Google Earth (http://earth.google.com/intl/en/) is an incredible tool for teaching students about geography. The pivotal feature of this tool is the way you can select any location on Earth and zoom in for a clear image of that location. You can view cities, roads, mountains, oceans and famous landmarks such as the Great Barrier Reef. Additionally, you can click on particular locations/landmarks to view images and read information related to that location.
There are so many potential learning opportunities with this tool and I am still getting used to them all. I have found the following features to be simple to use and they would also provide a meaningful context for learning about Mathematical concepts such as distance and co-ordinates:
The ‘ruler’ option allows you to select two locations and then identifies the distance between them.
The ‘placemark’ feature allows you to place a marker on a location and then identifies that location’s exact coordinates.
I would use Google Earth as a whole class and group teaching tool in all year levels, particularly in the upper primary classroom. For example, students could use the ‘ruler’ feature to find the distance between Gladstone and Rockhampton and calculate how long it would take to drive to Rockhampton if they were travelling at 90k/h.
The State of Queensland (Department of Education) (2002) suggests that this tool can effectively promote higher order thinking and a problem based curriculum by providing learners with the resources they need to independently solve problems and locate information of a geographical nature. Google Earth has too many useful features for me to discuss in one blog post so I strongly encourage everyone to try this program for themselves. I am looking forward to exploring this tool in more depth and can’t wait to hear about everyone else’s ideas.
This is a great tool. I have used this in one of my class lessons and found the students very responsive and enthusiastic.
ReplyDeleteYour ideas of using this as a tool for upper primary to solve problems would be really effective. Students would appreciate that they could see the here and now and work out coordiates, positions and distances very effectively. This would be a great hook to assist students who may be feel a little challenged in maths concepts, to become more involved and enthused. Independant working to promote higher order thinking would enable the teacher to assist students who require additional help. Good idea for upper primary lessons...
Thanks Bernice. I was impressed by your idea to use Google Earth to compare how familiar places have changed over time. This tool really provides teachers and students with so many opportunities, for learning, that would not be possible without it.
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