class on later!
National Wildlife Refuges: Chesapeake Bay
This App will help your students explore the 11 iconic National Wildlife Refuges of the Chesapeake Bay! It features overview information about the Chesapeake Bay watershed, details that could help you schedule a field trip to a refuge (including location, operating hours, and refuge guides) and a digital field guide that lets users view all the plants and animals observed at each refuge. Students who visit the refuges independently or on a field trip can submit wildlife observations, help document species, and earn some awesome patches along the way! The app was developed through a partnership among the Chesapeake Conservancy and National Geographic Society with support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It incorporates the popular Project Noah wildlife photo-sharing service.
Created by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, this interactive field guide includes ALL the wild animals and plants of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. For novices and experts alike, the Chesapeake Bay Field Guide provides localized wildlife information about the birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, butterflies, trees, and seashore creatures you’ll find around the Bay. It’s comprehensive—all native birds and animals are included, along with photos, in-depth descriptions, audio, field marks and more. Users can also search for Endangered Species or Poisonous/Dangerous species. This is a great App for students to use for research project about Chesapeake critters!
For more great ideas on teaching with Apps, check out this blog series.