A couple of quickies

First of all, from CREATIVE REVIEW'S blog, come 4 scenes from the Bible 'as they would be seen on Google Earth'... Check them out.

Also news from Noel Jenkins that for those teachers using his classic MONTSERRAT lesson, the quality of the images has been much improved. I remember using this a few years ago, and having to use an overlay as most of the southern part of the island was covered in thick cloud.

Wii Controller for Google Earth

Just came across this from Joseph Coulston - dates back a year or so...

Rainforest Ad

One of my favourite sites: HOUTLUST has now reopened at OSOCIO.
Check out this very clever BRAZILIAN AD, which has a GOOGLE EARTH type slider. Try sliding the zoom out to see what happens....

New GOOGLE School resources

Got a glossy poster in school today advertising a new GOOGLE service: Google Schools.
There are a series of free resources which you might find useful.

The GOOGLE SCHOOL site features a good CARBON FOOTPRINT site for example.

Also featured are POPULATION DENSITY, NATURAL DISASTERS and FAIR TRADE.

Check them out.

Population Density Overlay

Just looking at a find via Kenny O Donnell, via Google Earth Blog.
We were looking at global patterns of population today, and mapping them. Now there is a great GOOGLE EARTH FILE (click the link to download) which overlays the anthropogenic biomes over the world...
Also on GE Blog is reminder about various Santa trackers for Google Earth

Cyclone Sidr Resources

BANGLADESH - Cyclone Sidr Resources

Tony Cassidy spent the October half term of this year in Bangladesh.
As part of his travels, he was asked to create a resource.
The week after he arrived back in England, CYCLONE SIDR hit Bangladesh: the worst cyclone since 1991.

Details of the CYCLONE can be seen on the BBC NEWS site, and there is a very detailed article from the DAILY TELEGRAPH here.

Lesson	Ideas	Resources
1	Rationale- why study this event?Formation of the Cyclone Sidr. Cyclone protection in Bangladesh.	PowerPoint with linked video and embedded animation.Student worksheet about the formation of the cyclone.
2	Causes, Impacts & Responses.	PowerPoint introducing classification task.Student worksheet-classification task.
3	How quickly will Bangladesh cover?	PowerPoint comparing development statistics of the U.K. and Bangladesh.Student response worksheet.
4,5,6	Levelled assessment.	Students to produce a PowerPoint storyboard about the cyclone for B.B.C. news 24.Task worksheet. Assessment criteria. Outline PowerPoint.

The resources are a hefty 26Mb download.

If you use the resources, please make a donation to the OXFAM DISASTER RELIEF FUND. Click the link below, or the logo at the top of this post.

OXFAM DISASTER RELIEF FUND

Lots of new GE stuff

All on GE Blog.
Highlight is the ARCTIC ICE ANIMATION.

Jamie, Ollie ver (y good...)

Do you see what I did there ?
The free Google Earth courses mentioned below, run by Jamie from Digital Explorer are getting good reviews.I'm booked into one of the courses for (ahem) advanced users next year...

Ollie Bray went to one, and has since posted his notes and in an iterative way has referenced this blog, which I'll now link back to his...
Check out OLLIE's POSTING (which has some very useful GOOGLE VIDEO clips)

Google Earth Workshop Reminder - taken from RGS-IBG flyer...

