Image retrieved from: http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect16/full-20earth2.jpg
High School performance expectations: Learners can... * |
Relevance to Google Earth |
(b) create, interpret, use, and synthesize information from various representations of the earth, such as globes, and photographs |
GoogleEarth is a 21st century technology-based representation of the Earth |
(c) use appropriate resources, data sources, and geographic tools such as aerial photographs, satellite images, geographic information systems (GSI), map projections, and cartography to generate, manipulate, and interpret information such as atlases, data bases, grid systems, charts, graphs, and maps. |
GoogleEarth includes the tools listed in the strand and includes various layering options that allow students to manipulate the students' view in an effort to gather and analyze geographic information. |
(d) calculate distance, scale, area, and density and distinguish spatial distribution patterns |
With GoogleEarth, students can travel any place in the world and examine and compare population and other distribution patterns (for example, it becomes easy to see the differences in population in rural vs. urban areas) |
(e) describe, differentiate, and explain the relationships among various regional and global patterns of geographic phenomena such as landforms, soils, climate, vegetation, natural resources, and populations |
See (d)'s explanation. |
(h) examine, interpret, and analyze physical and cultural patterns and their interactions, such as land use, settlement patterns, cultural transmission of customs, and ideas and ecosystem changes |
By connecting visual information acquired through the use of GoogleEarth to historical information acquired through other sources, students can see and make inferences about changes in geography. |
National Council for the Social Studies (2006). Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Alexandria, VA: National Council for the Social Studies.
Continue to explore GoogleEarth at your own pace until you feel comfortable with its features. Being familiar with the application, will make activity 3 more accessible to you.
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Activity 3: Reviewing GoogleEarth Lesson Plans
Focus Question: How can GoogleEarth used effectively to teach 21st Century skills in the Social Studies Classroom?
Review each of the following lesson ideas and use the Identifying 21st Century Skills in the Context of Social Studies Lesson Plans.pdf worksheet. When you are finished, compare your answers to the answer keys.
(These lesson plans were acquired through a simple Google Search; use a search engine to find more lessons related to your curriclum).
Lesson Plan 1: Great Monuments of the World
Lesson Plan 1 Answer Key: Great Monuments of the World.pdf
Lesson Plan 2:
Visit the following link http://www.activehistory.co.uk/Miscellaneous/free_stuff/google_earth/drake/index.htm.
Although there are many lesson ideas on this page, scroll down to "Making a GoogleEarth Tour of Drake's Circumnavigation.". I have chosen this lesson because it has a higher level of student interaction with the GoogleEarth application.
Lesson Plan 2 Answer Key: Drake's Circumnavigation.pdf
*Note: All answer keys are possible responses. Depending on how you interpret the lesson plan and any modifications you make, the skills addressed may vary.
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Activity 4: Designing Your Own Lesson Plan
Focus Question: How can GoogleEarth be used in your classroom?
Take a moment to reflect on what you have learned thus far in this course. By now, you should know what 21st century skills are, what role technology plays in teaching them, and how to operate GoogleEarth; you have also explored multiple lesson ideas that have a 21st century skill component and/or use technology. Think about a specific 21st Century Skill (or multiple skills, but simplicity is helpful when first starting) and aspect of US or World geography that is relevant to your curriculum and brainstorm a lesson plan. Focus on the following questions:
If you'd like to share your GoogleEarth lesson plan, please post it in the comment section below.