Sunday, June 21, 2009

Google Earth resources for teaching Earth Science and more

I was recently asked by a science teacher for resources she could use to independently learn about Google Earth. While I have in no way come close to conducting an exhaustive search, here are a few resources that seem useful. They are pages I bookmarked mostly after finding them via Twitter or blog posts so I offer thanks to those who publicly share information.
Google Earth ScreenshotOverview and Introduction:

Google Earth overview ISTE webinar (duration: one hour)
This is an archive of the online webinar titled Google Earth Lessons in the Classroom, which includes audio and slides, published by ISTE. Dr. Alice Christie presented this overview of using GE with students on October 29, 2008. It is available for free to Dwight-Englewood staff via the Blackboard A Teacher's Toolbox course under Learning Unleashed > ISTE Webinar archives. A more detailed description and information for others to purchase this archive are available here.

Recording of a hands-on introduction to Google Earth (duration: one hour)
This is session one of an online, hands-on workshop led by Thomas Cooper on 2/9/09 as part of the Powerful Learning Practice program. You can follow along with if you run Google Earth while watching. The session includes information on the Oceans component. Here is a description copied from the PLP newsletter:
"Google Earth can be integrated into almost any discipline. Students can use the tool to explore natural features, historical monuments and characteristics of cities. The greatest power of this tool lies in its ability to promote inquiry-based research and collaborative action."

Earth Science:

Designing and Creating Earth Science Lessons with Google Earth User Manual
Published in May 2007. Creation of this manual was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Other Subjects:

Google Earth has also been used by teachers of other subjects. For example. Google Lit Trips can be used to help students better understand a novel through familiarity of the geography of a book's various locales. Of course, contemporary and historical maps can be useful in multiple disciplines. I have not explored the sites below much, but they are a place to start if you are looking for more.

Google's Google Earth for Educators page
Published by Google and includes ideas for classroom use in multiple disciplines.

Google Workshop, Part 3: Google Earth at the Assorted Stuff blog
Includes links to tutorial videos and other sites with resources related to Google Earth.


I'd be grateful to hear feedback about the usefulness of any of these resource for the next time someone asks. Therefore, please add a comment to this blog post or email me at campbb AT d-e DOT org (if you have a comment you don't want to make publicly). Also, if you have another resource that you would recommended to teachers, please add it via a comment.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

The Recording of a hands-on introduction to Google Earth is excellent! I had played around with reading tips off of the internet manual but it was SO much easier to just follow along with his video. Bill, I'd love to see some of his other broadcasts! Can you link them on here?

Here are some of Thomas Cooper's project ideas that he shares in the session:
http://cleanwatersheds.wikispaces.com/ and http://outdoortech.wikispaces.com/Final+Project

Thanks!

Bill Campbell (bjc) said...

I haven't watched it, but session two of Cooper's Google Earth workshop was recorded on March 23, 2009 and is here.

Unknown said...

Are there other recordings as well? How can I find the posting of all of the sessions he has?

Thanks!

Bill Campbell (bjc) said...

The two recordings from Thomas Cooper previously mentioned are the only ones I know about.

However, Thomas seems to have posted resources here for a Google Teacher Academy presentation he presented on Geo Apps - Maps, Earth & SketchUp. There is also a link to his Bio page with contact information.