What3words

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Description

Introduce the explorers to a navigation app and it's uses
Can be used for any length of activity -just adjust distances between and number of points


Resources

Mobile phones with What3words app installed.
Mobile phone numbers of at least one explorer per group (to communicate with via what's app or similar)

Instructions

Pre-meeting - ask explorers to download app and have a play with it
- pick some local points for each group. I chose 3 points per group then one near my location where I hid a bag of sweets (either one per group or single location for fastest group)

Start of meeting - Explain:
- how the app maps every point in the world with just 3 words
- uses of the app and how it's used by the emergency services as it does not rely on road names or postcodes.
- get them to estimate/ understand what size 3m x 3m is (which is size of each square) but that their phone GPS's may not be as accurate
- explain how you can link it to google maps for navigation but how this is no good if points are off-road
- explain how nearer the point the compass feature is useful
- talk about how when they put the words in they should look at options that comes up and make sure that they're selecting one in right approximate geographic region!
- tell them how the online version links to various types of mapping including OS grid reference but this is not yet available on mobile devices.

Activity
- give each group their first point. Perhaps get them to look at this location on a paper map too and make sure they understand what their phone is telling them, particularly if location is not on a road.
- When they reach first point ask them to share their location (in daylight this would be best done by asking them to send a photo of something there as otherwise they could just share without actually being there!) or send screen shot. (we set up whatsapp groups)
- share next point and so on

Variation
- at each point (of 3) give them one word which with the other 2 will form the treasure location. This could be in order or jumbled up for them to work out the location.


Tags

  • gps
  • GPS accuracy
  • Hike
  • map skills
  • maps
  • mobile phone
  • navigation
  • what 3 words

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