Teaching App Project
Your Name: Grace Sulaiman
Identification of App or Website: Google Earth
URL: google.com/earth
Availability (Check all that apply):
Desktop
iPad/iPhone
Android
Chrome Web Store
Appropriate Grade Level(s): 6-12th grade
Subject Area(s) Supported: Geography, World History, Space and Earth Science, and General Sciences
Cost (Give details if some is free but there are other premium features for a charge.):
Googles earth is actually free. Previously, there had been a $399 charge for Google Earth Pro, but it is
free and available to everyone for free too as long as you download the installer for it.
Purpose (Describe how teachers and/or students would use this and how it would promote learning.):
Google Earth could be an extremely helpful tool in teaching Geography because it is basically a 3D
virtual world map. You can see the world as a whole and zoom all the way in to a specific street. It
would help students to visualize topography and see geographical features of the earth such as
mountains, deserts, and bodies of water. I think it’d be a great resource for helping to students to
visualize places in the world as they are being taught in the classroom.
Quality (What makes this app a good one for teacher and/or student use? Consider things such as the
visual appeal, level of motivation/engagement, connections to standards or quality information, ability
to differentiate or customize learning, promotion of higher-level thinking skills, feedback to students,
authenticity of assessment, data reporting to teacher.):
This app is great because it is free and could be accessed by both the teachers and the students. It’s also
fairly basic and easy to use. There are thousands of bookmarks that appear on different locations that
you can click on to see more information. It doesn’t really promote a lot of higher-thinking skills for the
students, but it does allow the students to discover the world in a different and fun way. There isn’t a
specific way to report information to the teacher, but students could be assigned to find their home
address and then take a screenshot that they have to turn in.
Ease of Use (Describe the learning curve for teachers and/or students in being able to use the program
effectively. Consider navigation, clarity of directions, response time, intuitive support or Help files, etc.):
Google Earth is extremely easy to use and learn how to use. Although it is basic, it is very detailed. It is
accurate and responsive, and it is also regularly updated so that the map is always accurate and correct.
Limitations (Discuss any negative issues with content, design, functionality, etc.):
One limitation of Google Earth is that some regions of the world are restricted, so it couldn’t be used for
everything. Also, third world countries tend to be a lot less detailed on the map. One last limitation is
that Google Earth requires internet access, and it is probably not accessible to students and teachers in
third world countries.