Quick overview: An application that allows your students to zoom, spin, and fly around the planet with real satellite imagery.
What does it do? If you’ve used ever Google Maps in your classroom, then you may really appreciate Google Earth. Google Earth (http://earth.google.com) shares the same satellite data as Google Maps, however your students can use Google Earth to effortlessly zoom, spin, and fly around the planet with real satellite imagery. Some major US cities, such as New York, even include accurate 3D models of actual buildings.
How can it be used in a classroom? As a real life ICT suggestion for a Math class, your students can use a “virtual ruler” in Google Earth to calculate distances (KM, miles, etc) between two places with actual satellite data, as seen in the screenshot below. If that sounds interesting, here’s a site that explains how to use the “virtual ruler” function in a classroom: http://tinyurl.com/5hw7oj
Extra information: Google Earth is free, however since it is a desktop application, it must be downloaded and installed locally on your computer. If you do not know how (or have the rights) to install software in your computer lab, you can ask for help from your IT department.
