All Things Google Earth!

By Alix E. Peshette

OK, by now almost everyone has downloaded Google Earth and found their house. Now what? This virtual globe software, fueled with satellite imagery, has some pretty amazing applications in the classroom! Just take a look at the growing community and resources at Google Earth Community Forum. Folks from around the globe are sharing tips, tricks, placemarks and tours.

Cool Things to do with Google Earth in the Classroom

Go Live!
Add Webcams to Placemarks - Besides seeing a location, relative to the globe, have students view a live image of that location! The Google Earth Lessons website has complete instructions on how to do this.

Go Video!
Create Google Earth Videos – If you are using Google Earth rather than Google Earth Pro with the “Movie Maker” feature, use the open-source CamStudio to capture Google Earth tours as video. CamStudio is a great screen capture program that captures images, video and audio.

Google Earth Overlays!
People are creating and sharing overlays for Google Earth based on all sorts of subject areas; shipwrecks, wind patterns, fish migration, etc. You can also create your own custom overlays.

Day and Night on Our Earth - Show students the reality and location of day and night on the planet, updated every 10 minutes.

Google Ocean – Google Earth and Google Maps as visualization tools for marine data. This website has an incredible number of Google Earth overlays with information on shipwrecks to weather cloud patterns.

Create Your Own Overlays - The Google Earth Lessons blog has complete instructions on how to create custom overlays. I really appreciate that the suggested software is free or open-source.

Mashup New Software with Google Earth!
New software that interfaces or adds something to Google Earth is popping up everywhere!

GPS Visualizer - Convert your GPS data for use in Google Earth with this web-based free software.

Plot, Plan and Draw – Try out Google Earth freeware tools such as GE Path and GE Graph at this website.

Google Earth Online Placemark to Path Converter – Not real sure yet what this does, but hey, give me a week and I’ll get back to you on this!

Shape2Earth - GIS interface for Google Earth. Create professional visualizations for viewing in Google. $29.99

Let that be a Lesson for You!
Borrow, adopt, adapt (and credit) the work of other educators! Here’s a sprinkling of wonderful lesson plans built around Google Earth

Modeling Sea Level Change on the Gold Coast
Great lesson on global warming that is easily adaptable to other locations. Thank you Juicy Geography.

Google Earth Lessons

Join the Movement
Check out the websites and blogs that follow or lead Google Earth and all its possibilities.

Google Earth Hacks - Forum

Interactive Earth

Ogle Earth

Google Earth Blog

Google Earth (My Passion)


If you have any resources to suggest, please add them in a comment.