Bring the World to your Classroom *Everyday*

by | Aug 24, 2018 | global education

#EduSlam Recap!

The new school year is fast approaching for many. We have been working toward new goals for the upcoming school year, and if you are like us, you want to develop good habits and daily routines that foster some of those goals. If you are watching the world shift, change, and evolve – and are thinking you need to help develop that global lens in your students, you have come to the right place. We believe in bringing the world into our classrooms *everyday.

The new Google Earth launched on Earth Day 2017, which is a now web-based (earth.google.com) and app-based (iOS and Andriod). Getting into earth should be fairly simple, once at the website, click on launch into earth.

1. Search for locations

Using Google Earth’s search capabilities, you can visit anywhere on Earth and find out facts and details about that location. If you are learning about a certain environmental phenomenon or the setting of a book, you can project Google Earth in your classroom and quickly take your students to that location. While perusing the menu on the left, you may notice searching for a location is the first option. Click on the search icon and type in a location. As you type the predictive search results begin to appear, including Voyager stories listed at the bottom of the predicted results. 

2. Knowledge Cards & I’m Feeling Lucky

Once a location is searched, Google Earth flies to the location. A marker appears showing the location and an info card appears. The info card contains information, places of interest within that location or nearby, and the option to save it to bookmarks. The compass at the bottom can also be double-clicked to activate the ability to tilt and adjust the view.

Nothing spurs creativity and curiosity like a quick visit to a new place. In Google Earth you can “roll the dice” and see where you land. Your students can ask questions about a place, do a quick write using the location as a setting or inquiry write-up, or you can help your students connect dots between where they live and this new location exploring similarities and differences.

3. Show Data Layers

Below the search option, the next helm icon is for Voyager. Voyager houses interactive stories from around the world with a variety of topics. A recent addition to Voyager is Layers. Layers allow the user to visually display a variety of geospatial data. Some of the current layers include current weather radar (updated every 15 minutes), current global temperatures,  seafloor depth, and more! Since these layers offer the ability to analyze data on a global scale, what a great way for students to visualize things like temperature all the way around the equator or sea surface temperature in relation to coral bleaching, etc. Keep an eye out on the layers for even more in the future!

4. Measuring Tool

Use the measurement tool to explore distances. You can draw comparisons between locations, size and scope of land forms and waterways.

Thanks!

Thanks for tuning in to our EduSlam! For further updates & info sign up for our newsletter at creategloballearners.com or check out our book Bring the World to Your Classroom Using Google Geo Tools. 

Note: Currently Google Earth is an additional service to be turned on in the Google for Education domain. For further information regarding settings/privacy, etc. click here. (There have been updates to the messaging in the domain, so be sure to ask your Google Domain Admin to check it again if it’s not turned on for your school/district). If your school/district allows YouTube for students, Google Earth falls under the same additional Google services rules. Check with your Google Admins to have it turned on. Contact us if you need further info! 

 

 

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