Google Earth & Google Maps

Google Earth is a program which can be used to explore images of the earth from a birds eye view. Sites can sometimes also be viewed at a closer range in a photograph etc. Some sites can also be viewed at a different point in time. Below is a picture of the Fitzroy River in September 2003, followed by one at the same location in December 2004.






























Google Maps is a program which can be used to view maps of the world online. Below is an image of the Fitzroy River as a map (outlining street names etc).




View Larger Map

There are many educational projects which explore interesting aspects Google Earth and Maps in different ways at the Google Earth Outreach Showcase website.

Here is a project that I found through exploration of the website, which explores evidence of the impact of global warming on the earth.


There are lots of pedagogical uses for Google Earth & Google Maps. Students can search for an image of their local river, their city or even their neighbourhood. This can help them to relate their learning to the real world, it is thereby another great tool for constructivism.

Students can learn about SOSE and many more subjects, by exploring these images of their world. They can make inferences about the features of the environment and the impact upon the people and wildlife of the area. They can look at the impact of oil spills. They could undertake a role as city council and look at maps to plan where they would place a sewage plant or the new town library.

It is really up to the learning manager to consider where Google Earth & Google Maps may be of use to them within their curriclum. Above all other advatages, when students use these programs, they are connecting their learned knowledge with real world imagery to help ground the "facts" in reality and gain a deeper understanding.