This practical workshop will show teachers how to use
Google Earth to enhance fieldwork. It will also involve
hands-on experience with digital cameras and GPS units
creating mini-fieldwork projects outdoors. Participants will
then be shown how this data can be transformed into a
virtual journey using Google Earth.
Virtual expeditions and fieldwork can complement
outdoor experience for pupils and also support their work
in the real world. These courses run in participation with
Google™ and Digital Explorer will provide a hands on
introduction to the use of Google Earth in the classroom.
Creating virtual fieldwork using Google Earth means that
the visits you run with pupils can be shared with other
classes and future years in school. Previously
inaccessible destinations can now be visited virtually with
the click of a mouse.
If you would like to:
• ensure your students have a detailed and exciting
record of their fieldwork;
• share your own expedition with the classroom;
• enhance the way your pupils interact with the world;
• share journeys virtually for those who cannot
participate – younger pupils, different classes,
parents or a wider audience
This course will enable you to bring geography alive in
the classroom.
Participants will begin by familiarising themselves with
how to use Google Earth, digital cameras and GPS units.
Working in pairs, participants will design a field-based
study. They will spend time outdoors recording their
study in preparation for converting this data into a virtual
experience. Back inside, the next stage is to learn how to
create enhanced Google Earth place marks using digital
images and attach this information to GPS points.
Then the race is on to turn the raw data into an inspiring
virtual journey. The day will end with each pair presenting
their work to the rest of the group.
Course trainer
The course will be led by Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop who
combines being a humanities teacher in Greenwich with
a number of pioneering education initiatives. He is
director of Digital Explorer (www.digitalexplorer.co.uk)
and iNOMAD (www.inomad.co.uk). Jamie regularly uses
Google Earth on expeditions, fieldtrips and in the
classroom.
Who is eligible?
Key influencers in geography teaching from LEA
maintained schools are invited to attend.
Funding
Google™ has kindly sponsored 10 courses to be run
throughout the UK allowing teachers to attend free
training sessions.
Dates and Venues
Swansea Monday 12 November 2007
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Monday 19 November 2007
Edinburgh Tuesday 20 November 2007
Belfast Monday 10 December 2007
Leeds Monday 14 January 2008
Cornwall - Launceston Monday 21 January 2008
Birmingham Monday 28 January 2008
Southampton Monday 4 February 2008
London (RGS-IBG) Tuesday 4 March 2008
Essex - Chelmsford Monday 10 March 2008
Cost
Free of charge - but please note that if you accept a
place on one of these courses and subsequently do not
attend you will be charged the full price of a standard
course, £95 + VAT (£111.63)
To apply please return a completed booking form to:
Geography Outdoors: the centre supporting field research, expeditions and outdoor learning
RGS-IBG, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR ▪ tel: 020 7591 3030 ▪ fax: 020 7591 3031
▪ e-mail: go@rgs.org ▪ website: www.rgs.org

Sketch Up Tutorial Videos

Thanks to Kenny O' D for the tip-off here.
Aidan Chopra, who produced "Google SketchUp for Dummies" has also placed a whole load of short tutorial videos on YOUTUBE.
Well worth watching to show you the tricks of the software...The book is £7.99 on Amazon currently...

A load of other useful links from the page too.
Thanks for sharing Aidan - good work !

Also a reminder of the new RGS-IBG Google Earth training days.
Spaces are going fast !

Ollie Bray at Teachmeet

Quick quiz: which city ?

Ollie Bray did a useful short 7 minutes on Google Earth at the recent TeachMeet07, which was held in Glasgow.
OLLIE'S BLOG has all the details.

Answer: Auckland...

You Tube

This article
has a description of some Google Earth tagging of YouTube videos which is apparently about to be added as a feature.

Also check out Digital Urban for an interesting looking mapping post.

Led me to an interesting post related to some work I've just been doing on Christaller's Central Place theory.

GeogEd

Geography and Blogging

A new resources has just appeared on the Geographical Association website.
It's a new online journal called GeogEd.
The first item is an article by Phil Wood called Advances in E-Learning: The Case of Blogging in School Geography.
This looks at blogging in geography, and name-checks the article I wrote for Teaching Geography in 2004, and then mentions some current Geog Blogs, though sadly not the 'original' GeoBlogs...
Fame (ish) at last...

Free RGS-IBG training

With the generous support of Google™ the RGS-IBG in conjunction with Digital Explorer will be running 10 free of charge Google Earth workshops for LEA-maintained school geography teachers.

These practical workshops show teachers how to create virtual fieldwork using Google Earth. They involve hands-on experience with digital cameras and GPS units creating mini-fieldwork projects outdoors. Participants are then shown how this data can be transformed into a virtual journey using Google Earth.

The workshops will take place across the UK at the following venues:

RGS-IBG, London – Tuesday 16 October 2007
Swansea – Monday 12 November 2007
Newcastle – Monday 19 November 2007
Edinburgh – Tuesday 20 November 2007
Belfast – Monday 10 December 2007
Leeds – Monday 14 January 2008
Birmingham – Monday 28 January 2008
RGS-IBG, London – Tuesday 4 March 2008
Cornwall – date to be confirmed
Southampton – date to be confirmed

Further details of these courses and open courses available for non-LEA school teachers can be found on our website www.rgs.org/GOseminars

If you have any questions please call Lucy on: 020 7591 3030 or email: L.bruzzone@rgs.org

Training is being carried out by Jamie Buchanan Dunlop of Digital Explorer
http://digexplorer.wordpress.com/

Google Maps now embeddable

Create a map.
Click on LINK TO THIS MAP.
Copy the code
Paste into blogger posting
Hey presto...


