3-+Google+Earth+Resources

This page provides a brief overview of how we have been using Google Earth at TMS, as well as resources for you to find your own curriculum materials. We put some of our projects and Google Earth handouts on the U drive, in the LMC_TECH folder. Note that Google Earth files all end in .kmz. You can search for these on the Internet for a subject of interest. //Please join this wiki and add any interesting projects or resources that you find or create!//

=Using Google Earth in the classroom:=

Social Studies-
Google Earth is ideal for Exploring the 5 themes of geography.Students can read the **latitude** and longitude for the absolute location, and select the **borders** layer to determine the relative location and the region that a country is part of. Select the **Terrain** layer and move over an area to observe the difference in terrain and vegetation, and **zoom** in to closely examine various landforms as well as man-made structures. Select the **Places of Interest** layer to find tourism sites, and make sure to select **3D buildings** layer to view structures that have been added to Google Earth. Our 7th grade students created a presentation of their findings in Google Earth.First they created a storyboard to plan the information appearing on each slide. Then they created placemarks. We assessed their work with the following rubric.

Some of our social studies classes went on tours of sites mentioned in their texts, as well as journeying on a Google Lit Trip of historical novels studied in the classroom.

Download or create Google Trips of novels studied in the classroom. See **Resources** below for the Lit Trip link.
 * LA/English-**

World Language-
create a webquest based on a foreign language novel, or allow students to explore the country they are are studying. Here is a draft of a question sheet for a webquest prepared by Jen Cowenhaven, a WL teacher at TMS, for a French class Here is the Google earth file for the French webquest,. You will need to save it on the computer, then open it within Google Earth.

Science-
Classes were able to use google Earth to view volcanoes and other geological formations, as well as observing the sites of recent natural disasters such as tsunamis.

=Resources:= According to Google, on this website "you will find helpful information on using Google Earth, Maps, Sky, and SketchUp in your K-12 classroom. For years, this suite of products has been identified as a powerful learning toolkit that can help your students conceptualize, visualize, share, and communicate information about the world around them. The Google for Educators team hopes these tools will empower you to bring the world's geographic information to your students in a compelling, fresh, and fun way." Within this site you can find:
 * Google for Educators- Geo Education** http://www.google.com/educators/geo.html
 * Getting Started Guide http://www.google.com/educators/start_earth.html
 * Selected classroom activities: http://www.google.com/educators/activities.html
 * Integrating Google Earth and Discovery Education (United Streaming) http://www.google.com/educators/p_earth_discovery.html
 * Ways to use related Google Products, such as Google Maps, Google Sky and Sketch Up

The complete guide to Google Earth.
 * Google Earth User guide** http://earth.google.com/intl/en/userguide/v4/


 * Google Earth Video Tutorial** http://earth.google.com/tour.html


 * Google Lit Trips** http://www.googlelittrips.org/ or http://web.mac.com/jburg/GoogleLit/Home.html

created by a teacher in California, this site contains contributions from other educators of trips on google earth that correspond to settings mentioned in various works of literature. Our school has used the trips based on "My Brother Sam is Dead" and "Night" in SS and LA classrooms.

This is a free public resource created by teachers, for teachers, to give educators tools and ideas for using the free Google Earth software in their classrooms. Using the ideas and resources found on this site, teachers of all subjects and grade levels can incorporate Google Earth into their curriculum.
 * Google Earth Lessons** http://www.gelessons.com/lessons/

FYI: clearer satellite photos are available here http://maps.live.com/ type in an address and click on Birds-eye view
 * A Teachers Guide to Google Earth** http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/story.php?itemID=11916 from the Apple Learning Exchange

**Sample SS Lessons**: Lives of the presidents  (MS) http://groups.google.com/group/googleforeducators_submityourlessons/browse_thread/thread/118de4db7890ac9a  Cultural characteristics of a region (HS) http://www.wbra.org/html/edserv/ntti/2006Lessons/CupOfCulture.pdf