Location waypoints collected on your GPS device can be imported directly into Google Maps and Google Earth to create maps. Data collected at specific locations can be added to the maps to tie geography to data. Due to the collaborative nature of Google Maps, students from different schools and locations might collaborate on collecting data around a common question or problem. Here are lessons and lesson ideas that might spark your creativity:
In what ways might you and your students use a GPS device in conjunction with Google Maps or Google Earth to collect data during engineering design? How might GPS assist with identifying and defining a problem, prototype development, and/or prototype testing?