View Larger Map

Hurricane Tracker

Ollie Bray reminded me of the HURRICANE TRACKER network link.
Here is the current and predicted position of HURRICANE DEAN...

Blog Action Day

Blog Action Day is on October 15th.
The theme of the day is THE ENVIRONMENT.
Watch the video below for more details.
This blog has signed up for BLOG ACTION DAY. Make sure your blog is too.

International Polar Year

2007 is the IPY or International Polar Year.
Stefan Geens of Ogle Earth has produced a very useful resource for Geographers, in the form of a new layer for Google Earth, containing a range of useful resources.
Thanks (once again) to Noel Jenkins for flagging this up on the SLN Forum

Google Earth Summer School

Richard Allaway has been spending part of his summer holidays in Toulouse, where he teaches, teaching a Summer school, which has a major GOOGLE EARTH element to it.
It includes his 'trademark' Site Pal 'talking heads' introducing the tasks.

You could also do worse than check out Rich's Delicious Google Earth bookmarks.

Smoke Free Blog

June Floods - Yorkshire 2007

Well done to Melanie Richards for putting together a resource based around the current flooding which has devastated my home area of Rotherham and Sheffield.
At her GORGEOUS GEOGRAPHY blog, she has placed a file which shows images and also a layer of flooded area produced by the Environment Agency. This is a very useful and timely piece of work.
Also check out the GA's page of June 2007 resources: http://www.geography.org.uk/resources/june2007floods/

MetalToad

MetalToad have a very useful Flickr / Google Earth style thing...
Download the KML file, and it produces a feed of photos which have been Geotagged on Flickr, and shows them in their actual location.
Here's a nice example that was taken in Norwich...
Check it out !

Thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening...

....but not with this Google Earth layer
Mentioned at GEARTHBLOG
It picked up some lightning in Norfolk yesterday evening. Could be good to use with students to track storms across towards the school, or warn of possible problems for the Sports Day javelin event, or the staff golf tournament...

The tool is produced by the GUIWEATHER site.

Updates and Norfolk in high res finally....

New update for June
Just updated to latest version of Google Earth (always good to have an up to date version)
Thanks to Noel Jenkins for reminding me of this update.

The big news though is that there is now high quality imagery of Norfolk on Google Earth, and it includes my home village and the place where I work.
There is one issue though: the age of the images that are used.

The ones of my village are at least 5 years old and possibly nearer 7.

The ones of my school are about the same age, as they show a number of missing details. In fact: one of the tasks I might do with my groups next week is to play a SPOT THE DIFFERENCE game for the local area.

Here is an image of my brother in law's house in Norwich for example - I think that's his car, so they are within the last 5 years or so:Here is one of my house - and some neighbours:And here is one of the school where I work...
There appears to be a missing TESCOS !

Another piece of news on GEARTHBLOG was about a recent Developers' Day where it was announced that Google has acquired PANORAMIO: the source of million plus images in Google Earth.

Sounds on Google Earth ?

Thanks to David Hancock for guiding me to this BBC NEWS article, which suggests that there may soon be a soundscape layer added to Google Earth.

Kokae

I've mentioned the KOKAE resource before on my Google Earth page, but for those who don't know, it's a series of video resources based on Google Earth.
A session was delivered to the GA Conference in April 2007 by Richard Treves, and this is now available for you to view HERE. This includes all details of the talk and lots of other materials. A very helpful resource.

I was unable to attend this session as I was delivering our 2 hour workshop on GIS, delivered by members of the GA Secondary Committee at the time.
The materials from the GA Conference are now appearing on the website.
There's plenty more of Geographical interest there...

Chartered Geographer

Chartered Geographer

Want professional recognition for all that you do for the Geography community and for Geography within your current school ?
Why not apply for Chartered Geographer (Teacher) status from the RGS-IBG.

