Have you used Google Earth to sanction the highest quality teaching and learning within your classroom? Or have you challenged your students to use Google Earth to answer new innovative and thoughtful questions? If not, I believe that as a trainer you are missing an important and free learning tool. At its first glance, Google Earth does sound a little bit about geography. But, it is good for so much more and provides many useful utilities. Consider the innovative folks at Google Lit Trips who have developed Google Earth lessons related to the most popular trade books read in today's classrooms. Certainly, if we magnify literature through a lens of Google Earth, it helps students understand literary concepts from a different perspective. Imagine floating high over Missouri with the ability to view conservation areas near your home. Now imagine being able to zoom in for a closer look at area facilities. With the availability of Google Earth, you don't have to imagine anymore.

Google Earth is a new product that combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google Search to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips. Google Earth puts a planet's worth of imagery and other geographic information right on you’re desktop. You can type in an address and Google Earth will fly to that location. You can get driving directions between locations. You can even tilt and rotate to see 3D buildings in metropolitan areas such as St. Louis.

With a new data file from the Missouri Department of Conservation, you can even view conservation areas along with information on their facilities, activities and regulations. Save and share your searches and favorites. Even add your own annotations. There are many ways to make geography lessons memorable and interesting for your students. For example, instead of having your students stare at maps for a class period each time you teach a geography lesson, you can get them involved in some hands-on activities that cement and enrich the topic. After teaching students about each theme of geography (location, culture, characteristics, human interaction, and movement) you can have them practice applying these ideas by focusing on different parts of the world using some of the following activities of Google Earth. Google Earth is a fantastic computer application that allows students to actually see what you are talking about when you mention a particular location. When you discuss Mount Rushmore or the Grand Canyon, you can actually show students the location and take a remote tour. Google Earth also allows students to explore the moon, the ocean, and their own backyard - literally. Now, not only can you see visuals of Earth, you can explore space and see the stars and planets.