episode description
When Aubrey, Andre, Newton, and 12-year old Kid Investigator Will C. hit the road with only a printed map and Aubrey’s thinking cap to guide them, they quickly become lost. After one too many wrong turns, they turn to GPS for directions to get home—but where do the directions come from? GEICO software engineer Cesar Alcantara helps point them in the right direction.
featured in this episode
meet our kid investigator
Will C. (he/him)
- from Cape Elizabeth, ME
- 12-years-old
- favorite school subject: technology
meet our expert
Cesar Alcantara (he/him)
- Software Engineer at GEICO
- fun fact: "I design and develop code that is used by millions of people each day!”
education standards
next generation science standards
- 4-ESS2-2 Earth's Systems: Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features.
- 5-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity: Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
vocabulary
satellite:
an object that orbits a planet or star—in the case of GPS, a machine that orbits the Earth
navigation:
the ability to find the way from one place to another
landmark:
an object, place, or feature of a landscape or town that has importance or is easily recognizable
longitude:
imaginary vertical lines that run in a north-south direction and are used to describe the location of a place on Earth
latitude:
imaginary horizontal lines that run in an east-west direction and are used to describe the location of a place on Earth
radio signal:
invisible waves of energy sent by a device called a transmitter and collected by a device called a receiver
mobile application:
a computer program designed to run on devices with small screens, like smartphones or tablets