Google Earth Model Lesson Presentation

Ok, after saying I can't live blog, I'm now going to try it. :)

Session is called "Caravans and Google Earth" Presenters: Ellen Dierkes, Dana Livne and Renee Hawkins.

It's a model lesson (5th grade). Here's the presenter's website.

One-to-one laptop school, moodle school

"Caravans" came first, teachers were using, role-playing simulation game.

Tech teacher suggested integrating with google earth.

In game Caravans, students travel the world and do tasks .

All start in San Diego, assessed based on "travel dots." Students get travel dots based on things like map skills, learning languages, creating artifacts, etc. Travel dots earn gold pieces. Goal of game is to get gold pieces to collect artifacts for a museum. Here is description I lifted from the site where the game is sold-

She says it sounds complicated, but it actually works very easily once kids get started they are self-motivated, able to work independently.

Each caravan has to research and plan their journey. Can focus the game on particular areas of the world or can do the whole world.

Students work in caravans in their classroom, then when they come into the lab (once a week, 40 minutes) they learn html coding and work in google earth.

Each caravan group is responsible for creating place marks in google earth with text description and photo or video clip. Students use html, also create a template with important factual information about country. Each caravan responsible for a region and creating 4 place marks for that region. Then other students take tour of that region by exploring place marks.

Start with an already-created place, show kids how to right click, go to properties and copy html code that is already there to use as a starting point for writing the new code.

Here are the resources from the presentation.