I applied this year, and in April heard that I have been accepted, so I am now a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Chartered Geographer. If you would like to know more about the process, or what I did for my application please get in touch.

I also have a very nice framed shiny 'halo' for my wall...

Free Alan Johnston

GA Conference Presentation

Slideshare from GA Conference on GIS

Discovery Channel Clips Tour

Thanks to Paul Williams for flagging up this new feature to view video clips on a Google Earth Tour.

GoogleEarth Library

Thanks to Noel once again for flagging up a promising new blog called GOOGLE EARTH LIBRARY.
This has been launched with lots of geography-related ideas and links to placemark collections on the Keyhole Bulletin Board.
Check it out !

GA Conference

I will be at the GA Conference at the University of Derby on the 13th and 14th of April 2007
I will be leading a session on the use of GIS for Beginners on the Saturday morning, with a great deal of help from fellow members of the GA Secondary Phase Committee.
I will be mentioning a few Google Earth style links.
Hope to see some of my readers there - come and say hello!
I'll have a limited stock of GeographyPages pens for you to claim!

Tour of the Swiss Alps in GE4

Thanks to Bob Lang for flagging this up on SLN Forum...

Utah...

Was contacted this week by Lucas Shaw.
He works for the Utah Geological Survey and wanted to pass on some news about a new KMZ file to download from the WEBSITE of the UGS.
This offers the chance to fly around some of the geological wonders of the state.
Click on PLACES TO SEE and then GEOSIGHTS, such as the Devil's Playground which is pictured above...

Site also has some TEACHER RESOURCES, such as a presentation on the Ice Age to download.

Check it out ! It's "Something Good" (can you work out the musical link here...)

Geograph Layer

Thanks to Noel J (again) for a tip off of a new layer on Geograph which has updated the existing layers and allows you to see images which have been uploaded. Called the SUPERLAYER. Head over to GEOGRAPH and download the KML file.

His Dark Materials

Noel Jenkins has consistently produced interesting resources for use with Google Earth, and he has now launched another excellent resource idea using text from Philip Pullman's award winning "Northern Lights". This is a book I read over 10 years ago and had a big impact ! The front cover of the edition I have shows the alethiometer: a very geographical looking device. In fact in the USA the book is published as 'The Golden Compass'. The needle seeks out 'truth' rather than true North...

The action in the first book ends with a whirl of events taking place in Svalbard, but not the Svalbard that we know - one that is subtly different i.e: it has armies of polar bears and witches in a parallel world, which has Norroway and Brytain.
Noel's idea is to use Google Earth to find the locations in the book.
This, as Noel says, is difficult on Svalbard except for the small areas where there are high definition images.
Check out NOEL's PAGE for more.

Why not buy Northern Lights from the GeographyPages bookshop. Click the image below to go there then follow the link and spend spend spend !

Noel uses the text to explore the landscape of Svalbard, which is shown in all its glory in the wonderful images of Laurel McFadden at her COLD PHOTO blog.

Also looking forward to the film, which is apparently due out in December 2007.

London in Maps

The British Library have a new free exhibition on at the moment called LONDON IN MAPS.
As part of the exhibition, you can download a free GOOGLE EARTH overlay which contains a range of London maps. It's a chunky 3.4 Mb.
I'm in London doing some GIS training on Friday, so will pop in and let you know what I think (time permitting) - or failing that I'll send you an e-postcard...
The curator even has a BLOG.

Google Earth Transparencies

Another find by Noel Jenkins via another blog, which is often the nature of these things. This is a 'mash up' which looks to be useful. Check out NOEL'S POST for more details.

E-mails

Got this e-mail today:

FROM Jeff Gomo.
Avenu 12 Rue 47 ABIDJAN
DANANI REFUGEE CAMP, ABIDJAN
REPUBLIC OF COTE-D'IVOIRE

Dear,

My name is jeff gomo and my sister, from Sierra Leone. My father and I escaped from our country at the heat of the civil war ,As a result of thepolitical instability in my country even after the war,

my father established his cocoa and coffee export business in Abidjan,Ivory Coast.He was in Buake, a northern city to negotiate for the purchase of a cocoaplantation when he was shot and killed by the rebel troupes fighting to takeover the government of the country on the 22nd September, 2002. The death of my father has now made me an orphan and thereby exposing me to danger.Beforethe unfortunate death, my late father had in his personal account with abank here the sum of $4.500m. As a result of the present insecurity of lives and property in this country,

I wish request that you assist me use youraccount in your country to transfer the balance of my father's account. Again to assist me with a letter of invitation that will make me get a visa to your country for residence inorder for me to continue our education and to invest the fund in a viable business venture.

