College Trip - A geocache placed in search of serenity

Categories: Geography General, Other
I was having one of those days today and decided I needed to clear the head before the hour long drive up the road. Although I teach in Troon, it's sometimes easy to forget that we are a stones throw from the sea shore. I took a drive down to the coast and found a good vantage point. Arran cast a gorgeous silhouette against the greyblue horizon and the sun shimmered on the sea. My head emptied and things didn't seem so bad.
That's what I get out of being outdoors and is why geocaching appeals to me. Some time ago now, we discussed geocaching with some S2 and S3 classes. I was curious to know how many students had heard of it (since then, a couple of students have told me about cache finds). I wanted to involve students in placing a cache, so we canvassed opinions about where they would like Troon tourists to see. It was really a lesson about how they would like to see their town represented, but also required them to think quite logically about space and place - the secret geographies became important in a game of hide and seek.
With exams, followed by exams, and then some more exams, I put this on the backburner. Finally, today, in my little time out, I managed to place the cache. We couldn't place it in the most popular suggestion as some are already there and I also wanted to make sure the other locations were not wasted. We created a map, condensed into a QR code and placed it inside the cache, giving everyone who finds it the chance to explore our other suggestions. It'll be a relatively easy find, but we are quite happy with that as it gives the classes contribution a little more exposure. Geocaching site is down just now, but look for 'College Trip' if you're in Troon and at a loose end :-)