Google Earth & Bing Maps 3D in the Classroom

When you think "virtual reality", you may not necessarily think of Google Earth or Bing Maps. However, both are immersive 3D environments that let you explore the globe (and even the heavens) in ways that have never been possible before. In one hour, you can take students on a virtual field trip from your school to the Gobi Desert to the Eiffel Tower and back again, simulate a deep-sea dive to the Mariana Trench, or take a tour of Ancient Rome. And that's just ONE class period!

There are a number of ways Google Earth and Bing Maps 3D can be used to enhance instruction in your classroom. If you are a History teacher, take your students on a virtual tour of the Acropolis in ancient Athens, follow Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman's "Anaconda" to Georgia, or do a fly-over of the Appalachian Trail. If you are a science teacher, at a click of the mouse, Google Earth becomes a virtual planetarium or conservatory, where you can take a tour of the night sky without the aid of a telescope, or view the devastation of the rain forests of South America. If you are an English teacher, give your students a glimpse of Dickensian London, and let them roam the streets with the Artful Dodger and Ebenezer Scrooge. These are just a few examples. The possibilities are (almost) endless.

Unlike most mapping software, Google Earth and Bing Maps 3D are designed to be user-friendly. Even those with the most basic computer skills can learn to use them after just a few minutes of practice.

Google Earth is a software program that you download and install on your computer. Bing Maps is a web-based mapping program, and no download is required. The 3D module can be accessed by clicking the "3D" button in the Bing Maps interface. Both Google Earth and Bing Maps 3D require a broadband internet connection to work.

Detailed, 3D imagery may not be available for every area you wish to study/explore. 3D imagery is being added to both services on a daily basis. You are also free to create your own imagery, if you so desire. Third party software is available in a multitude of price ranges to suit your needs and budget.

You can learn more about Google Earth and Bing Maps 3D by visiting the sites listed under "Recommended Links" on the left-hand side of this page. Links to a few interesting map coverages have also been provided.