I am willing to give you 20% while 5% has been earmarked for expenses. If this is acceptable to you, send me a mail through my regular e-mail account (gomo_jeff@yahoo.com) so that we can discuss further on this matter.

JEFF GOMO.

Anyone find this in Google Earth ?
I'm thinking of sending my bank details...

Amazing Touch Screen Interface

Frank Taylor over at Google Earth Blog posted about this amazing touch screen interface for using Google Earth (and other images / videos)
Watch and be amazed...

Ordnance Survey Mapping News

All schools should receive a copy of OS Mapping News twice a year.
The Winter 2006 issue (Issue 31) has just arrived and features a few items of interest for Google Earth users.
There is an article on using Google Earth Plus (an upgrade which costs just $20) and a GPS unit to create and map a historic trail on Cyprus.
There is also an article by Noel Jenkins relating to his San Francisco activity "Visualising a Safer City" which uses Google Earth to look at decision-making related to the location of a new building in the city.
It includes a file to download, and the article gives all the details for working through this tried and tested activity.
There are full details at the JUICY GEOGRAPHY page, from where I borrowed this Google Earth screenshot.
Thanks to Noel for mentioning my GeographyPages Users Guide at the end of the article!

Google Earth Images

Meant to post about this a while ago, but just playing catch up.
Article in The Observer in November 2006 about how London is gaining an advantage over other cities in the UK (and exerting its primacy ?) because of the quality of images on Google Earth is much better in the capital than in other parts of the country.
London's images have up to date buildings whereas those in Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester are still without...
In Liverpool, they reckon the images used were taken around 2001, whereas the new Arsenal stadium is visible in London. The Urbis centre is missing from Manchester for example, and neither is the new Bull Ring in Birmingham.
Google Earth spokesperson Rachel Whetstone said:
"We can only update things as soon as we have the data", and they rely on third party external companies for the data.
Keep an eye out for more updates to come.
Remember that Frank Taylor's GEARTHBLOG is probably the best place to look for news of these...

Google Earth INSET Courses

Want some INSET on Google Earth ?

The RGS-IBG are offering a full day course looking at using Google Earth to create a Virtual fieldtrip by adding digital content. It's on the 22nd of January, and further details are available on the RGS website. School members should also have been sent flyers. The course is being run by Jamie Buchanan Dunlop and will involve fieldwork in Hyde Park. It costs a very reasonable £30.

Noel Jenkins is also running a course in London on June the 28th. Details are already posted on DIGITAL GEOGRAPHY.

There are also some useful tips at the GE LESSONS website.

Happy New Year to all my readers!

Currently listening again to the Radio 4 Today programme on listen again, which was edited by the G Team.
Interesting clip from Vanessa Lawrence on the importance of maps in our everyday lives:
"there is more geography being used today than ever before" OS provide the data for Google Maps.

Also item on the connection between immigration in Britain and the effect on poverty in Africa.
Apparently people of African origin send home an average of just under £1000 a year. Interview with some Ghanaians living in London and from correspondent in Ghana.

An item on the growth of the EU: the link between Europe and links between Europe.

My Walks: project from Northumbria University - look at familiar places as an unfamiliar place. Geography is about change in the contemporary world. Interview with Dr. Duncan Fuller from the university.

Final interview with the guest editors.

Doreen Massey provided a small input relating climate change to globalisation. We demand goods but don't take responsibility for the carbon emissions produced by their production and transportation. We will meet our Kyoto protocol targets because of the change in our economy and this has "reshaped the Geography of the UK itself..." as our economy revolves around London and its financial sector.

Congratulations to Dan, David and Hannah - a job very well done!

Dan talked about his geograpical teaching. Geography sits centrally in the curriculum...
Creates a real meaning and purpose to the curriculum...

David talked about the importance of fieldwork: the basis of which is observing: using your eyes.

Dan talked about how issues tend to be separated by the media rather than brought together using Geography.