Friday, August 10, 2007

Day 5 - The Last Day : (

This morning we made our own "personal maps" using the Google MyMaps program.  We found important locations like our houses, places where our friends and families live, the schools we attend, places where we've been on vacation, and places where we'd like to go in the future.  Using the program, we picked customized icons to mark the locations and added notes about their significance.  At our end-of-camp party this afternoon, we'll all receive printed copies of our maps to take home!
Posted by CICD at 16:05:03 | Permanent Link | Comments (9) |

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Day 4 - GIS!

Today we learned about Geographic Information Systems (GIS) one of the most up and coming areas of geography.  We learned the similarities and differences between GIS maps and paper-based maps, and then we used GIS software to do decision-making.  In the afternoon, we played geography Jeopardy, and used the knowledge that we've gained over the course of the week to compete for prizes.  It was a close race -- both teams did great!
Posted by CICD at 18:39:46 | Permanent Link | Comments (9) |

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Day 3 - GPS!

We went hi-tech today, and used GPS receivers to navigate around the campus. GPS stands for "Global Positioning Sytem." It uses multiple satellites to figure out our location, speed, and direction. Afterwards, we went into the computer lab, and used the internet to find out more about the countries we were researching yesterday (we switched it up during the GPS exercise, so we all had different countries today). Instead of looking into physical geography, today we explored our countries' human geography, finding facts about culture, religion, population, and the built environment. At the end of the day, we shared our facts with each other, so that we all learned a little bit about exciting countries like Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and New Zealand.
Posted by CICD at 16:31:23 | Permanent Link | Comments (13) |

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Day 2 - Orienteering!

Today we learned about using compasses for navigation, and then put our new skills to use on an orienteering course on campus. We reviewed what we learned yesterday about cardinal points and compass bearings, and then talked about distance, and measured our steps so that we could pace the different legs of the course. Once we were outside, we collected clues at every station, which eventually spelled out a different country for each of us. This afternoon, we used GoogleEarth and other internet research tools to find out facts about the location and physical geography of our country!
Posted by CICD at 18:05:06 | Permanent Link | Comments (10) |

Monday, August 06, 2007

First Day of Camp!

Today we'll be introducing geography as a subject area, and then diving right into one of the central features of geography -- mapping.  The campers each sculpt their own mountains out of clay, and then make a topographic map that shows the "elevations" of their creations.  Their maps have everything that a professional contour map would have, except for a north arrow.  In the afternoon, we learn about the north arrow in its usual context, the compass rose, and find out how to use a compass for navigation.  Practice makes perfect, and tomorrow we will use our new compass skills to run an orienteering course around campus!
Posted by CICD at 16:03:47 | Permanent Link | Comments (12) |

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

What Is Camp GEOG?

Camp GEOG is an innovative summer camp designed to introduce middle school girls to exciting careers in the field of geography. Camp instructors will lead the students through a challenging and engaging array of activities on the University at Albany campus. Teams will learn how to:

  • Orienteer with handheld compasses
  • Solve problems with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Discover locations using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Units
  • Create topographic maps

When And Where Will The Camp Be Held?
Camp GEOG will be held August 6-10 on the University at Albany campus.

 

Who Can Attend?
This session of Camp Geog is limited to middle school girls selected from the Albany Girls Incorporated program.

 

Who Is The Sponsor?
Partners for this pilot project include the University at Albany’s Department of Geography and Planning, the Center for Innovation in Career Development, and Girls Incorporated, Albany.

 

Visit the Camp GEOG Website.

 

 

Posted by CICD at 16:33:24 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |