Maps
Google maps continues to converge with Google Earth, providing 3D imagery through WebGL technology. Users can create custom maps with rich layers of information.
Check out These Features:
- Explore photo layer
- Explore Wikipedia layer
- Check out street view
- Create custom maps and collaborate with others
Bring the World to your Classroom
This is a great book by Kim Randall and Kelly Kermode that explores different ways to integrate cultural awareness and global citizenship into your classroom. The book has detailed instructions on how to use Maps, My Maps, Earth, Tour Builder, Google Expeditions and more!
Google is moving away from the desktop Google Earth application to the web-based Google Maps Engine. With Maps Engine you can create your own custom maps from existing data sources and do all kinds of other interesting things on a map! Share your maps with others so they can help you edit, or share so they can view.
Explore the NEW Google Earth!
Google Earth is an application that provides stunning satellite imagery of the world in which we live. Travel to famous landmarks completed with 3D models and explore rich layers of data from public and user generated sources. In addition to the Earth, Google Earth also allows you to explore the Ocean, the Moon, the night sky, and Mars.
Note: As of April 2017 Google Earth is now a stand-alone web application that will run on any device with the Chrome Browser, including Chromebooks! The Web-based version of Google Earth is still under development and not all of the features of Classic Earth are available on the web-based version.
Resources
Maps / Earth Gallery
Google maps provides a foundation which Government and non profit agencies around the world are using to display large quantities of data. View real-time earthquake markers from the USGS, water quality and sanitation reports from UNICEF, or explore NASA satellite imagery. There are hundreds of map layers to view. These layers provide a stunning visual impact.
Google Tour builder makes it simple to create a custom "tour" within Google Maps or Earth. Simply plan out your stops, add text, images, and video for each point of interest and click publish! To get started visit tourbuilder.withgoogle.com. Great for Students!Tour builder is an outstanding tool for the classroom. Teachers AND students can use tour builder to bring history, literature, or science alive by giving dates, events, and people a physical place. Use tour builder to create your own "lit trip" or document a research project.
Google Lit Trips
Educator Jerome Burg began using Google Maps/Earth to plot out the locations in the book his high school students were reading. Doing so helped his students forge a more personal connection with the store as they had a better understanding of where it was taking place. A “Lit Trip” is a story that has been “mapped” on Google Earth / Maps. These layers of data are available for download free of charge.
Google Earth Lit Trips: http://www.googlelittrips.com/
