Google Earth
Teachers like using it in the classroom because it turns lessons into more engaging, interactive experiences with the real world. Students can learn about geography and historical changes, take virtual field trips, and compare landforms. Google Earth can be used in history, science, math, and civic classes.
Sample of Google Earth in the classroom
Google Earth is an excellent application that can be incorporated into the classrooms. Students will enjoy using this tool because of the diversity it offers inside the school. Students who are about to go on a field trip can learn about special locations or historical facts about the city or landmark they may be visiting. Students can also learn from the imagery how places have changed over time. Students can measure distances between locations and calculate distances in miles or kilometers using those locations. Students can explore ancient sites or examine ecosystems affected by natural disasters. What's best about Google Earth is that it’s free for anyone to use.
Google Earth would be an excellent way for teachers to incorporate into a lesson plan by planning a lesson around a historical site. Teachers can have students look up a specific date and time and visit the site virtually. A good example is when students learn about the Spanish missions and how it was vital for them to be geographically distributed throughout California. Students can learn the geography, the distance between each mission, and how the land has changed over time. Students can see the difference and understand the importance of travel between missions. These are essential facts for teachers to present to students and for students to learn in an interactive lesson.
Part 2
Sample of Google Earth in the classroom
Part 3
California Common Core
and ITSE Standard
California Common State, and ITSE Standards
4.2 Students describe the social, political, cultural, and economic life and interactions among people of California from the pre-Columbian societies to the Spanish mission and Mexican rancho periods.
1. Discuss the major nations of California Indians, including their geographic distribution, economic activities, legends, and religious beliefs; and describe how they depended on, adapted to, and modified the physical environment by cultivation of land and use of sea resources.
2. Identify the early land and sea routes to, and European settlements in, California with a focus on the exploration of the North Pacific (e.g., by Captain James Cook, Vitus Bering, Juan Cabrillo), noting especially the importance of mountains, deserts, ocean currents, and wind patterns.
3. Describe the Spanish exploration and colonization of California, including the relationships among soldiers, missionaries, and Indians (e.g., Juan Crespi, Junipero Serra, Gaspar de Portola).
4. Describe the mapping of, geographic basis of, and economic factors in the placement and function of the Spanish missions; and understand how the mission system expanded the influence of Spain and Catholicism throughout New Spain and Latin America.
5. Describe the daily lives of the people, native and nonnative, who occupied the presidios, missions, ranchos, and pueblos.
6. Discuss the role of the Franciscans in changing the economy of California from a hunter- gatherer economy to an agricultural economy.
7. Describe the effects of the Mexican War for Independence on Alta California, including its effects on the territorial boundaries of North America.
8. Discuss the period of Mexican rule in California and its attributes, including land grants, secularization of the missions, and the rise of the rancho economy.
History–Social Science A R O Content Standards for California Public Schools Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/histsocscistnd.pdf. (2000, May 18). https://www.cde.ca.gov/BE/ST/SS/documents/histsocscistnd.pdf
ITSE Standards:
2.4 Collaborator
2.4.c Use Collaborative Tools
Educators use collaborative tools to expand students' authentic, real-world learning experiences by engaging virtually with experts, teams and students, locally and globally.
2.5 Designer
2.5.c Innovative Learning Environments
Educators apply evidence-based instructional design principles to create innovative and equitable digital learning environments that support learning.
1.2 Digital Citizen
1.2.b Online Interactions
Students demonstrate empathetic, inclusive interactions online and use technology to responsibly contribute to their communities.
1.3 Knowledge Constructor
1.3.d Explore Real-World Issues
Students build knowledge by exploring real-world issues and gain experience in applying their learning in authentic settings.
1.5 Computational Thinker
1.5.c Decompose Problems
Students break problems into component parts, extract key information and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.
ISTE. (n.d.). https://iste.org/standards/educators
Part 4
PIC and PICRAT for Book Creator
Google Earth
Google Earth replaces the traditional use of paper maps and printed images seen in the classroom. Students used to use textbooks with a variety of maps from different parts of the world. Google Earth allows students to explore a variety of locations online, zoom in and out, and view the real world in real time.
Google Earth amplifies the traditional method by replacing maps and atlases, because in a textbook, street view is only the location. In contrast, in Google Earth, students can view a specific street address and the area in real time. Additionally, Google Earth lets you view terrain in 3D and measure distances between locations. Atlases and maps provide minimal information. Atlases and maps show information from the past, whereas Google Earth is continuously updated with current information.
Google Earth can help transform virtual tours or field trips at any location. Students can use Google Earth to take a “walk” around historical sites and compare images from the past to the present. Students can also collaborate on Google Earth projects to explore different information together. Google Earth is an excellent application for the classroom. Students can also label and build a virtual tour to showcase imagery and facts, and narrate the information in their projects. Students can also compare historical and contemporary geographical imagery. Students can also use Google Earth to learn about past explorations and the landmarks they left behind, and to see how those landmarks have changed over time. Students can become more creative in their learning by combining geographical history with images and presenting the information as a story so that everyone can learn.
Students are using Google Earth passively, only viewing the information without interacting, exploring, or creating their own. Students can use Google Earth to view the location on the computer screen. Students can also watch the teacher explore without participating. The information in Google Earth is preset, whereas students can analyze it but cannot respond without their own thoughts. Students are given descriptions and landmarks on Google Earth, but sometimes the information provided may differ from what they learned about the history. Most of the time, the students are listening and watching passively, but they are not critically thinking or using the tools provided in Google Earth.
Students can interact with Google Earth by performing simple tasks on the platform. The information used in Google Earth has basic skills that students can use to identify and locate information. The Google Earth interface allows students with lower cognitive levels to use simple features. Students who are using Google Earth can zoom in and out on landmarks that a teacher might discuss. This allows students to put the information in and find it easily. Zooming in and out of the historic view provides a clearer picture of the surrounding context. Students can also label or pin information on Google Earth so it is accessible. Students can also use the information they found to record what they learned, so they can come back and remember it. Students are not really critical thinkers; they use Google Earth to perform simple activities rather than creating new ones.
Students can create with Google Earth by designing their ideas on the platform. The views are passive, with minimal interaction, but they do allow students to think critically when necessary. When students create with Google Earth, they can custom-build their projects by adding pins, descriptions, and images. Students can also create a virtual tour by guiding the viewers throughout multiple locations and texts. Students can also add narration and videos to their tour guide to make it feel like they are experiencing the tour in real life. Students can also describe and give reasons why they chose the locations they are exploring. Also, a story map can be generated to explain the reasons they chose those locations. If the students are learning about a specific time and landmark, students can create a pin and later revisit the site. Students can also work together to make the experience more memorable.