Friday, May 20, 2011

Lesley 6008 - Google Earth

Historical View - Hay Springs photos go back to 1993 and one can see changes in the community over these 17 years. Going back to 2003 there are several obvious changes, the new addition to the nursing home, Lister Sage Community Center.  If you go back to 1993 only part of the town is shown.

Class Use:  Students can study the expansion of cities.  When farm areas are turned into housing and industrial areas, students can explore question relating to land use.  Where is the food previously produced on that land now produced?
They can see how older sections of cities were renovated - San Francisco's south of Market Street area.  This leads to a discussion of what happened to the people and businesses that were there before the renovation.

Current home is at 42 deg, 41 min 08 sec N, 102 deg 41 min 36 sec W, elevation 3838 ft.
Home I grew up at: 37 deg 43 min 28 sec N, 122 deg 28 min 01 sec W, elevation 220 ft.
Class Use: I used Google Earth to help find sites for Journey North - Mystery Sites.  Students can locate places at the same latitude and see how the climate compares depending on altitude and surrounding geography.

Layers:  This would be useful for students planning a real or imaginary trip to a city.  They could locate mass transit routes, then places to visit near the route.  

Tour: Creating the tour and recording it I figured out.  I got stuck on the picture part.  Finding the picture and copying the URL I was fine. I couldn't get the pictures to appear at the locations.  I also wanted to get rid of the white dialog boxes but could not figure out how to do it. I saved it but don't know where it went so I could send it to anyone.  Did a search but only found a shortcut not the tour.
Class Use: I can see many ways to use this (once I figure it out).  Have students track the places in a book, a famous persons life, historical events, a trip they would like to take.  I have used the tour based on the book Make Way for Ducklings by McCloskey and shown the sites in Boston as the story was read.

Flight Simulator:  The help didn't work so I wasn't real sure what I was doing.  I did get it flying? Not sure I really got off the ground.
Class Use:  (or maybe not)  I can see the  students having fun with this tool.  Some would have as much fun crashing as flying.

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