In the beginning of the school year I taught a lesson on the earth-moon and sun system by having my students track the sunrise and sunset on the following website.
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php
Students then choose a location on Earth and then record the data. The students loved that they could navigate through their neighborhood and even find their house. The students were really excited, but this made it very difficult to keep them on track to the goal, which was exploring the earth-moon-sun system. The students were engaged, enjoyed the lesson and learned, but the lesson took twice as long as was expected. Now that I know about Google Earth this problem will be solved for next year!
Google Earth is a free download that allows users to explore the Earth and its atmosphere using satellite images. The download allows users to tour the earth and record tours for future use. As an educator it would be extremely helpful if I could go to the site, record what I would like students to focus on, and then play it back to them during class as a video.
To teach speed, distance and time I could use Google Earth to help students see the real-world application by having them choose coordinates, calculate distance using measurement tools provided through the download and then calculate speed. or create problems for others.
In teaching Earth Science like plate tectonics or water biomes, Google Earth would be hands-on. I would allow students to identify the biomes or plates locations as well as learn about their culture using outreach or national connections provided in Google Earth. Students could also use this download to explore how these locations changed over time using the Historical Imagery button. Students could then compare and contrast the location between the present and the past as well as hypothesize what natural hazards may have caused the land changes.
When learning about Simple Machines and Human Impact students could use 3D models button to explore buildings, bridges and other architecture and use the Google Earth marks button to identify styles, uses, locations, etc. Students could then create a tour and share it with their peers.
These are just a few of the ideas I have created, and I know there will be many more once I explore Google Earth even further! Give it a try...Download it now!
I love that you are actually using this! The possibilities are endless!
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