Google Earth in the Classroom
Google Earth Lessons
When I was looking for lessons for Google Earth I came up empty. Here are some activities I created myself.
Student Directions:
Here are five activities which will help you become familiar with Google Earth. You will do each activity and I will grade the worksheets you save in your folder.
There are links to the worksheets in the directions for each activity. Click on the link to the worksheet, open it, and then save it in your "My Documents" folder adding a hyphen (-) and your name.
| Activity 1 | Activity 2 | Activity 3 | Activity 4 | Activity 5 |
Activity 1 - Getting Familiar with Google Earth
Start Google Earth from the link on your desktop.
In this activity you will practice flying to some different places. At the top of the screen there is a space for you to key in a location. Follow the directions below and answer the questions on the worksheet here. Save it in your "My Documents" folder adding a hyphen (-) and your name.
If Google Earth stops responding, close the program and restart it.
Use the zoom and tilt controls in each location and write what you see when you get there. Is there a famous monument or river? What about other places nearby?
Key in and fly to the following places. There are questions corresponding to each of these places on your worksheet. Key in the answers to the questions and save your sheet.
- Paris, France - What famous place can you see in or near Paris, France?
- La Guardia Airport - What big city is near La Guardia Airport?
- White House - What famous monuments are near the White House?
- 10 Downing Street, London - What river is near 10 Downing Street, London?
- Grand Canyon - What river is at the bottom of the Grand Canyon?
- Your Choice - put in a famous place you've heard about. Key in a famous place you would like to visit. What do you find there? What is near by?
Activity 2 - Familiar Places Closer to Home
Start Google Earth from the link on your desktop.
Here we will look for your home and for The Rice School. Follow the directions below and answer the questions on the worksheet here. Follow the directions below and answer the questions on the worksheet with your name and save it in your "My Documents" folder adding a hyphen (-) and your name.
- Key in your address. Remember to put a comma and a space after your street address and then type in the city, another comma, another space, and then the state.
- Click at the bottom of Google Earth to overlay the streets and buildings.
- Key in [The Rice School, Houston, TX].
- Remember your commas and spaces.
- Click at the bottom of Google Earth to overlay the streets and buildings.
- Zoom out and see if you can find the Medical Center and Downtown.
- Find Relient Stadium and Minute Maid Park as well.
Activity 3 - Sightseeing in Google Earth
Start Google Earth from the link on your desktop.
Check out places that are already bookmarked in Google Earth. Follow the directions below and answer the questions on the worksheet here. Save your worksheet in your "My Documents" folder adding a hyphen (-) and your name. 
- First look under Places and then Sightseeing.
- Try double clicking on different links there. Remember to wait a minute for all the information to come in and clear up.
- Now find the link for Colorado River View link and double click it.
- When the screen clears double click the map and drag your mouse to see the Grand Canyon from the river's view.
- Follow the river as far as you can. See if you can make it all the way to the Hoover Dam.
Activity 4 - Latitude
Start Google Earth from the link on your desktop.
Follow the directions below and answer the questions on the worksheet here. Save your worksheet in your "My Documents" folder adding a hyphen (-) and your name.
The location of a place on Earth is described in terms of latitude and longitude. The farther a place is from the equator, the bigger the number of the degrees of latitude.
If one city is 40 degrees North (that means it is forty degrees north of the equator) and another is 40 degrees South (that means it is forty degrees south of the equator), then each city is the same distance from the equator.
If you are standing at 0 degrees latitude, you are on the equator. The North Pole is Latitude 90 degrees North and the South Pole is Latitude 90 degrees South.
Half way between the north pole and the equater is 45 degrees North.
Use Google Earth to answer the following questions.
- Which U.S. city is closest to the equator?
- Houston, TX
- Key West, Florida
- Evansville, Indiana
- Camden, Maine
- Houston, TX
- Which U.S. city is closest to the North Pole?
- Houston, TX
- Key West, Florida
- Evansville, Indiana
- Camden, Maine
- Houston, TX
- Which North American city is farthest from the North Pole?
- Syracuse, New York, U.S.
- Monterrey, Mexico
- Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Houston, TX
- Syracuse, New York, U.S.
- Which city is closest to the equator?
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Darwin, Australia
- Manila, Philippines
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Which city is farthest from the equator?
- Timaru, New Zealand
- Dublin, Ireland
- London, England, U.K.
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Timaru, New Zealand
Activity 5 - Using the DEFINE feature in Google
Start Google from within Firefox.
Follow the directions below and answer the questions on the worksheet here. Save your worksheet in your "My Documents" folder adding a hyphen (-) and your name.
We describe a location on Earth in terms of latitude and longitude. Go to Google in your browser (Firefox) and type in the following search terms. Be sure to include the colon : .
- Define: latitude
- Define: longitude