Navigate Your World
A hands-on course in digital mapping, route planning, and wilderness navigation.
🎯 Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand map basics: latitude, longitude, waypoints, tracks, and routes.
- Use different map layers (topographic, satellite, terrain, land ownership).
- Plan and export hiking routes with multiple waypoints.
- Import/export GPX files between applications.
- Download and use offline maps.
- Interpret digital maps to identify terrain features.
- Apply mapping skills to navigate in real-world environments.
📅 Schedule
February, 26th – Foundations of Digital Mapping
- Topics: Latitude/longitude, waypoints, tracks, digital vs. paper maps.
- Lab: Drop waypoints, measure distances, locate coordinates. Digital Scavenger hunt.
March, 12th – Planning and Navigation Basics
- Topics: Layers, trip planning, routes, GPX files.
- Lab: Plan a hiking route, export/import GPX, visualize in Gaia GPS.
April, 2nd – Advanced Tools & Map Interpretation
- Topics: Offline maps, contour lines, interpreting terrain, map customization.
- Lab: Download offline maps, compare topo vs satellite, mark features, visualize in Gaia GPS
April, 16th – Applying Skills & Route Challenges
- Topics: Review, map sharing, scavenger hunt preview.
- Lab: Work with provided coordinates, create a navigation plan in teams.
Field Day – Map-Based Scavenger Hunt
- Apply digital mapping skills outdoors.
- Teams follow waypoints and terrain-based clues.
- Final debrief and awards.
🧰 Materials Required
- Smartphone with Gaia GPS app installed. I have promo codes for a free 90 day account, we’ll set those up during class.
- Laptop or desktop with Google Earth Pro installed. Scroll down and click the link to Download Earth Pro on desktop.
✅ Expectations
- Come prepared with devices charged and apps updated.
- Participate actively in labs and team exercises.
- Be ready for outdoor exploration during the field day.
