Integrating Google Earth Into Your Curriculum

Beth Heim, ITRTPotomac View Elementary

heimbm@pwcs.edu703.496.1126 ext. 333

Beginning with Google Earth

Search Places and View

Layers

Add Polygon

Sky ViewRuler

Image Overlay

Print

Hide Sidebar

Add Placemark

Add Path Show sunlight across the landscape

Email View in Google Maps

Toolbar (versions prior to 5.0)

Social Studies

A Closer Look… Kelly Leadership Center

A Closer Look… Washington D.C.

How far did the soldiers travel on D-Day?

Use photos from Google Images or United Streaming to compare today to yesterday.

A Closer Look… View photographs taken by visitors and get Wikipedia info

Japan: before, after, and today

Ground Zero- Nagasaki

Introduction

• This lesson is being provided as a lesson on George Washington for 4th and 5th grade students following standards set for the Virginia Standards of Learning.

• The lesson makes the following assumptions:– Students have been taught how to use

Google Earth prior to this lesson.– Students have been taught to use Google

Docs prior to this lesson.

Standards ISTE: 3.Research and Information Fluency Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students: A. plan strategies to guide inquiry.B. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.d. process data and report results.

Virginia State StandardsGrade 4VS.5 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the role of Virginia in the American Revolution by

b) identifying the various roles played by Virginians in the Revolutionary War era, with emphasis on George Washington

VS.6 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the role of Virginia in the establishment of the new American nation by a) explaining why George Washington is called the “Father of our Country”

Grade 5USI.6 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the causes and results of the American Revolution by

c) describing key events and the roles of key individuals in the American Revolution, with emphasis on George Washington

Google Earth

• For the first part of our field trip, we are going to visit Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington, by air!

• Step One: Open Google Earth.

Google Earth

• In the search window, type Mt. Vernon Estate and Garden, Mt. Vernon, VA.

Google Earth• You will see Mt. Vernon at the bottom of the screen.

Google Earth

• Zoom in so that the estate fills the screen. Make sure you have Google Earth set to display photographs.

Google Earth

• Look at the photographs that have been taken by visitors.

• Look at the layout of the main house, the outer buildings and the gardens.

• Look at the relationship to the house and the Potomac River.

Google Earth

Move over to the left of your screen and locate the following: the original vault, Washington’s grave site, the farm, 16 sided barn, and the wharf.

Google Earth- Assessment

• In the discussion board, post your thoughts on Mt. Vernon after seeing it in Google Earth. Is your initial reaction that you would like to live there? What part of the estate would you most like to see if you were only given an hour to tour? Your response must be at least 150 words.

George Washington Website

• Go to http://www.mountvernon.org/learn/explore_mv/index.cfm/

• Use the navigation on the left side of the screen to move through the different areas of the estate. Read carefully about each area.

Website Assessment

Post at least 5 interesting things you learned from the website on our discussion board. Make sure you answer in complete sentences and in paragraph form.

Virtual House Tour

• For this part of our virtual tour, we will go to the Mount Vernon website. Go to http://www.mountvernon.org/virtual/index.cfm/ss/2/

• Click on launch the flash tour.

Virtual Tour Assessment

• Enter the tour and answer the questions found on your Field Trip Guide Sheet.

• Once completed, upload your document to our Google Docs site.

Field Trip Guide • Field Trip Guide Sheet • Answer the following questions. Save a copy as yournamefieldtripguide, upload and share with your instructor in

Google Docs. • 1st Floor Central Passage

– Find the Bastille Key. Who sent the key to GW? – What significant event did it mark?

• 1st Floor, Little Parlor – Washington bought the harpsichord for Nellie Washington. What is a harpsichord? – What do you think this says about the hobbies or pastimes of the family?

• 1st Floor, Large Dining Room – This is the room where the Washington’s and their guests spent many hours. Meals here could take as long as

4 hours. – Why do you think this room needed to be so large? – How did GW make this room personal? Use the item descriptions from around the room to answer.

• 1st Floor, Small Dining Room – What color is this room? Why did GW paint the room that color?

• 1st Floor, Study – Why do you think GW didn’t allow most people in this room? – What was the purpose of this room?

• 2nd Floor, Lafayette Room – Why do you think GW had so many visitors?

• 2nd Floor, Nelly Custis Room – How was Nelly related to GW? – Did GW have any children of his own?

• 2nd Floor, Master Bedroom – George Washington died in this room in the bed that is shown in the room. How old was he when he died? – What caused his death? – Do you think he would have survived if they would have had modern medical techniques that are available

today? Tell why. • 3rd Floor, Cupola.

– Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupola and look up cupola. Why do you think GW added this to the house?

ELA

Literature Trips

Full of coots, codgers, geezers, and outlaws, this is the rip-snortin’-- and suspenseful-- saga of a young man and his butler bound for California from Boston during the great Gold Rush. AnnotationJack and the butler stow away on a side-wheeler bound for California where they join the Gold Rush of 1849

Literature Trips- By the Great Horned Spoon

Use Paths and Placemarks to mark chapters or events

Math

Use the measurement tool to measure distance or compare

measures.

Ruler (measurement tool)

Measuring Distance

Converting Measures and Drawing Paths

Use the path tool to draw a path to measure distances that may not be in a straight line.

Convert the measurement for the unit of instruction.

Science

Study astronomy using the sky view or study oceanic features

looking at the sea.

AstronomySwitch to sky view. Click it again to return to Earth view.

View Ocean Features

**View from GE 5.0

Art

Look at Architecture

Study the architecture of buildings using the 3-D feature

Roman Coliseum

Music

Look at locations of composers and compositions.

Haydn, Rohrau (Austria)

Mozart, Germany

Brahms, Germany

How can you use Google Earth in your classroom today?