Google Earth is Not Just a Toy it is Edutainment

It is always fun to play around with programs that may have some value.  This not so with Goole earth.  Google earth is a multi dementional and interactive, education machine.  This as the tutorial stated is and window to see Arial satellite of the sun, moon, Earth, and Mars, as well as, up close imagery.  You are able to see various images, and elevations of a particular land mass.  You can even navigate under bodies of water and see the sea life as well as its terrain.  You are able to view historical recreation of a particular land mass and see how it had changed over the course of time.    With respect to mars and the moon you can look at images from lander and rovers.  You are able to watch the various paths they proceeded on and those images they took.  Another neat feature is the ability to creat and then play back a tour using  specific points on the earth.  Say you wanted to map out a trip for a friend, you can do that.  You can also give them historical facts on where they are going  You are also able to see the lighting patterning from the sun  for a specfic location and at a specific time of day and date. 

So what does that have to do with teaching.  Like I said Google earth is fun and interactive, but it can also be educational.  You are able to look up certain historical charters and not just see there geographical location.  You can also see what that particular person is famous for.  For elementary students it was suggested that you use American tradition to mark out not just there location.  Google earth will also tell you specific information about that tradition.  I looked at a Google earth wiki established by Cindy Lane that was called Google Earth Goods.  See gave various resources on how to use Google earth in the classroom.  These suggestions were similar to the ones I stated above.  But this wiki is a great resource tool to help teacher justify with great success how Google Earth is both fun and educational.  That these programs can help meet the standards of various content areas.   I wonder when Google universe is coming out.